It was [Pat’s] favourite window, opening outward like the porthole of a ship. She never went up to Judy’s room without stopping to look from it. Dear little fitful breezes came to that window that never came anywhere else and you saw such lovely things out of it. The big grove of white birch on the hill behind it which gave Silver Bush its name and which was full of dear little screech owls that hardly ever screeched but purred and laughed. (Pat of Silver Bush 17)
When I was first planning this trip to Prince Edward Island, one of the things I found most difficult is distinguishing between all of the various Lucy Maud Montgomery related sites. All the names seemed so similar, and I had no point of reference as to what was located where. For the longest time I thought that the Anne of Green Gables Museum must be in the same location as Green Gables Heritage Place. It is not. They are close, though. At the end of this blog series, I will include our itinerary and maybe even the timestamps, so if anyone is planning a trip they can see where things are in relation to each other, and how much time you need to visit all the spots.
I must apologise that it is taking me longer than I had anticipated to get these blog posts out. They are a bit time consuming to put together, and as I was writing this one I was planning and preparing for our next trip to PEI. We just arrived on the lsland on Sunday night, so this will probably be my last blog post until I return to Ontario in October. I have been thinking of September as my Lucy Maud Montgomery month, as I have been exclusively reading her books and non-fiction surrounding her and her writing, but I quite like the idea of continuing this journey into October. As I discussed in some length in my first post of this series, Maud’s books are very dear to me, and in many ways I don’t think I would be the person I am today if it hadn’t been for her books. It seems fitting then that I continue to share my love for Maud and her books into my birthday month.
Now, let’s head up Route 20 past the Lake of Shinning Waters to Park Corner. The Anne of Green Gables Museum is a 110-acre property with beautiful scenery, and though seeing the Lake of Shinning Waters with my own eyes was very nice, I must say the traffic on Route 20 did spoil the effect somewhat. Although, the horses we spotted in the pasture and had a bit of a chat with did cushion the blow. How I wished though that “Matthew’s Carriage Rides”, which are offered by the museum, were powered by horse, instead of tractor! Do not be discouraged by my complaints of the moderns world spoiling this rural idyll. There are many reasons to visit this home.
The home was built in 1872, by Maud’s Aunt Annie and Uncle John Campbell, on the property which was first settled by the Campbell family in 1776. Maud spent a lot of time at the Campbell farm when she was a child. She was known as Aunt Maud to James Campbell and his siblings, though she was their cousin. It was James Campbell’s wife, Ruth, who opened their home to the public in 1972, realising James’s dream after he died to run a museum dedicated to his Aunt Maud.
One of the things that make this property special is that the Campbell family still live here. Unlike Green Gables Heritage Place, which we will visit in my next blog post, the Anne of Green Gables Museum is still owned and operated by Maud’s relatives. In fact it is the son of James and Ruth, George Campbell who lives there with his family. Copies of Anne of Green Gables (in hardcover and paperback) and The Story Girl are published by Kindred Spirits of PEI, a publishing company run by George Campbell. It is particularly nice to be able to pick up a copy of The Story Girl when you visit the museum because it is home to the real life inspiration for “The Blue Chest of Rachel Ward”. Rachel Ward was Eliza Montgomery, a cousin of Maud’s father, who died in Toronto. She left instructions that her blue chest not be opened until her death. The chest contained her wedding dress and a number of other items in preparation for the wedding that was not to be. Some of the items found inside are also on display in the house, which I have to say gave me a little thrill to see. I would highly recommend reading The Story Girl before you visit the home, so you can have a greater appreciation for the lore around the chest and the disappointed romance of Eliza Montgomery. Here is a passage from the fictionalised account in The Story Girl.
“Will Montague fell in love with Rachel Ward, and she with him, and it was all arranged that they were to be married from here in the spring. Poor Rachel was so happy that winter; she made all her wedding things with her own hands. Girls did, then, you know, for there was no such thing as a sewing-machine. Well, at last in April the wedding day came, and all the guests were here, and Rachel was dressed in her wedding robes, eating for her bride-groom. And” — the Story Girl laid down her knife and her potato and clasped her wet hands — “Will Montague never came!” (The Story Girl 123)
The reason the bride groom failed to appear at his own wedding was not because he had been killed. As the Story Girl says, “that would have been suitable and romantic” (123). Will Montague had run away for debt and had not so much as sent a note of explanation to his bride-to-be.
“She was broken-hearted of course. When she found out what had happened, she took all her wedding things, and her supply of linen, and some presents that had been given her, and packed them all away in this old blue chest. Then she went away back to Montreal, and took the key with her. She never came back to the Island again — I suppose she couldn't bear to. And she has lived in Montreal ever since and never married. She is an old woman now — nearly seventy-five. And this chest has never been opened since.” (124-25)
At the end of the book, Rachel Ward has died and the chest is opened, much to the excitement of the children, who have been dreaming about what romantic treasures might be inside. But the Story Girl makes an astute observation about expectation verses reality.
“Of course it was very interesting to see the old chest unpacked,” said the Story Girl, as she stirred the contents of a saucepan vigorously. “But now that it is over I believe I am sorry that it is opened. It isn’t mysterious any longer. We know all about it now, and we can never imagine what things are in it any more.“It’s better to know than to imagine,” said Felicity.“Oh, no, it isn’t,” said the Story Girl quickly. “When you know things you have to go by facts. But when you just dream about things there’s nothing to hold you down.” (345)
So much of Maud’s writing is about dreaming, having aspirations, and building castles in the sky, but there is always a bend in the road and things have a way of turning out much different from what her characters’ have imagined for themselves. Something we can all relate to, I expect. In the above photo, you can see some of the items from the real blue chest, which are on display in one of the upstairs bedrooms in the Campbell home. Hopefully, you do not experience the same deflation from expectation to reality that the Story Girl went through.
Heading out of the kitchen in the Campbell home, you enter what I believe is the original part of the house. A narrow hall opens out into an airy space that leads to the staircase and, if I am remembering correctly, the front door to the house is straight ahead. But first let’s turn to the first door on the left where we will find a bright bedroom full of beautiful details.
Note the bedspread, I would love to make something like it for the foot of our bed. I expect the cloth on the dresser, as well as the mat, is handmade too.
You will notice Maud’s books scattered throughout the house. It’s always a pleasure to see vintage editions of her books. Prepare yourself for a bit of a thrill when you enter the parlour.
It is in this parlour, in front of the mantle, that Maud was married to Reverend Ewan Macdonald on 5 July 1911.
This is the same organ that was played at her wedding, and is still played today when weddings are held here. People from all over the world come here to be married. I wish I had known about this before I got married! Although, my husband-to-be might not have been onboard back then. However, I am thrilled to report that he is now an Anne fan himself. Honestly, I wish I had written down some of the comments that he made to me as he was reading Anne of Green Gables for the first time. I am convinced he loved the book even more than I did. Which just goes to show that Maud’s writing can capture the hearts of young and old alike, be they avid readers, or not.
Apologies for the reflections in many of these photos. I did the best I could with the time I had available. There were other people visiting the home at the same time, so many of these photos were quick snaps I took when the area was clear.
I could have spent all day gazing into Anne’s Enchanted Bookcase. The bookcase and chair were salvaged from Maud’s Cavendish home before it was demolished. She used to imagine her reflection was another little girl, who she called Katie Maurice. If the name sounds familiar, it is because Maud gave Anne the same imaginary friend.
When I lived with Mrs Thomas she had a bookcase in her sitting-room with glass doors. There weren’t any books in it; Mrs Thomas kept her best china and her preserves there — when she had any preserves to keep. One of the doors was broken. Mr Thomas smashed it one night when he was slightly intoxicated. But the other was whole and I used to pretend that my reflection in it was another little girl who lived in it. I called her Katie Maurice, and we were very intimate. I used to talk to her by the hour, especially on Sunday, and tell her everything. Katie was the comfort and consolation of my life. We used to pretend that the bookcase was enchanted and that if I only knew the spell I could open the door and step right into the room where Katie Maurice lived, instead of into Mrs Thomas’ shelves of preserves and china. And then Katie Maurice would have taken me by the hand and led me out into a wonderful place, all flowers and sunshine and fairies, and we would have lived there happy for ever after. When I went to live with Mrs Hammond it just broke my heart to leave Katie Maurice. She felt it dreadfully, too, I know she did, for she was crying when she kissed me goodbye through the bookcase door. (Anne of Green Gables 83-84)
I have loved Maud’s books since I was little, but outside of her writing, I did not know much about her before taking this trip. Reading this letter, which is mounted on the parlour wall, was a rude awakening for me. In the moment, I almost wished I had not read it. I always imagined Maud living a lovely life, complete with a happy ending, just like her characters. It breaks my heart that this was not the case. I have transcribed the letter below for anyone who has difficulty reading from a photo. (Pro tip: If you click on any of the photos on my blog it will open a better quality version, and from there you have the ability to scroll through all of the photos within a post. It took me ages to discover this feature.)
Oct 8, 1941Dear Jim,Thanks for the ten dollars. I am very ill and will never see Park Corner again. Don’t let them stampede you into going to war. You are more needed at home. Park Corner would go forever if you went. Mr. MacDonald’s nerves are very bad. Chester’s wife has left him and gone home to her father. Partially his fault and partly hers. He has broken our hearts this past 10 years and ___ I tried to hide it and seen ___ to happen. For he has a brilliant brain but will not work. My heart is broken and it is that has broken me. I have to have a nurse and can’t afford it. I am not and never the rich woman I was supposed to be. Fame is not riches. You must not go to war. Tell them you are the only son at home and your mother would not live to see you come back. I can hardly write—my nerves are so terrible. Stuart is interne in hospital but I suppose they will take him too. I think my mind is going.Aunt MaudRest from worry is what I need and I cannot get that anywhere. I am alone.
The transcribed letter in the photo notes “Author died the following Spring of 1942”.
Before we head up the stairs to the second floor, here are a few photos from the walls of the first floor hall. The first is of Lover’s Lane in 1920. For anyone not familiar, Lover’s Lane is a trail in Avonlea, near Green Gables, and is introduced in Anne of Green Gables.
The second photo is of Maud’s Grandfather MacNeil’s home. Maud lived here as a little girl. What makes this photo so special is that this building can no longer be visited. You can visit the site of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Cavendish Home, but that is all it is, the site only. The house was torn down in 1920 to detract tourists from coming to the abandoned home.
The third photo is of Maud’s maternal grandparents, who she lived with in the MacNeil house pictured previously.
One of the upstairs bedrooms is where Maud stayed when she came to visit. Unfortunately, I didn’t make note of which of the bedrooms was Maud’s, but I do believe it is this first one. The letter from King George V upon her appointment as an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) in 1935, sits framed on the bed. The letter is signed by Edward VIII. This is also the bedroom where you will find the items from inside Eliza Montgomery’s blue chest.
Stella Campbell’s room is next. Inside is a stunning display of Maud’s books on a table that I wish was a little closer to the door—so my aging eyes could see them clearly.
Also on display is a crazy patchwork quilt worked on by Maud between the ages of 12 and 16. The fabric would have been sourced from scraps left over from other sewing projects as well as old garments. I love the idea that garments from Maud’s family and friends went into the making of this quilt. I wish we saw more of this thrifty repurposing of garments now.
Next are some views of the upstairs hallway.
I will see if I can get some better photos of these display cabinets on my next trip.
Especially of this next one, which is a great shot of my face in the door’s reflection, but fails in showing the china from Maud’s Aunt Emily’s collection. There is a reference to Emily of New Moon here, I just know it. Unfortunately, it’s been so long since I’ve read the books that I cannot provide it here.
This cabinet has some foreign editions across the top and a collection of first edition books signed by Maud and given to members of the Campbell family. We were a little rushed for time at this point and I did not get nearly enough time looking at the letters and other bits on display. I will at least try to get some photos of these things next time, so I can examine them at my leisure, and share them, too!
We move on to the last bedroom upstairs. Well, the last open bedroom. Upstairs and downstairs there were some rooms that were closed off, as the Campbell family still lives in this home. A few things I love about this room are the cute owl quilt, which I must discover the story about, the Anne of Green Gables pillow on the rocking chair by the door, that says “Celebrating 100 years”, and the beautiful mat by the door. Oh, and all of the furniture in this room, but especially the little bassinet, which looks like something out of a fairytale.
Off the kitchen downstairs is a gift shop. Here’s a photo of the cute wallpaper border on the walls in there. There is also a whole other building, which I did not photograph, that has a huge gift shop, a sit down area where you can order a beverage, and toilets.
Now for the exterior. This is the view from the back of the kitchen, where you exit after you have finished touring the home.
As you leave the house, walk straight ahead and perhaps you will see some horses in the fields. I took way too much time chatting to these beauties as they kindly posed for photos and videos.
They loved the Secret Field better than all the other fields. It seemed somehow to belong to them as if they had been the first to discover it; it was so different from the poor, bleak, little stony field behind the barn that nobody loved … nobody but Pat. She loved it because it was a Silver Bush field. That was enough for Pat. (Pat of Silver Bush 18)
Once you tear yourself away from the horses, you can continue down the hill to The Lake of Shining Waters. If you are looking for this location on a map it is called “Campbell’s Pond”, but in the fictional town of Avonlea, everyone other than Anne refers to this body of water as plain old Barry’s Pond.
The Anne of Green Gables Museum is chock full of literary references to Maud’s books. This is a home she loved and spent a lot of time in as a child. This location, more than any of the others I visited on this trip, made me wish I had all of Maud’s books fresh in my mind. This trip I’m hoping to read Pat of Silver Bush and reread Emily of New Moon to better appreciate the Campbell’s beautiful property and home.
There was the evening star in a pale silvery field of sky just over the tall fir tree that shot up in the very centre of the silver bush. The first star always gave her a thrill. Wouldn’t it be lovely if she could fly up to that dark swaying fir-top between the evening star and the darkness? (Pat of Silver Bush 26)
Additional information:
Address
Anne of Green Gables Museum
4542 Route 20
Park Corner, PE
C0B 1M0
Museum and Gift Shop (902) 886-2884
Office (M-F 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.) Toll-free (800) 665-2663
Hours
July 1 - August 31 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
September 1 - Sept 30 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
October 1 - October 15 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Other useful information
Free parking
Air conditioning (I think!)
Washrooms
$9.00 per adult
$3.00 per child 6-16 years
Free for children 5 years and under
Matthew’s Carriage Rides
Start at $175 per carriage
For details, and to book, visit their website.
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