By MATT LINDSEY

CANTON -- A dedication of Dwight Church Park is planned at 4 p.m. Friday  at the corner of West Main and Gouverneur streets.

The park to be dedicated is named for Dwight Perry Church, 1891-1973, whose home and photographic studio once stood on the site. The site is located diagonally across the intersection from the Cascade Inn, 4 West Main St.

The property on which the house stood was eventually deeded to Grasse River Heritage by St. Lawrence University in 2009. The Canton Community Fund awarded a grant in support of this development.

“We have developed it to serve as a public park and an attractive green space at the entrance to the village,” said Louis Tremaine. “We removed debris and dead tree limbs, opened sight lines from the park to the river and Willow Island, added benches, planted lilacs, and installed rail fences and an interpretive sign describing the life and career of Dwight Church,” Tremaine said.

Church was a photographer whose work included thousands of photos of Canton and its surroundings, taken both from the ground and the air. He was also an activist and environmentalist who worked to preserve and promote the Grasse River and the community of Canton.

“We had significant support and guidance in this project from members of the Church family Vernice Church, Bonnie Bliss, Lamar Bliss,” Tremaine said.

Roger Bailey, a retired SLU art professor and author of an extensively researched article on Church, created the interpretive sign. The Canton Rotary Club contributed the park benches.

“The opening dedication of the park on June 5 will be an opportunity to acknowledge publically the contributions of all of these people and organizations.” “Grasse River Heritage is also grateful to the many community members who volunteered their time and labor to complete this project,” Tremaine said.