A History of the Marble Arts Centre
Written by Bonnie Marentette and Vicki McCulloch; You can download a pdf version of this history with more details and pictures! We have also since come across a pamphlet ‘History of the Marble Church of Bridgewater (Actinolite) 1864-2002’ originally compiled by Mrs. J. H. Roberts in 1975, reprinted and updated by Betty Lalonde 2002. The pamphlet has some additional details that may be incorporated into the more recent history later!
Built between 1864 and 1866, the Marble Arts Centre (MAC) started as the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Bridgewater, Elzevir Township (previously Troy, now the hamlet of Actinolite in the Municipality of Tweed). Erected of white marble, quarried about 200 feet to the north-east, the structure is thought to be the only church built of white marble in Canada.
A 600-lb bell, made in Sheffield, England, remained in the tower until July 2018 when it was removed for safety reasons. There was an excellent organ in the choir loft. The church was said to seat 500, compared to the current capacity of approximately 130.
On June 21, 1864 the cornerstone of the beautiful Marble Church was laid. A box containing various mementos was placed in the cornerstone – it remains a mystery as to whether it was ever retrieved. Interestingly, the trowel that laid the cornerstone was returned after 155 years to the MAC / Tweed & Area Arts Council (T&AAC) in 2019 by the family of a former minister; it is on display in the new atrium.
Following a fire on May 24, 1889 that destroyed much of the community, only the four walls of the structure were left standing, but the church was restored. When church union took place in 1925, the Methodist and Presbyterian Churches joined, and the Marble Church, as it was often called, was renamed Actinolite United Church.
In 2005, the last service was held on June 26 on the 141st anniversary of the church. The decision was made to sell the building. One of the members of the committee, Retired Lt. General Jack Vance, was also a local artist and part of the T&AAC that had formed in 2006. One of its mandates was to create a center for the arts – all of the arts. General Vance knew the potential of the church, and as a member of both groups encouraged T&AAC to buy the building. Through the work of members/other volunteers, donors, local businesses and granting agencies, a number of improvements were made over the 13 years that the T&AAC owned the MAC. The first performance at the MAC was held on May 8, 2010, and the ribbon celebrating the official opening was cut on June 11, 2011. In January 2022, the Arts Council gifted the MAC to Tweed & Company Theatre.
