valley united church / greenfield united church
coldstream Pastoral Charge
nova scotia, Canada

Valley Yesterday

The Truro, Nova Scotia area was settled in the 1760's, but it was nearly a century later (1856) that a church building was erected on the road between Salmon River and Onslow Mountain.

Originally named Union Church, the congregation renamed it Centre Church at a later date, and finally, upon the formation of the United Church of Canada in 1925, Valley United Church, the name it carries to this day.

As noted elsewhere, Greenfield became the third member of the Coldstream Pastoral Charge family a few years later, joining the former Kemptown congregation (which in turn partnered with Riversdale to become Kemptown/Riversdale United Church). With this joining, the three
congregations separated from Truro, assuming responsibility for their own futures.

The charge shrunk to two churches in June, 2008, when Kemptown-Riversdale closed their doors and surrendered their charter to the United Church of Canada.

(An unrelated aside: it was the Reverend Mr. McCulloch of Truro who suggested the name "Coldstream", but it's not recorded whether or not that was an editorial comment on the nearby Salmon River.)

Valley Today

Thanks to strong financial support from the Valley congregation, the building has recently been upgraded, much of the work required to meet current health, safety, and access codes. Valley's sanctuary is now fully accessible to physically challenged members and guests thanks to the addition of a wheelchair ramp - much of the work done by Valley congregation volunteers - and the latest in push bar/fire retardant doors were recently installed.

Combined with the installation of an emergency fire exit door from the second level balcony, building safety and convenience of entry and exit has been dramatically upgraded.

In 1956 - during the year of Valley's 100th anniversary - the entire building was lifted to allow the addition of a basement, no mean feat for the day. This engineering miracle also included the construction of a twelve foot addition to the building's west end - at the rear of the church as you view it from the roadway - which allowed for the construction of two rooms (one is now the Charge Administration Office, the other the Minister's Study) and a choir loft.

A highlight of the 1856 building is a stained glass wall (shown on the Welcome page) which provides a stunning backdrop to the choir loft and pulpit. It is constructed in such a way that natural sunshine backlights the scene during daytime hours, while electric lights are turned on after darkness sets in.

The Valley congregation faces the future with hope, determination and enthusiasm.

There is still an active music program for both adults and children, and the Sunday School is a big favourite with the much younger members.

Parents may also take advantage of the Nursery, where two qualified students care for the youngest members of Valley.

Although today's environment demands constant evaluation and change to all organizations, including our churches, Valley continues to also concentrate on the here and now, serving one of Nova Scotia's fastest growing urban areas as well as outreaching beyond local borders.

Greenfield Yesterday Generally recognized as Greenfield's first official property owners, Eddy Whidden and his new wife, the former Mary Tupper, drove in the stake for what was probably their only home in 1814. For the young couple, a cup of tea with neighbours involved a five mile buggy ride, no mean feat considering it also probably meant travelling over rough pathways and "roads". Greenfield's partnership with Valley in Coldstream Pastoral Charge came many years later, 1871 to be exact, just 15 years after Valley had opened their doors for the very first time. Both within their own time frames had officially received permission to separate from the Truro Presbyterian mother church. It must be remembered that the United Church of Canada as such didn't exist prior to 1925. Prior to then, both Greenfield and Valley had remained loyal Presbyterian congregations, journeying at least once weekly to the larger community of Truro. The comment about the complexities of Mr. and Mrs. Whidden's travels to visit neighbours certainly wouldn't apply to today's Greenfield. Mostly paved roads - there are still some exceptions - lead to where more and more housing subdivision developers are discovering the attraction of the area's verdant, rolling hills and pastoral scenery. However, there's still enough room for all, and city dwellers might well envy Greenfield residents the peace and tranquility they enjoy. Like most of the smaller Presbyterian congregations, Greenfield's settler members had travelled to Truro for worship and thus there had been no need for a building in the immediate area. However, upon the creation of their partnership with Valley United, the congregation also formed a cordial working relationship with their neighbourhood Methodist counterparts, sharing the facilities offered by the Greenfield school house to hold Sunday services. This practice continued for several years until both congregations accepted that things were getting a bit cramped and, in 1888, construction on a separate structure to serve the faithful was started on a Union Church, officially dedicated on October 13 1889. Greenfield Today As with a great many churches, large or small, Greenfield United Church's faith has been stretched to the limits over the years. But given the congregation's pioneering past and strong belief in their own future, there has been an exciting renewal of vitality, and a strong reaffirmation of member's faith. In recent years and continuing on to this day, there have been and continue to be many upgrades and improvements to the building, including a new entrance, roof and gathering room improvements. And yes, it's the original 1889 building, well worth a drive to Greenfield to view.