Grindstone Island Church-Stained Glass Window Series- About Alexander Shorts

This is the first of a series of historical articles about the church on Grindstone Island. Over the next few months we will introduce those families who are commemorated in beautiful stained glass windows. Their history will live on and hopefully many islanders will assist to ensure the Church will be rebuilt for future generations

Reverend Alexander Shorts

Reverend Alexander Shorts was the founder of the church on Grindstone Island. He was born in 1839 in Canada, died in 1896, and was buried on Grindstone Island. Rev. Shorts married Eva Eliza Aylesworth Shorts and they had one son, Reverend Dorland Shorts.

In the mid 1800’s, Reverend Alexander Shorts, a Canadian minister, traveled the St. Lawrence River preaching the gospel and building churches. Rev. Shorts was known as the Missionary of the Thousand Islands and his mode of transportation was a steam launch boat.

Rev. Shorts found an abandoned church on Hill Island (then known as LaRue Island, Canada) dismantled it, and rebuilt it on Grindstone Island. Joseph and Clara Fowler Turcotte had donated land in the Thurso Community on Grindstone Island for a church to be built. Rev. Shorts transferred the dismantled church materials by boat from one island to another and carried them mostly on his back to rebuild the church. The painstaking process took about seven years.

The first service of worship on Grindstone Island was held on Sunday December 29, 1889. The building was finally completed a few months later in 1890.

Unique facts about this church are that it served two different communities, on two different islands, in two different countries, and operated under at least five different names. There are very few historical records, but it is believed that the dismantled church was originally known as the Church of the Rift or LaRue Island Church.

In 1890, records indicate that the church on Grindstone Island was known as the First Congregational Church of Thurso, New York. Other names for the church included Methodist/Episcopal Church of Grindstone Island, Grindstone Island Methodist Church, and the current name of Grindstone Island United Methodist Church.

Throughout the years, the exterior of the church has changed. In 1910, a second steeple was added to the front of the building. Eventually, both steeples were removed and double doors added at the entry to the church under the bell tower, which exists to this day.

The interior of the church remains similar to the original design with hard wood floors, wooden altar, unique wooden-curved pews, and exquisite historic stained-glass windows.

There are eleven beautiful stain glass windows in the church, with ten of them etched with dedications to people who made a difference on Grindstone Island. Those names include: Walter Atherton; David Black; Elizabeth Brown; Mr. & Mrs. W.R. Cummings; Mr. & Mrs. Ambrose Dano; Emmet Dodge; Rev. B.R. Gabriel; Leon & Marjorie Rusho; Manley A. Rusho; and Rev. Alexander Shorts.

Currently the church is raising money for a Capital Campaign to have the walls and roof rebuilt. It was recently determined by a structural engineer that the weight of the roof is causing the walls to bow, which will eventually cause the roof to collapse. The scope of the project will include removing the stained-glass windows, removing the existing roof, reinforcing the walls, and installing a new roof to stabilize the entire structure. Without these repairs, the church faces an indefinite closure that would be devastating to the Grindstone Island community.

The church meets seasonally each Sunday mid-May through September at 10 am. Currently, due to the sanctuary being deemed unsafe, the worship service meets at various locations around the island, including the church Carriage House, outdoors in the church courtyard, barns, and properties on the St. Lawrence River.

Save our Sanctuary Campaign

Please consider a sending a donation to the Grindstone Island Capital Campaign to help “Save our Sanctuary”, and indicate “Capital Campaign” on your donation. Send online donations to: https://www.giumc.org/donate/ or by mail: P.O. Box 411, Clayton, NY 13624.

By Cindy Hagemann

Cindy Rusho Hagemann was born in Alexandria Bay, NY to Manley and Mary Lou Rusho - she is the third of their four daughters. The family moved to Sanford, Florida in 1969 where she grew up, but was still lucky to spend her summers on Grindstone Island with her grandparents. Cindy has been married to USN Commander (Ret) Jon Hagemann for 38 years and they have four grown children and three grandchildren. They live in the mountains of Tennessee on a hobby farm with alpacas, goats, pigs, dogs, and chickens. Cindy is a marketing professional and serves on the board of the Grindstone Island Church and is a committee member of the Grindstone Island Heritage Museum.

Cindy helped her father Manley Rusho, a long-time resident of Grindstone Island, write his many stories of growing up on Grindstone Island. We’re grateful to Cindy for encouraging her Dad to write these stories, to help him edit them, and send them to us to publish.

Comments

Nancy Keziah sent this great photograph: