Father Carlson, of St. James parish No. Providence, was able to convince his friend, Judge Harris, to leave the Sayles Homestead Property to the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island. When the Diocese received the property and it was accepted by the Diocesan Convention, the Rev. Canon Anthony Roberts Parshley was asked to go up to Pascoag and take a look at what was there. He brought some young people together for a trip to Pascoag for a clean-up (work camp) session. He envisioned a new ministry for youth and children flourishing at the Pascoag property.

Miramar, a mansion in Newport on Bellevue Ave., owned at that time by the Diocese, was very costly to maintain and thus was eventually sold. The proceeds from the sale were applied to the work that was under way at the Conference Center. ECC flourished. A dormitory was built, cabins were built, various kitchen additions were made and in 1973 the wing on the main house was dedicated for use. With these adult sleeping accommodations and expanded eating facilities, ECC became a year round center. Canon Parshley’s dream of youth building a Conference Center for the Diocese had come to fruition. Today the dream lives on and is still growing.

On the south end of the property located on the west side of Reservoir Rd. stands the Florence Pirce Grant House. This house is under the purview and care of ECC. Its deeded use is for transitional housing (Bishop’s discretion) and for rest and respite time for clergy of the Diocese. The house was built with monies from the sale of the original F.P. Grant property in North Scituate.

ECC began outreach ministries, providing day camp services to children off site with the use of summer counseling staff. The current program is called City Camp and provides these services free of charge for the children in the Olneyville section of Providence. Throughout the summer, on a bi-weekly rotation, counselors from the ECC staff along with City Camp Administration, spend their days bringing campers to Nickerson House, state beaches, the zoo, as well as to ECC.

While many priests of the Diocese tell of the beginnings of ECC, only people who really knew Canon Parshley understand the depth of the vision he saw when first laying eyes on the Pascoag property and the ministry that could be carried out here for the Diocese and all who enter. Canon’s direction, focus, enthusiasm and sagacious intelligence obtained this diamond in the rough where youth from 1949 till present learn to polish not only the property but themselves with God’s help.