St. Aidan’s Anglican Church celebrates its centenary

Sep 23, 2013 News

Like the town of Linden, where it is found, the St. Aidan’s Anglican Church on Burnham Drive Wismar, celebrates its centenary this year.
And like the town, the church has had quite an interesting history, first being established way up the Demerara River at a settlement called Malali, in the year 1897.

St. Aidan’s Anglican Church

It was an offshoot of St David’s Dalgin, which at the time was the main centre on the Demerara River.
The church was later transferred to Spieghtland at Mackenzie, then subsequently taken across the river to Wismar at its present location on Burnham Drive, sometime before 1913.
In those days there was no resident priest, as the entire Demerara District came under the auspices of St. Philips Parish, Georgetown, and later St. Matthews, Providence, on the East Bank Demerara.
The first St Aidan’s Anglican Church, at Wismar, which also served as a school, was consecrated in the year 1913 by Bishop Swaby.
That building lasted until the year 1968 when it was demolished, and the present structure erected.
Interestingly, the church was built almost entirely by the parishioners in a self help effort. It was consecrated by the Lord Bishop of Stabroek, Reverend Philip E.R Elderon the 20th July 1969.
Throughout the years St. Aidan’s has always had a school either inside the church itself, or as has happened in later years, on the church grounds.
However, the St Aidan’s school itself, which was an offshoot of the church, has removed to Blue Berry Hill, Wismar, Linden.
The church no longer controls the school, which for several decades now has been under control of the Government.
Interestingly though, the school is still known as St Aidan’s Primary.
Meanwhile, the old St Aidan’s School building still stands aback of the church, and currently houses the Harmony Secondary school.