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Wednesday 19 July 2017

Green Gables

The house is a literary landmark in Canada. This is Green Gables, made famous in the novels of Lucy Maud Montgomery, 1874-1942, who was a child of the island of Prince Edward.





Green Gables was owned by the MacNeil family, Lucy Maud’s cousins. The author set her novels about the orphan, Ann Shirley, in this home at Green Gables and the surrounding countryside of Cavendish. Thousands visit this area, including this home, every year.


Outside the house, the carriage lies waiting for the horse to take Anne Shirley, Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert to church. However, now Anne’s hat has red pig tails attached.





In the garden, trees are in bloom





on this summer day and the old tree in the flower bed is a natural sculpture.





This house itself is decorated in the Victorian style with its wallpaper, flooring, lace curtains and doilies. It offers a step back in time. 





Anne’s room is the most intriguing to me, with her clothes laid out and her book bag on the chair. She is expected home from Diana’s house any minute.





The guides tell stories from the books about the characters and various items around the house. For example, accidentally, Anne gave her friend Diana wine instead of raspberry cordial because the wine was in the wrong place on the shelves.




If ever a place was designed to complement a work of fiction, this is it. 


Fans of the Anne novels and the various tv series love this place. Every day, hundreds pass through the doors of Green Gables, into Anne’s world, as Lucy Maud described it. The character and the setting have a life of their own now, as a red headed guide, dressed in Anne attire, greets all visitors. 


The novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery is available free


here.




50 comments:

Anvilcloud said...

How synchronous for you to post this today since my grands were just there yesterday. We visited in '01.

Debbie said...

what a lovely place - but that wallpaper, oooooh that wallpaper. i guess it had it's place, back in the day!!!

i love the carriage out front!!!

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Wonderful photos! We really enjoyed our visit to Green Gables a couple of years ago. I adored that novel as a young girl.

Anonymous said...

Such charming photos! Thanks for sharing with us!

DJan said...

I've certainly heard of the book, but I've never read it. Thanks for the link to the book; I will now go ahead and read it for the first time! I love the delightful recreation of her life. :-)

Shammickite said...

Lucy Maud Montgomery lived very close to here, in Leaskdale, Ontario. The website says: L.M. Montgomery came as the bride of Ewan Macdonald, the minister of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Leaskdale, in 1911. She was already famous, having published Anne of Green Gables three years before. The village was agog, and welcomed her with enthusiasm. The Leaskdale Church, only 5 years old when she came to the community, was a small country church, but well designed and built, with beautiful stained glass windows, and polished pews. Ewan’s congregation had two sections, Leaskdale and Zephyr. She describes the Leaskdale congregation as being “all quite nice, being for the most part well-to-do farmers”."
Lovely photos of Green Gables, I haven't been there but I have been to the Leaskdale Manse.

PerthDailyPhoto said...

They certainly are keeping the memory alive here Marie, Green Gables is beautifully looked after. I might just follow that link also 😊

Blogoratti said...

Such a fine looking place filled with so much character. I am not familiar with this author. Thanks for sharing and warm greetings!

Celia said...

I read that book years ago but had no idea there was really and truly a Green Gables house. I like house museums and a book come to life is even better. I see the carriage wheels are blocked to keep it in place. They must store it in winter. Hope to see this some time.

Angela said...

We love Anne Of Green Gables!! I will forward the link of this post to my daughter who adores the books of Lucy M. Montgomery. My mom-in-law have visited this place a few years ago. She got a beautiful "Anne Doll" and still has it with her doll collection. Lovely post! Thank you!

Tomoko said...

Ohhh!! I have waited for this post" Green Gables"!
What a charming building! The carriage Anne Shirley rode on was such a pretty one!I had thought it was more rickety one.I am happy to see Anne's room is decorated with lovely stuff. Yes, those bottles on the shelves immediately recalls that scene of wine accident!"I must go home, repeated Diana. Anne mourned and say, I have never heard of company going home without tea."

I was not able to read her whole story in English,but I really loved to read from the first chapter to the 38 "The bend in the Road". The book has been like my Bible.Thank you for sharing,Marie.

Prince Edward is a beautiful island. Now I also remember that my second English teacher was from Nova Scotia.

Linda d said...

One day I will visit the home of the little girl I adored. I will need to grieve over Matthew's grave and visit the school that had a wonderful red-headed teacher teach their children. How is it possible that the people I grew to love didn't actually exist?

Joanne Noragon said...

How nice to see the building. I remember giving my granddaughter, Emily, a boxed set of Green Gables when she was a pre-teen. She was totally immersed in sci-fi at the time and quite turned up her nose. Then she ran out of sci-fi and had no recourse but sweet Ann. She read read the boxed set in two days.

Elephant's Child said...

Beautifully preserved. I read, and enjoyed the series but didn't love them. I do love the gardens though and would happily visit just to see them - and the tree sculptures sing to me too.

Down by the sea said...

Thank you so much for taking us on this visit, it was so lovely to see everything especially Anne's bedroom! It used to me once of my favourite books as a child and I re-read all ofthe stories of Anne on my kindle and few years ago and still enjoyed them. Sarah x

Bill said...

A beautiful well loved place preserved for new generations to enjoy. You captured the beauty of the place, Marie. Thank you for sharing.

Marie Smith said...

There must be crowds there now, AC. We were there in late June and it was crowded then.

Marie Smith said...

I guess the wallpaper covered the uneven walls, Debbie. It was the fashion.

Marie Smith said...

Anne was popular, that's for sure, Debra.

Marie Smith said...

All based on fiction! Incredible, Mildred.

Marie Smith said...

Enjoy, Jan.

Marie Smith said...

Maybe you'll see Green Gables one day, Shammi.

Marie Smith said...

The property is part of Parks Canada, PDP. It is well maintained.

Marie Smith said...

The author wrote about an orphan. She herself was raised by her grandparents. She wrote from her heart I think.

Marie Smith said...

There is a huge barn in front of that carriage, Celia. I imagine the carriage is stored there.

Marie Smith said...

Our daughter had an Anne doll years ago. We have saved it for the granddaughters, Angela.

Marie Smith said...

Nova Scotia is just across the strait, Tomoko.

The day we were there, two bus loads of Japanese tourists were at Green Gables. I always think of you when I see your countrymen and women.

Marie Smith said...

There is Avonlea Village nearby which has a church, schoolhouse, stores etc., Linda. It is a great place to visit too.

Marie Smith said...

So many people are drawn into the world of Anne, as did your Emily, Joanne.

Marie Smith said...

The area is beautiful, EC.

Marie Smith said...

It amazes me how widely the books were/are read, Sarah.

Marie Smith said...

The place is a treasure, Bill.

Rick (Ratty) said...

There was a locally famous restaurant in Sioux City near me that was named Green Gables, I'm sure named after this place. It was there for many years and unfortunately shut down a short time ago.

Barbara said...

Wow. So neat to see the real places connected to our favorite books.

Marie Smith said...

There were people everywhere who connected with Green Gables.

Marie Smith said...

It is interesting to see how stories come to life, isn't it?

Tabor said...

My husband and I love the story and I have read all three books and watched the famous movie. This week we are watching a version produced by Netflix (our video service) and while it is grittier and more rough, my -year-old daughter found it so compelling she watched the entire first season after we returned from NY. My husband and I visited this place and I was a little disappointed that it was wedged in a golf field. But I still tried to capture the essence of that time.

Ginnie Hart said...

Anne of Green Gables! Oh, yes, was I ever a fan in the day, Marie, though I've never watched any of the TV series. I can imagine the joy of visiting such a place, to make it all seem even more real. I must say I quite enjoy the part about red hair. :)

Marie Smith said...

I was surprised to see the golf course going through the Haunted Wood as well, Tabor. I enjoy the new series too, though it is grittier than the original.

Marie Smith said...

Love red hair! The closest I ever got to red hair was the auburn colour of my long hair in my childhood. Long gone now, sadly.

The Furry Gnome said...

Loved our visit there with our kids many years ago!

Marie Smith said...

It is amazing how many Canadians have been to Green Gables.

ann @ studiohyde said...

This makes me want to visit and see it for myself. Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed seeing the place.

Marie Smith said...

We enjoyed our visit, Ann. We plan to go again in September.

Catarina said...

We were there quite a few years ago. A lovely place. We read the books (my kids and I), we saw the series and visited the house, the museum all that is related to Anne of Green Gables.

Marie Smith said...

It is amazing just how many people have read at least one of the books, Catarina.

baili said...

During my school days the drama show was on air on t.v at 11 pm which was quite late so i was not allowed to keep awake until that and often o pretended as i sleep and when mom went to sleep i got up and saw the episodes of this beautiful drama based on this magnificent novel.

special thanks from me to share this fascinating place ,it is absolutely remarkable Marie!

Marie Smith said...

I wish you could see it in person, Baili. However, I was happy to share it with you.

Mage said...

I was allowed to have that volume when I was a kid, but all the other ones I had to get from the library. Never will I forget the whooping cough.

Marie Smith said...

I remember that story too, Mage!