History of the chapel

Historical resources about Mountain View Chapel are dispersed across Québec and elsewhere in Canada. I have been fortunate enough to locate information at the archives of the Aylmer Heritage Association, as well as from previous owners and local residents. The biggest source of information I found about the chapel came from the (Quebéc) National Archives in Montreal. I plan to scan some of the documents in the near future, but, if you wish to locate original resources, please contact me for further information

Mountain View Chapel is located in the tiny,  historical settlement of Simmons, Québec, which is now known as (North) Aylmer, but was originally known as South Hull – confusing, I know. The chapel was an extension of the Hull Circuit of the Methodist Church, which is now called Aylmer United Church (built in 1858). The landowning Simmins family from Westleigh in Devon, England, built a stone house on the farmland at the intersection of Pink and Vanier. As devout Methodists, they donated land next to their farm to build a chapel.

As I scowered through the archive material held at the National Archives in Montreal, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the architect of my simple chapel is none other than the renowned architect Moses Chamberlain Edey, who designed some of the most magnificent buildings in the nation’s capital. He was born in 1845 in the Pontiac County of Québec, just over the river from Ottawa. At age 17 Edey completed an apprenticeship in carriage design in nearby Arnprior, before moving to Toronto to apprentice in architecture and construction. He returned to Ottawa and joined an architect firm where he designed and built many local structures.

  • Aberdeen Pavilion
  • Centretown United Church
  • Daly Building
Some of Moses Chamberlain Edey’s renowned designs

The original Record Book of the Trustees, dated March 1898, details the initial plans to build the chapel:

“At a meeting of the Trustee Board of the Simmons appointment at the residence of W.J. Simmons on the twenty second day of March eighteen hundred and ninety eight at the hour of seven o’clock in the afternoon. Members present – John Munharvey, George D. Allen, Wm. G. Cook, Wm. A. Munharvey, Wm. J. Simmons and Wm. Simmons. In the absence of the Chairman it was moved by Bro. Allen and seconded by Bro. Wm. J. Simmons that Bro. John Munharvey be Chairman pro tem of this meeting. Carried. Moved by Bro. Wm. A. Munharvey and seconded by Bro. Wm. G. Cook that George D. Allen be awarded the contract to build a Methodist Church on a site chosen for the purpose on the property of William J. Simmons, the aforesaid Church to be built and finished complete (except seating) according to a plan made by Mr. M.C. Edey, Architect, and also according to a schedule to be hereinafter drawn up with respect to the quality of the materials to be used in the construction thereof. Said church to be completed on or before the first day of August eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, for and in consideration of the sum of eleven hundred and ninety-five dollars, current money, to be paid in the following manner, that is to say three hundred dollars on the fifteenth day of June next if the frame is up and covered in; five hundred and ninety-five dollars when the aforementioned building is finished complete, and three hundred dollars on or before the fifteenth day of September next. Carried“.

As seen above, the total cost to build Mountain View Chapel in 1898 was $1,195, which is approximately equivalent to  $35,000 today. 

In addition to building costs, the record from the same meeting in March 1898 details the quality and specifics of the construction materials to be used:

“Schedule or description of materials to be used in the construction thereof shall be as follows: The floor shall be laid with number 2 white pine 1 1/4 inch thick matched flooring and not more than 4 1/2 inches wide face measure and painted with two coats of best-lead paint of oil finish and lined with one inch rough lumber outside sheeting and roofing board to be one inch rough lumber and covered with tar paper. Inside sheeting shall be done with one inch rough lumber and covered with dry felt. Inside finish shall be done with V. joint to the extent of four feet from the ground floor and with beaded sheeting from thence up to the turn at roof, and all-over head panelled with well seasoned beaded sheeting, panels to be not more than three feet square. The roof shall be covered with first quality shingles and laid not more than five inches to the weather. The outside walls shall be veneered with first quality hard bricks and pencilled with black mortar. The foundation shall be trenched at least three feet deep or till a solid bottom is reached and two feet wide and properly filled in one foot in depth with stone, and four feet deep of solid mason wall two feet thick and painted with black mortar. The cills shall be bedded in mortar and properly beam filled, the joists shall have two rows of bridging. The doors shall be two inches thick with panels with three pair of four inch hinges on each pair of doors and good block locks with bronze knobs. All painting except floors shall be done with three coats of the best lead paint. All rough one inch lumber shall be sound. All knots shall be well shellacked before being painted. The rough sheeting shall be put on diagonally and all glass shall be frosted.
Moved by Bro. Wm. G. Cook and seconded by Bro. Allen that this meeting do now adjoun at the call of the Chair. Carried. John Munharvey, Chairmen pro tem., Wm. Simmons, Secy. Treasurer.“

The combination of arched windows, columns/pilasters, and classically-inspired wooden panelling on the interior attest to Moses Edey’s love of the gothic revival style of architecture. This style of architecture was introduced to Canada around 1820, but was not popular in Québec because of its association with Britain. I believe that, ironically, the refusal of Anglo-Quebecker Methodists to make their chapels too elaborate, which they associated with the Roman Catholic Church, led to the construction of a Methodist chapel that looked more like British Methodist architecture than those of other English-speaking parts of Canada.

The chapel remains today as a testament to the dedication of the church board and the generous support of local, landowning families. In 1997 the Ville de Gatineau designated the chapel as a heritage building in recognition of the building’s architectural, cultural and religious significance.