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Source: The Avonlea Traditions Chronicle, Issue No. 20, Summer 1997.

Cavendish, P.E.I. - Just a little over a week before the Confederation Causeway was set to open, bringing thousands of tourists to Prince Edward Island, one of the Island's most famous landmarks was badly damaged by fire. The picturesque Green Gables in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island went up in flames early on Friday, May 23, 1997.

Alarms rang out at 4:00 a.m., alerting the North Rustico and New Glasgow Volunteer Fire Departments, who responded quickly. No one was in the building at the time and the cause of the fire is still under investigation. North Rustico Fire Chief David Gauthier was among the first on the scene that morning. "When we arrived the fire had broken through from the ground floor and was extending out through the lower windows and burning up the side of the building. The fire had extensively burnt the back of the building spreading to the upper floor. We put some water on it and knocked it back but it was up into the attic crawl space," he recounted several hours after the fire was put out.

Basically the structure of the building is not destroyed, the four walls are standing and the roof is on. There's a hole in the roof and a hole burnt out the side where the fire extended up through."

He went on to say, "The structure of the building can be repaired quite easily, although there's extensive smoke damage throughout the whole house. There was some heat, I never really took time to check out how much damage was done to the antiques but I think the Park Wardens are saying that they can be replaced. There was extensive damage done to the kitchen area. It's really quite a loss."

The exterior was intact except for the hole in the roof and fire damage to two rear windows as well as a small portion of the wall in the rear of the house. The blaze broke out in the ground-floor bedroom known as Matthew's room, which is located next to the kitchen and spread upwards to the sewing room on the second floor. All the period artifacts from Matthew's room were lost. The fire was contained to the two rooms-most of the period artifacts in the other rooms received only minor smoke damage and can be cleaned.

Fortunately, L. M. Montgomery's Empire typewriter had been sent to Halifax to be restored several weeks earlier, escaping the fire. No other items in the house had belonged personally to L. M. Montgomery. The photographs on the wall of L. M. Montgomery and her family were only reprints and can be easily replaced, and there were no handwritten letters, or autographed books on display inside the house.

The fire came as a shock to many, and media outlets were on the story just hours after the fire began. Not only were Anne and L. M. Montgomery fans disturbed by the shocking news, but radio hosts and journalists alike professed amazement and dismay as they related their personal experiences in visiting the famous landmark and described the beauty of the home where L. M. Montgomery set her most famous story.

Early reports estimated that the house would not be restored until late August or early September. Minister of Canadian Heritage Sheila Copps visited the Green Gables site on May 28, 1997 following a comprehensive examination and assessment of the damage.

Initial assessments of the preliminary work required to restore the House were estimated at approximately $100,000. "Let me assure Islanders and all Canadians that the federal government is firmly committed to maintaining the Green Gables site," Copps stated. "The Government of Canada wants to ensure that this wonderful symbol of our culture and our history continues to inspire all Canadians and people from around the world for many years to come."

The Minister was happy to announce that arrangements had been made to ensure that the house and grounds would be open by July 1, 1997. Park officials stated that public visiting the house will be aware that the interior will be in less than a pristine condition due to the fire. Full restoration of Green Gables will take place beginning in the fall.

Facts about Green Gables

• There were 180,000 visitors to Green Gables in 1996
• About 12,000 of those visitors were from Japan
• Exact dates of the construction of the various parts of the house are unknown. It's believed the kitchen is the oldest section and was built in the 1830s.
• The main part of the house is believed to have been built in the 1870s
• In 1914 the roof over the kitchen wing was raised to create three additional bedrooms.
• The maple dining-room set belonged to Myrtle and Ernest Webb.
• The rest of the antiques were acquired by Parks Canada, to portray the house as it would have been in Anne's day. The black iron cookstove in the kitchen, Marilla's black lace shawl, Anne's boots and puffed sleeve dress and a bottle of raspberry cordial in the dining room are just a few of the artifacts on display.

What's new at Green Gables

In 1995 Parks Canada began charging admission to Green Gables. Previously, entry had been free and a donation box was situated at the exit.

The revenue from the admission fees is being used to build new facilities, including a Visitor Reception Centre, which will feature an orientation area and theatre showing a seven minute video on the history of the site and L. M. Montgomery's connection to Green Gables, called "What a small big world it is!" It will be presented in English and French and a Japanese translation of the script will be passed out to Japanese visitors.

There will also be a display which will include photos of the author at different ages as well as photographs of her family, first edition books, an original scrapbook, an original manuscript of one of her books and L. M. Montgomery's handwritten copy of The Island Hymn, a musical tribute to P.E.I. for which she wrote the lyrics.

The new gift shop will be open this summer, offering a full range of Anne-related souvenirs. During the summer, construction will be ongoing to complete the period style buildings planned for the site.

The barn will be completed by September and over the fall and winter, work on the exhibits to go in the building will be completed. By next spring there will be another theatre as well, showing a ten-minute video on L. M. Montgomery's life.

Refreshments such as raspberry cordial and cookies will be available; there will be displays of period farm equipment, as well as an exhibit of the history of Cavendish.

L. M. Montgomery and Green Gables

In the 1930s, the Federal Government decided to create a National Park in every Province. Green Gables was chosen in 1936 to be a part of the National Park in Prince Edward Island. The Webb family was still living in the house, but the government made arrangements for them to stay on as caretakers.

L. M. Montgomery had mixed emotions about turning the land around Green Gables into a National Park. "The Premier assured me that the woods and paths and dykes would be kept just as they were etc. So I began to feel that it was all for the best because those places will never be desecrated now. Still, there will be a good deal of change and I felt very very sad my last night there. For it would be my last night in that old house where we have had so many happy hours... Really, when I penned Anne of Green Gables so many years ago I had no idea what would spring from it all." (MY DEAR MR. M., P. 183, DECEMBER 27, 1936)

L. M. Montgomery always held Green Gables and the surrounding land (which included Lover's Lane and the Haunted Wood) dear to her heart. She would wander through the paths of the farm and feel at peace. "I went up to Myrtle's (Green Gables) and along Lover's Lane and through the woods and fields beyond, over little hill and wood paths that were never made but just grew...I moved within an enchanted circle beyond which there was no time and within which there was no change." (SELECTED JOURNALS, VOL. II - JULY 23, 1927)

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