On October 30, 1917, the First World War battle of Passchendaele claimed the life of Lieutenant George Bishop Peck. Before the battle Lieutenant Peck wrote to his father requesting, in the event of his death, that his share of the family’s fortune be used for the benefit of the whole community, particularly the young people of Albert County. His father was Mr. John L. Peck, local bank owner and member of the Provincial Legislature who was involved in manufacturing and mercantile concerns. On November 30, 1921, Lieutenant Peck’s last request was realized when this building was dedicated to the memory of fallen heroes of Albert County. His father, who had financed the cost of construction, deeded ownership of the Hall over to the people of the county.
Peck Memorial Hall was the first building in Canada to be erected in memory of those who sacrificed their lives during the First World War. Fifty-three of the young men who marched away from their Albert County homes were never to return. Commemorating these ‘boys’ (as they are always referred), are six stained glass windows. Each window, measuring 2.1m by 1m, represents an Albert County community: Hopewell, Harvey, Elgin, Alma, Coverdale and Hillsborough. The windows, draped in Union Jack flags, were assembled in the church across the street on dedication day. One by one, they were unveiled by the mother or wife of one of the fallen. Two veterans then carried the window, first to the church altar to be blessed, and then across the street to the new hall where it was mounted in the west wall of the building. Remembering the request of his only son, Mr. J. L. Peck, MLA, addressed the large gathering with the following, “This Hall will belong to you as much as to me and I hope it will always remind you of the great sacrifices our boys made overseas.”
The hall is a two-and-a-half storey Classical Edwardian institutional building from the early 20th century. It is distinguished by its front-facing hipped roof, its large dormers and its classically-inspired entrance. This style is evident in such features as the form and massing, the classical front portico, the hipped roof and the window treatments.
For 85 years the Peck Memorial Hall served the community by hosting such events as Remembrance Day dinners, dances, receptions, weddings, entertainments of all kinds and sports for the young. In 2008, the Peck Memorial Hall was sold and converted into apartments. The six stained-glass windows commemorating fallen soldiers of Albert County communities were removed and installed at Legion Hall on Legion Street.
