Although in some sense they may be less reliable in accuracy sometimes, local, home-grown, self-made history experts are far more interesting than than the official ones.I had a chance to experience such an expert in Halifax. While my brother and I, along with our families, were walking down the street in Halifax past the historic church building known as the “Little Dutch Church” (pictured) and chatting about why this Anglican Church had been built for Lutheran German immigrants, a homeless man walking by overheard us, and took it upon himself to jump in the conversation and share what he knew.
Yes, the church was Anglican, he confirmed, even though the parish members were German immigrants. The round church building just a block or two away (St. George’s) was also Anglican. He knew about their history; he had slept in both churches in the past. The one we were looking at – the “Little Dutch Church” – had been the scene of some archaeological controversy as well; some excavation under the building had unearthed some bones, which were recorded by archaeologists and then re-buried (see
picture.)These stories were told with the enthusiasm and eagerness of someone who simply wanted to share what he knew, and had no agenda, purpose, format or guideline in doing so.
We never learned the significance of the bones since at that point we reached the soup kitchen where the man was headed.
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