Upper Island Cove is a unique town both in its physical location and its culture. The town was once known as “The Walled City” because it is built at the bottom of high cliffs. According to the Berry Census of 1675, the population was fourteen. The current population is 1774. A number of today's residents are descendants of these early fishermen from England and Ireland. The town is located about 110 km from the capital city of St. John's off Route 70, the Conception Bay Highway, between the towns of Harbour Grace and Spaniard's Bay. There are Four entrances / exits to the town from Route 70: one through “the Thicket Road” between Harbour Grace and Tilton and two entrances from Spaniard’s Bay: one through the scenic Bishop’s Cove Shoreline and the other through Crane’s Road. There is also one through Bryants Cove, heading into South Side Road which leads to Riverhead. Upper Island Cove, like many communities on the Avalon is built on very rugged terrain. People had to remove rocks in order to farm the land. The rocks were then used to build rock walls that served as boundaries between properties. The rock walls can still be seen today. Since the early days of settlement, music, songs and stories have been handed down from generation to generation. Stories of Fairies or Little People who play evil tricks on inhabitants and stories of ghosts are still told. Music and song is a very big part of Upper Island Cove and the community is well known for its many musicians, singers and story tellers. Greeley's Reel and Mid Life Crisis are two well known musical groups with ties to the town.
St. Peter's Church and School
The Parish of Upper Island Cove is made up of three congregations. St. Peter's, Upper Island Cove; St. John the Evangelist, Bishop's Cove; and St. Andrew's, Bryant's Cove. The Parish dates to 1815 when construction began on the first church building at Upper Island Cove. Today, Upper Island Cove is one of the largest Anglican Parishes in the Diocese serving over 850 families in the three communities. Each of the Church buildings is unique in architecture and is well maintained. The Parish is served by active Sunday Schools, a Vacation Bible School, J.A., C.L.B., Three A.C.W. Branches, an A.C.A.A., and various Adult Christian Education Programs. St. Peter’s School celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2011. It is a part of the Eastern School District, whose main offices are in St. John's. St. Peter's currently has an enrollment of 248 students and offers grades Kindergarten through Grade 9. The average class size is 22.5 students. The school serves the communities of Bishop’s Cove, Bryant’s Cove and Upper Island Cove. Approximately 91% of students are bussed to school on a daily basis. Although its name dates back to the time when there was a denominational school system in Newfoundland and Labrador, and schools were run by various churches, today it is a public school.
