Green Gables

:"See Green Gable for the fell in the English Lake District."

Green Gables is the name of a circa-19th century farm that is located in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada. The Green Gables farm and its surroundings are the setting for the popular "Anne of Green Gables" novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

History

The Green Gables farm was owned by the Macneill family, who were cousins of author Lucy Maud Montgomery. The farm's name is derived from the rich dark green paint of the gables 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 of Green Gables" series of books 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 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 Park in the 1930s. The park's boundaries encompassed the Green Gables homestead and the building became the property of the Government of Canada.

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, designed by world-renowned architect Stanley Thompson.

In addition to being located within park boundaries, the Green Gables farmhouse is designated as a National Historic Site for its importance in Canadian literary history, and as such, is one of the most-visited historic sites in Canada. 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 interpretive staff being available throughout the site. Visitors should also be aware that various rooms in the house have been named according to the "Anne of Green Gables" story.

Restoration

An electrical fire on May 23, 1997, caused some internal damage to part of the upstairs section of the farmhouse, which led to restoration of the affected rooms, as well as being the impetus for an extensive redevelopment of the property through the construction of barns and outbuildings to complement the house itself and to accommodate visitor interpretation facilities. As a result, part of the nearby Green Gables golf course was moved away from the vicinity of the homestead and the area has been returned to a more traditional landscape.

External links

* [http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/pe/greengables/default.asp Parks Canada, Green Gables Heritage Place]
* [http://www.gov.pe.ca/greengables/index.php3 Government of Prince Edward Island, Virtual Green Gables]