“Finding Our Way Home: The Denniston Family and 11 Masonic Avenue” uses photographs, objects, and archival materials to tell the story of a remarkable man and his family. The immersive show illustrates how the Dennistons created a faith-based community that touched the lives of many, many Islanders beginning in the early 20th century.
The show at the M.V. Museum, running through May 4, starts with the Rev. Oscar Denniston’s arrival from Jamaica in 1901. Coming with a vision of inclusion and service, he established a home in Oak Bluffs that was more than just a place of worship. As the introductory label states, it was “a sanctuary where barriers of race, nationality, and denomination fell away. For decades, this building served as a home, a school, and a spiritual haven, welcoming all who sought belonging and hope … The exhibit [explores] migration, faith, and the quiet but powerful work of creating belonging — one that still resonates today.”
Denniston was born in 1875, when Jamaica was still under British colonial rule. Despite the limited opportunities for Black Jamaicans, he studied theology. The display case holding his top hat, clerical collar, wire-rimmed glasses, and pocket watch brings the historical photographs to life. With a distinguished mustache, Denniston was a handsome man whose countenance exuded strength and concern. He worked at Kingston’s Seamen’s Mission, caring for sailors and dockworkers. There he met Madison Edwards, a chaplain from the waterfront Seamen’s Bethel in Vineyard Haven (where the Steamship Authority stands today). The two became friends, and Madison invited Denniston to join him in the Vineyard when he returned home.
Denniston worked with Madison until he began work at the Oakland Mission, located at 11 Masonic Ave., alongside teacher Susan Clapp Bradley, who founded the mission in 1895. Her photograph reveals a woman of character gazing directly into our eyes. Bradley primarily taught English and math to Portuguese and Cape Verdean immigrants, to help them prepare for naturalization. The two held worship services in the small chapel: “Together, they built a space where African Americans, Wampanoag families, and immigrant workers found faith, education, and community.” When Bradley passed away in 1907, Denniston renamed the mission in her honor as the Bradley Memorial Church.
“Oscar opens the doors to everyone,” says curator of exhibitions Anna Barber. “At the time in Oak Bluffs, Black parishioners weren’t always welcome in white churches. The same was true for Wampanoag parishioners. He also had Portuguese and white parishioners who came.” As an exhibition wall label says, “At a time when informal segregation permeated Island life, [Bradley Memorial Church] remained one of the few places where racial and ethnic barriers did not define who could worship.” In addition to religious services, there were parties, picnics, and a Sunday school. The church became not just a place for worship, but a social anchor for Oak Bluffs working-class residents and the growing number of Black seasonal domestic workers.
The section devoted to Denniston’s family is aptly titled “A House of Faith, A Home of Service,” and discusses how, for him, faith and family were inseparable. Wonderfully evocative photographs by Alison Shaw, taken before the building was razed, reveal the space’s multiple purposes. The first floor hosted worship services, community gatherings, and educational programs, while the upstairs contained private rooms. Looking at images of and objects from his large family, Barber notes that although he was a pastor taking little to no salary, Denniston provided for them. His children thrived through his emphasis on education, and with scholarships and connections. One daughter graduated high school at 15, while another was valedictorian, and earned her Ph.D. They became principals and teachers at the university level. One son was an inventor early in life, and became an army captain, and still another built a career in public administration. “I think that it’s such a beautiful story of first-generation kids with their parents from Jamaica. It feels particularly resonant with the Island of today that they could draw on the community he built from the church,” Barber reflects.
Evocative oral histories with one of Denniston’s sons, and parishioner Grace Frye, as well as an engrossing video by Linsey Lee, former oral history curator at the museum, help bring the inspiring story to life. So, too, does the children’s gallery, fashioned as though you have been dropped into the house itself. An impressive dollhouse recreates 11 Masonic Ave., and there are plenty of books and art activities, including paper dolls for each of Denniston’s children that have fun facts about them.
Barber reflects, “I think that the exhibit is a beautiful example of the spirit of this place. I want people to leave feeling like they have gotten to know this family a bit, and reflecting on our community today — about how we have always been a place that has welcomed people. And sometimes, these stories can grow to become something that has a much bigger impact than any one person. I want visitors to leave thinking a little bit more about the people they interact with on the Vineyard — strangers or not, and that history is happening all the time across the Island.”
“Finding Our Way Home: The Denniston Family and 11 Masonic Avenue” is on view at the M.V. Museum through May 4. For more information, visit bit.ly/MVM_DennistonFamily.
