Leaskdale Manse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leaskdale Manse |
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| Presbytère de Leaskdale | |
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| Area | Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada |
| Built | 1886 |
| Owner | Township of Uxbridge (1992–2013) Lucy Maud Montgomery Society of Ontario (2013–present) |
| Designated | 1994 |
The Leaskdale Manse is a special historic house in Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada. It was the home of Lucy Maud Montgomery, the famous author who wrote the Anne of Green Gables books. She lived here with her husband, Reverend Ewan Macdonald, from 1911 to 1926. While living in this house, Montgomery wrote many of her popular books. The manse was built in 1886. Today, it is a National Historic Site of Canada and a historic house museum that you can visit.
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History of the Leaskdale Manse
The Leaskdale Manse was built in 1886. It was made by a carpenter named William Gordon and a bricklayer named Valentine Brooks. The house was meant to be the home for the pastor of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church.
In 1911, Lucy Maud Montgomery and her new husband, Ewan Macdonald, moved to Leaskdale, Ontario. This town is now part of Uxbridge. Since Macdonald was the pastor of St. Paul's Church, they moved into the manse. In her personal journals, Montgomery wrote that she liked the countryside around Leaskdale. However, she thought the house was "ugly" and wished it had a bathroom.
Montgomery's Life and Writing at the Manse
Montgomery's three children were born in the Leaskdale Manse. Chester was born in 1912, Hugh in 1914, and Stuart in 1915.
While living in the manse, Montgomery wrote 11 of the 22 books published during her lifetime. One of her Anne of Green Gables books, Rainbow Valley, was inspired by her life in Leaskdale. This book tells the story of a Presbyterian minister and his children.
Montgomery wrote a lot about the manse and its surroundings in her journals. In 2010, when the house was restored, her writings helped guide the project. They used her descriptions to make the house look like it did when she lived there.
Leaving the Manse and Its Legacy
In 1926, Montgomery and her husband moved away from Leaskdale. Macdonald became a minister for two churches in Halton County. When she left the manse, Montgomery wrote about how much she would miss the beautiful woods and hills around the house.
In 1965, the Ontario Historic Sites board placed a special plaque at the manse. This plaque honored its importance. In 1994, the Leaskdale Manse was named a National Historic Site of Canada. This was because of its strong connection to Lucy Maud Montgomery's life and work.
The Township of Uxbridge bought the manse in 1992. In 2010, the Lucy Maud Montgomery Society of Ontario began a big project to restore the house. In 2013, this society took over ownership of the property. Today, the manse is open to visitors as a museum.
About the Manse Building
The Leaskdale Manse is located at 11,909 Durham Regional Road 1. It is north of St. Paul's Church and south of Leaskdale Creek.
The house has two floors and is shaped like a "T". This was a common design for middle-class homes back then. The outside walls are made of yellow brick. In the 1970s, the bricks were covered with white stucco. But this stucco was removed in 2001 to show the original brick again.
The roof has a cross-gabled design. The house also has a wooden porch with simple, decorative "gingerbread" style brackets. The inside of the house still has its original layout.
Not many of the original furniture pieces are left. Most were sold or given away by Montgomery's children. However, the museum does have some items and letters from Montgomery's time in the house. In 2010, the manse received many antique furniture pieces from Parks Canada.
