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History and heritage
Bolton-Est, at the crossroads of nature and history, nestles in the North Missisquoi River valley, in the heart of the Appalachian corridor. Renowned not only for its quality of life and scenic beauty, Bolton-Est also boasts a rich historical heritage.
Proclaimed in 1797, Bolton Township is the origin of the name Bolton-Est. The township was settled early on by Loyalists and is said to take its name from a manufacturing town in England, Bolton Le Moors, near Manchester.
Territorial dismemberment
Bolton was originally the largest of the region's townships. However, from the mid-19th century to the outbreak of World War II, Bolton Township underwent territorial dismemberment, giving rise to Magog Township (1849), West Bolton Municipality (1876), Eastman Municipality (1888), Austin (1938) and Saint-Étienne de Bolton (1939).
What remains today, less than 25% of the township's original territory, forms the municipality of Bolton-Est, which covers an area of 81 km2. However, such a shrinking area has not left Bolton-Est without resources. On the contrary, it boasts a varied landscape dotted with lakes, marshes, mountains and short valleys. These elements are combined with the presence of the magnificent North Missisquoi River valley, which, together with the villages of Bolton-Centre and South Bolton along its course, form a harmonious whole.
As described in Reverend E.M. Taylor's excellent volume History of Brome County, the 19-mile northern boundary was defined by Shefford, Stukely and Orford townships. To the east, the township was bounded by Lake Memphremagog and Hatley Township; to the south, by Potton Township; and to the west, by Brome Township.
Economic activity
One hundred years ago, Bolton Township was the center of significant economic activity thanks to the Huntingdon copper mine, located near the western shore of Long Pond Lake. In 1866, over a hundred men worked there, extracting some two hundred tons of ore a month. Unfortunately, ten years later, the mine ceased operations due to a sharp drop in the market for copper as a result of the American Civil War. However, the existence of the mine triggered the arrival of the railroad in the township.
Bolton Township Hall
Bolton Township Hall (today's Bolton-Est Town Hall) was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1984.
It was in 1867, that the Bolton Township Council purchased 1⁄4 acre of land on the west side of Main Street in Bolton Centre and built a town hall there using limited resources and local labor. Its construction is a model of late 19th-century architecture.
In 1976, the Bolton Township Hall became the town hall for the municipality of Bolton-Est. It consists of a two-storey building with clapboard siding. Although it dates from the second half of the 19th century and is modest in scale, the Township of Bolton's Town Hall features a highly sophisticated architectural design.
Following the passage of the Lower Canada Municipalities and Roads Act in 1855, many public buildings, such as the Bolton-Est Town Hall, were built by English-speaking residents of rural Quebec.
Key elements contributing to the heritage value of this historic site include:
- its location on the banks of the Missisquoi River;
- its location on a small wooded lot near Missisquoi Road;
- the building's design, consisting of a rectangular, two-storey structure with a gable roof, and a symmetrical main façade with a protruding central section;
- the building's massing and openings, including those indicating the presence of a classroom on the first floor;
- its wood-frame construction, clad in white-painted clapboard;
- surviving original interior elements of functional design and original finishes;
- views from the site (across Missisquoi Road) to the Missisquoi River.
St.Patrick Anglican Church
In 1867, the Episcopalian missionaries of the Church of England acquired a 2-acre site from John Willard to build a residence for the religious officiant, who then served 24 worshippers. Anglican services were first held in the nearby town hall.
Then, in 1874, a Gothic Revival church was built on the best part of the land donated by Mr. Jay Theodore Pickel, on which the town hall was located. It was consecrated in 1882. On the exterior, the church still features its original vertical wooden laths trimmed in green. The entrance cornice, featuring a belfry but no steeple, is framed by a steeply pitched roof. The stained glass windows are in the Gothic style.
The warmth and beauty of the interior are enhanced by a dark red carpet and kneeling cushions, as well as the copper filigree lining adorning the pulpit.
It was in this beloved Pickel family church that artist Nina May Pickel married Owen Ernest Owens in 1891. John C. Willard II was also baptized here in 1895.
Over the years, the church has undergone repairs, but no major alterations. Today, the building is owned by the municipality and used as a community center.
United Methodist Church
Methodist missionaries from the “New Connexion” arrived in Bolton Township around 1831. From 1840 onwards, Methodism became the religion of choice in Bolton Centre. Sunday services were first held at the town hall.
This modestly sized temple was built in 1879 on two acres of land purchased from John Willard. It reflects the style of Methodist churches of the period, with New England and Classical influences such as the cornice returns on the façade and the Gothic Revival style with its ogee ceiling and windows. The wood clapboard siding is probably original.
Note the square belfry attached to the entrance tower, whose open octagonal bell tower is crowned by a spire. The building is now an artist's studio, closed to the public, and no religious services are held here.
Holy Trinity Anglican Church in South Bolton
This small, clapboarded church was founded by Reverend John Godden as a section of the Mansonville and Missisquoi Valley Anglican Mission. The church and cemetery are located on a half-acre site sold by Orrin Rexford in 1859 at a cost of $20. Holy Trinity Church was consecrated on September 28, 1860 by the Reverend Francis Fulford, Montreal's first bishop.
The church is remarkable for the painting of a clock image on the side wall of the entrance tower. Inside, the painted ceiling above the altar and the three stained-glass windows behind it create an aura of sanctity. The old oak organ is still used for some religious ceremonies. Members of several South Bolton families are buried in the old cemetery behind the church. One of the oldest gravestones is that of Bolton-Est's first mayor, John McMannis, and his wife Sally Hanson.
The little Red School House
The little Red School House in South Bolton was built in 1853 and closed in 1954. The school year consisted of four months in summer for the younger children and four months in winter for the older ones, up to the age of 20.
In 1954, the building was sold by the East Bolton School Board to the Women's Institute, which used it as its meeting room until 2003. Over the years, the house has undergone repairs, but no major alterations. The latest owners, descendants of the St-Pierre and Labranche families, have renovated the house while preserving its historic character.
*The building is not listed in the historic building regulations.
