Early records indicate that back in 1723 there were 400 people in Bonavista belonging to the Church of England (Anglican).
Records indicate that C of E Churches were built in Bonavista in 1730, 1822, 1862, 1931 and the present church built in 1980.This first picture shows the two buildings that preceded the present church. The cornerstone of the concrete church was laid in 1926.
The new CHRIST CHURCH (above) was consecrated on June 13, 1982.
The picture on the left (above)shows the old building that was used by the First Bonavista Salvation Army Corps just after it
was established on December 5, 1886. It was restored a numbers of years ago as a tourist attraction. The first Salvation Army Band was established in 1910.
The Citadel shown in the photo on the right was opened March 22, 1952 and was used up until several years ago when a new Citadel was built as part of the
Youth Center in White's Lane where the old Salvation Army School once stood. ( Photo below)
The picture below shows the Kingdom Hall of the Jehovah Witness Congregation. It was built a short time ago and is located just as you enter Bonavista on the Catalina-Bonavista Highway.
> The old Methodist Church that was replaced by the present building. This picture was originally on a post card dated 1910. Thanks to Curtis Abbott for sending me this picture.
The present United Church (Methodist) is the fourth
United Church built in Bonavista. Records indicate that the first church started by Rev. Ward
was completed in 1814. This church was replaced by a larger one in 1850 under the ministry of Rev. England. This church, damaged by a severe storm in 1870, was replaced by a building that could hold 800 people. The present church, the largest wooden church east of Montreal,
which can hold slightly over 1300 people, was formally opened on January 28, 1923. Timbers from the old church were used in the construction of the new one. In 1925 the Bonavista Methodist Church changed its name to the Memorial United Church when it became part of the United Church of Canada.
Thanks to Margaret Abbott for her correction of the church's actual seating capacity. According to Margaret, the figure of 2200 was an
"over-enthusiastic reference" used by Rev. Charles Lench about "his" church.
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Roman Catholic Church - Present building (left) and as it looked in the 1950's (Below). It appears that the first Roman Catholic Church was built in Bonavista in 1842. The bell was installed the next year
and the first resident priest was Father Scanlon. Records show that the first baptism was performed there on August 12, 1842 and the first marriage took place there on August 12, 1844. It also appears that earlier burials took place in a section of the Anglican Church
church yard until the cemetery on Chapel Hill was opened. If anyone has any more information about these buildings please email it to me and I will include it at a later date.
In 1951, the crew of the Gospel Pioneer I held two weeks of gospel meetings in Bonavista. In 1954 Pastor Elliott came to Bonavista from Glovertown and the first services were held in a large tent. Later in 1959 the first permanent church (shown in the newspaper photo) was constructed. At that time the church measured 38 feet wide and 72 feet long. Phillip Hicks was the foreman for its construction.
The picture on the right shows the rear of the building and was taken several years ago. I would appreciate receiving more information about any of the above buildings. Most of the above information on this page
was obtained from old copies of The Evening Telegram as well as from a school assignment written by Kevin Fifield, Bonavista. 
Finally we have the newly constructed Seventh Day Adventist Church. I would appreciate any information about the size , dates of construction or any historical information about these Churches.
