Green Gables Revisited

There is so much in the world for us all if we only have the eyes to see it, and the heart to love it, and the hand to gather it to ourselves - so much in men and women, so much in art and literature, so much everywhere in which to delight, and for which to be thankful. ~ LM Montgomery

Hello dear friends and welcome to Rose Chintz Cottage! It has been eight years since I visited Green Gables. 

Following my mother's passing, I wanted to do something that would be fun and educational as well as memorable so Hubby and I decided to take a drive out to Cavendish and visit Green Gables again.

But before I get started on my post I want to thank you all for your lovely comments and heart-felt condolences on the death of my mother. Your prayers and kind comments really helped the loss easier to bear. God bless you all!

Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world. ~ LM Montgomery- "Anne of Green Gables"  

Located in the Gulf of St. Lawerence off Canada's east coast, Prince Edward Island is the charming setting for Lucy Maud Montgomery's popular 1908 children's novel, Anne of Green Gables. 
It is a story that both young and old will enjoy reading and to actually walk around the house and grounds is a dream come true for many who visit the Island every year.

The famous house known as Green Gables is a 19th century homestead which stands in a beautifully kept property now owned by the PEI Government. Little has changed in the appearance of the house and the barns have been re-constructed to complement the house.

The Green Gables farm was owned by the Macneill family, who were cousins of Lucy Maud Montgomery. The farm's name is derived from the rich dark green paint of the gables on the farmhouse. Montgomery visited the farm as a young girl and based her best-selling Anne of Green Gables books on the Green Gables farm. She drew romantic inspiration from the house as well as the surrounding area, including the Haunted Wood, Balsam Hollow, and Lovers Lane. 

Looking over at the golf greens, it was busy as usual with folks playing golf, just as it has always been. Many of you are probably not aware, but Green Gables has one of the most beautiful golf courses on PEI. Some say, in Canada!

courtesy of the Internet

This parkland golf course was designed by Stanley Thompson in 1939.

Walking towards the entrance of this historic site, I noticed that they had been working on the grounds since we were here last and they have done a lovely job. 

This garden of hydrangeas as well as several others greets you as you enter the property.

Inside you will find walls of historic info about LM Montgomery, some quotes, and pictures of her as a child through to her adulthood.

She was born in 1874 in Clifton, now known as New London, PEI and died in 1942. She is buried in Cavendish, PEI, the land she loved so well.

This photo of Lucy Maud shows her at age thirty-six, the age she married her husband, the Rev. Ewen MacDonald.

There were many photos of the author but I am sharing only a few.

Just this week, there was an official unveiling of an LM Montgomery statue in Cavendish at Montgomery Park. It is called "A Glimpse of Beauty" by Summerside artist Grace Curtis and BC-based sculptor, Nathan Scott.

Isn't it lovely?

Images courtesy of Michele Lawlor on We Love Prince Edward Island 

This little replica of Green Gables was made entirely of Lego and enclosed within thick plexiglass. The children had fun playing around it. 

This end of the Green Gables house looked so pretty to me with the dappled sunlight peeking through the trees so I took a photo as we neared the homestead.

The house looks wonderful and brings so many memories flooding back as I recalled the numerous times as a young girl, my father would go golfing out here and he always brought my brother and me with him. It was like paradise to us as we roamed the grounds freely, frolicked in the woods, and spent time playing in the gazebos. Children couldn't imagine a better or safer playground.

Upon Anne Shirley's arrival on Prince Edward Island: "This Island is the bloomiest place I know. I love it already, and I'm so glad I'm going to live here. I've always heard that Prince Edward Island was the prettiest place in the world, and I used to imagine I was living here, but I never really expected I would. It's delightful when your imaginations come true, isn't it?" ~ Lucy Maud Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables

Not much at all has changed inside but for those of you who would like to see it, I will share both my older and newer pictures. 

Nearly every window has pots of geraniums in them. It must have been a pleasure to live in this house!

Stepping inside the front door is like taking a step back in time. The charm and overall feel of the whole place just seems to wrap you in a warm welcoming blanket.

This is the floor plan I snagged off the internet.

As you make your way inside, a set of stairs to the upper level, is in the foyer. The parlour is to the left with adjoining rooms which lead to the back of the house and back to the foyer. If allowed, I'm sure the little ones would love to run in the circle that the parlour, the dining room, and the hallway leading to the foyer makes.

The parlour. 

There were so many people it made photographing nearly impossible. One of the things I really appreciated about this old house is that it is flooded with light because of all the windows. 

The next room is the dining room and the table is set for tea.

The other side of the dining room.

The rooms were either cordoned off or had plexiglass in the doorways so nothing could be disturbed by the thousands of visitors who pass through this house each season. 

Out to the kitchen and pantry area...
The dishes and cookware were amazing and are the ones used from that period.

The sideboard was to the right as you enter the kitchen.

I was very excited to see an old brown jug identical to my great grandmother's which was passed down to my Granny, then to my Auntie, and then to me! It is on the bottom shelf, third from the right. It probably dates back to the late 1800s to early 1900s.

This is my antique jug.

The kitchen area had everything a homemaker could want back in those days. The kitchen itself was very roomy and the old cook stove was the center of it.
The kitchen table and chairs were there as well as an ironing board and a wood box. I showed you the sideboard above.

The pantry, just off the main kitchen area is complete with a harvest table and every kind of utensil from that day. 

The dish cabinet housed a collection of brown and white transferware as well as vintage glasswares.

There were several rooms on the main floor including Matthew's room. Upstairs were several more rooms. It is actually a very spacious house. 

The first bedroom you come upon upstairs is Anne's room.

Marilla's room is up here as well as a sewing room, a trunk room, and other rooms but I didn't take many photos because there was such a line-up of people.

I wish I had taken a photo of the footstool in Marilla's room. It was shaped like a flower and so dainty to place one's feet upon. However, the press of visitors was great and made it difficult for taking pictures.

This is the handy man's room.

Outside, you can see the Green Gables house from the edge of the Haunted Wood.

This is the beginning of the wood.

Last time we took a walk through the Haunted Wood, it took us about forty-five minutes.

At the end of the Haunted Wood, we come across Lucy Maud Montgomery's garden and the  remains of Montgomery's grandparents' house where she grew up. 

This is the church where Montgomery and her husband ministered to their congregation. It is located not far from her garden, just a short walk through the trees.

Lover's Lane of course brings to mind all the romantic notions of LM Montgomery's red headed heroine, Anne herself.

The back of the house. That is my hubby sitting in the old carriage. 

Touring the house and property again was a delight and so many times I could recall the stories in Anne of Green Gables, both the books and Kevin Sullivan's 1985 TV series. I have seen most of the remakes of the Anne stories and none can compare with the first one. It was beautifully done and the innocence of the little orphan girl with the huge imagination was so endearing and entertaining that I really don't think it could be improved upon. The newer versions I give a thumbs down because they do not portray Anne as LM Montgomery wrote her. They stray much too far from the original and I'm sure the author would not be pleased. I actually found the latest one to be rather offensive and I didn't watch it for very long.

I also wrote a post earlier this year about the White Sands Hotel/Dalvay-by-the-Sea which is in both the Anne series and the Avonlea series. If you would like to read that post you may find it here.

My Anne doll was the last gift given to me by my beloved Daddy and I treasure her.  

"Some people go through life trying to find out what the world holds for them only to find out too late that it's what they bring to the world that really counts." ~ LM Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables 

Well, dear friends, I hope you enjoyed my latest visit to Green Gables. If you ever come to Prince Edward Island, you must take a day and visit this special place. Green Gables is enchanting and everything one could hope to find nestled away in our little corner of the world. And if you have never read the Anne books then I highly recommend that you do. They tell such a delightful tale of the little red headed orphan girl who was actually based upon LM Montgomery's own life.

"God's in His heaven, all's right with the world," whispered Anne softly. ~ LM Montgomery - "Anne of Green Gables"

courtesy of the Internet

Thank you for visiting and remember to count your blessings today. We all have something we can be thankful for. 



Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi