Green Gables
Encyclopedia
- See Green GableGreen GableGreen Gable is a fell in the English Lake District often traversed by walkers on route to its more famous neighbour Great Gable. It can be ascended from Honister Pass, Seathwaite in Borrowdale, or Ennerdale...
for the fell in the English Lake District.
Cavendish, Prince Edward Island
Cavendish is a Canadian unincorporated rural area in the township of Lot 23, Queens County, Prince Edward Island. Its primary industries are tourism and agriculture. Cavendish is the largest seasonal resort area on Prince Edward Island...
, 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...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is one of the most notable literary landmarks in Canada. The Green Gables farm and its surroundings are the setting for the popular 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...
novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Lucy Maud Montgomery OBE , called "Maud" by family and friends and publicly known as L.M. Montgomery, was a Canadian author best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908. Anne of Green Gables was an immediate success...
. The site is also known as Green Gables Heritage Centre. A National Historic Site of Canada, it lies within 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...
.
History
The Green Gables farm was owned by the Macneill family, who were cousins of author Lucy Maud MontgomeryLucy Maud Montgomery
Lucy Maud Montgomery OBE , called "Maud" by family and friends and publicly known as L.M. Montgomery, was a Canadian author best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908. Anne of Green Gables was an immediate success...
. The farm's name is derived from the rich dark green paint of the gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
s on the farmhouse. The main exterior walls of the farmhouse are painted white.
Montgomery visited the farm as a young girl and based her best-selling Anne series of book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
s on the Green Gables farm. She drew romantic inspiration from the house, as well as the surrounding area, including the "Haunted Woods", "Lovers Lane", and "Balsam Hollow."
Upon Montgomery's death, her wake
Wake (ceremony)
A wake is a ceremony associated with death. Traditionally, a wake takes place in the house of the deceased, with the body present; however, modern wakes are often performed at a funeral home. In the United States and Canada it is synonymous with a viewing...
was conducted from the living room of the Green Gables farmhouse for several days prior to her funeral at the local Presbyterian church and burial in the nearby Cavendish Community Cemetery.
Tourism and national park status
The international acclaim of Montgomery's novels made Cavendish into a popular tourist destination in the province beginning in the early 20th century. This led to the establishment of Prince Edward Island National ParkPrince 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...
in the 1930s. The park's boundaries encompassed the Green Gables homestead and the building became the property of 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...
.
In keeping with the early 20th century philosophy of Canada's national parks being vehicles for tourism, as opposed to conservation, the farmland surrounding Green Gables house was developed into a golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
, designed by world-renowned architect Stanley Thompson
Stanley Thompson
Stanley Thompson was a Canadian golf course architect. He was a co-founder of the American Society of Golf Course Architects....
.
In addition to being located within park boundaries, the Green Gables farmhouse is designated a National Historic Site for its importance in literary history, and is one of the most-visited historic sites in the country. The farmhouse exterior has not changed remarkably over time, and its interior decor and artifacts depict the late Victorian Period in rural Prince Edward Island. Guided and self-guided tours may be taken of the house and surroundings with 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...
interpretive staff available throughout the site. Various rooms in the house have been named according to the Anne of Green Gables story.
Restoration
External links
- Green Gables Heritage Place - Parks Canada official site
- Government of Prince Edward Island, Virtual Green Gables