Dalvay-by-the-Sea is a National Historic Site of Canada located on the north shore of Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...

 at the eastern end of Prince Edward Island National Park

Prince Edward Island National Park

Prince Edward Island National Park is a National Park located on Prince Edward Island. Situated along the island's north shore, fronting the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the park measures approximately 60 km in length and ranges from several hundred metres to several kilometres in width...

. The most significant feature of Dalvay is the Queen Anne Revival

Queen Anne Style architecture (United States)

In America, the Queen Anne style of architecture, furniture and decorative arts was popular in the United States from 1880 to 1910. In American usage "Queen Anne" is loosely used of a wide range of picturesque buildings with "free Renaissance" details rather than of a specific formulaic style in...

 style hotel, originally constructed as a home for an American industrialist.

The hotel is a popular attraction for visitors to Prince Edward Island and has been featured in the Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables is a bestselling novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery published in 1908. Set in 1878, it was written as fiction for readers of all ages, but in recent decades has been considered a children's book...

 movies. The venue also served as the fictional White Sands Hotel in the Canadian Road to Avonlea

Road to Avonlea

Road to Avonlea was a television series which was first broadcast in Canada and the United States between 1990 and 1996. It was created by Kevin Sullivan and produced by Sullivan Films in association with CBC and the Disney Channel, with additional funding from Telefilm Canada.It was adapted from...

television series.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge visited Dalvay-by-the-Sea during their 2011 royal tour of Canada

2011 royal tour of Canada

The 2011 royal tour of Canada by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, took place between June 30 and July 8, 2011. The tour saw the newlywed couple visit all of Canada's regions: Western Canada, Central Canada, Atlantic Canada, and Northern Canada...

. William took part in training exercises with the Canadian Forces

Canadian Forces

The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...

, executing a "water bird" emergency landing procedure over Dalvay Lake in a Sea King helicopter. Later in the day, the royal couple competed against each other in a dragon boat

Dragon boat

A dragon boat is a human-powered watercraft traditionally made, in the Pearl River delta region of southern China - Guangdong Province, of teak wood to various designs and sizes. In other parts of China different woods are used to build these traditional watercraft...

 race on Dalvay Lake.

Alexander Macdonald house

In 1895, a wealthy Scots-born American industrialist, Alexander Macdonald, discovered the area while on vacation on Prince Edward Island. He and his wife became so enamored of the area that Macdonald purchased 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) of land and commissioned a house to be built here. The house was completed in 1896. Macdonald named it Dalvay-by-the-Sea after his boyhood home in Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

.

Construction costs were approximately $50,000. The lower half of the house was constructed of Island sandstone

Sandstone

Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...

 in its natural form. The huge fireplaces were also made of sandstone. The furnishings were purchased from all over the world during family travels in England, France, Italy, and Egypt. Some pieces were also purchased in Charlottetown

Charlottetown

Charlottetown is a Canadian city. It is both the largest city on and the provincial capital of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, Charlottetown was first incorporated as a town in 1855 and designated as a city in 1885...

. Water and power were supplied by a series of windmill

Windmill

A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...

s.

The MacDonalds kept a number of servants, including grooms

Groom (horses)

A groom is a person who is responsible for some or all aspects of the management of horses and/or the care of the stables themselves. The term most often refers to a person who is the employee of a stable owner, but even an owner of a horse may perform the duties of a groom, particularly if the...

 to look after the many horses and carriage

Carriage

A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...

s owned by the family. It cost about $10,000 a year to operate. The family entertained frequently over the summer, and at the end of every summer hosted a lavish dance for the locals.

The MacDonalds enjoyed the house for over a decade, but by 1909 he was not in good health. At the end of that summer, he stood for the last time at Long Pond gazing at his house before quietly saying, "Good-bye Dalvay". He died in Long Beach, California

Long Beach, California

Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...

 in 1910.

After his death, the property was left to MacDonald's granddaughters. Since they were underage

Minor (law)

In law, a minor is a person under a certain age — the age of majority — which legally demarcates childhood from adulthood; the age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is typically 18...

 at the time, it was managed by their father, Edmund Stallo. Due to bad investments, the $15 million Alexander fortune dwindled to nothing and the estate had to be sold. The property itself was tended by William Hughes since the death of Alexander. When he contacted the family to ask what should be done with the place, they told him he could have it for the back taxes

Back taxes

Back taxes is a term for taxes that were not paid when due. They are typically taxes that are owed from a prior year....

. Hughes bought the house and furnishings for $486.57. He had no interest in keeping it, so sold it to William O'Leary of Montreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

. The O'Leary's removed most of the furniture and eventually it was sold to Captain Edward Dicks. Dicks renovated the house, intending to turn it into a hotel

Hotel

A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...

. However, he ran out of money. In time, George DeBlois acquired the property.

In 1938, DeBlois sold the house and land to the Government of Canada

Government of Canada

The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...

. Since then, the house has been operated as a hotel by operators under a leased concession

Concession (contract)

A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...

 from Parks Canada

Parks Canada

Parks Canada , also known as the Parks Canada Agency , is an agency of the Government of Canada mandated to protect and present nationally significant natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative...

. There are 26 guest rooms, furnished in period antiques

Antiques

An antique is an old collectible item. It is collected or desirable because of its age , beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection, and/or other unique features...

. There are private baths in each room.

A major expansion was constructed in 1995. Eight 3-bedroom cottages were built on the site, a full service laundry

Laundry

Laundry is a noun that refers to the act of washing clothing and linens, the place where that washing is done, and/or that which needs to be, is being, or has been laundered...

was added, and the dining room was enlarged. The hotel currently operates from June through October.

External links

• Parks Canada - Prince Edward Island National Park of Canada (with section on Dalvay-by-the-Sea National Historic Site)