Still Standing Tall

Exploring an old (by Canadian standards) stone church in Duncan B.C

Exterior view of Butter Stone Church, Duncan BC - Dylan Phillips Photography

If you’ve been following me for any length of time then you should already know that I’m a big fan of exploring old abandoned places. My love for history leads me into some pretty interesting spots. Now for the purpose of full disclosure I’m going to reveal that this expedition to the affectionately named “Butter Stone Church” in Duncan British Columbia actually took place in 2020. I vaguely recall having seen photos of this place but my friend Brad was the one that talked me into driving down to the Cowichan Valley to check it out.

Built in 1870 by a missionary priest with a penchant for churning butter, it was only ten years later that the church was abandoned for a wooden structure less than a mile away. The priest, Father Peter Rondeault paid the native workers for their labour by selling butter that he had churned himself - Hence the name. Father Rondeault was a true pioneer. While today society may not look fondly on a priest arriving from the east to evangelize the native population, history will remember the priest as a zealous man with an incredible work ethic.

Rondeault arrived in Fort Victoria in the summer of 1858 and set out for Cowichan with a sack of flour and his gun. He worked hard upon his arrive to build a log structure that temporarily served as a house and church for his mission. Rondeault was a man of the cloth until his death at the age of 76. Today his legacy is this old stone church that sits in ruin under the shadow of Mount Tzouhalem. Rumour has it that the original stained glass windows are still intact and at home in St. Pauls Church in Fulford Harbour, Salt Spring Island. That may be worth checking out the next time I find myself on Salty!

On our first approach to the old church I followed a narrow road up a small hill. We found ourselves unintentionally trespassing onto private property. This church is unsurprisingly built on native land - Part of the reason for its abandonment in the decade following its construction. Wishing to be respectful of the No Trespassing signs (*Obligatory “You should always respect Private Property” message*) we backed down the driveway and found a different approach. A small pull-out on the main road afforded us a parking spot close to an old stone pathway up to the church. We loaded up our camera bags and ventured up the steps to get our first real look at the Butter Stone Church.

I had recently returned home from some traveling in Britain and Portugal. An old stone church built in 1870 was hardly ancient by global standards but as far as Vancouver Island goes this was as good as it gets. It boggles my mind sometimes that we build so much out of wood only for it to mold and rot within a human lifetime, meanwhile 800 year old churches and pubs are common place in Great Britain. Considering the similarities in our climate, (ie. VERY WET) you’d think we’d have built more things from stone so that they might last a hundred or more years. A few things do come to mind such as Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria built by Scottish born coal baron Robert Dunsmuir. A likely Freemason of the Scottish Rite, but I digress.

The church is small but sturdy for its age. There are no doors or windows left and the inside is plastered with graffiti - as most abandoned things are. We approached slowly entering through what was once the front door. Wide eyed I began to snap photos of the graffiti on the walls. Almost immediately I was startled by a commotion above my head. A great horned owl had taken exception to our presence and hastily exited the church. To this day I kick myself for not being more observant when I entered the building. Four years later and I have still not seen another great horned owl. I can only imagine the pictures I might have taken if I had seen the owl roosting in the rafters of the old church. Now alone, Brad and I took some time exploring the structure through our respective lenses. I found the building to be in remarkable condition with the exception of a gaping hole in one side.

Interior graffiti of Butter Stone Church, Vancouver Island - captured by Dylan Phillips Photography

The usual items littered the floor - empty spray cans, broken glass and the omnipresent, always empty cans of Lucky Lager. We took our time finding nice compositions within the church but eventually I grew bored of the small space and began snapping some candids of my friend while he explored.

Brad checking out the interior graffiti of Butter Stone Church, Vancouver Island - Dylan Phillips Photography

Exterior view of Butter Stone Church, Duncan BC - Dylan Phillips Photography 

I’ve recently added this photo to my print shop on my website. You can purchase here.

What else can you say? It’s not a big structure. It’s historically important though and well worth a visit. If you find yourself in the neighbourhood make sure to stop in and see this abandoned stone church off of Tzouhalem road. Just remember that you’re a visitor on private property. Be respectful - Leave only footprints and take only pictures.

Have you visited the Butter Stone Church before? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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Thanks for reading