cElEbRaTiNg Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Norval Home BY ROSALEEN EGAN

The manse of Norval Presbyterian Church was home to Lucy Maud Montgomery from 1926 to 1935. The house is planned to become a museum and literary centre. PHOTO BY ROSALEEN EGAN.

24 Niagara Escarpment Views • summer 2018 he house that Lucy Maud Montgomery (LMM) lived in with her husband Ewan Macdonald while he was Norval’s Presbyterian minister, was bought in 2017 by the Heritage Foundation of (HFHH). ElEbRaTiNg “Our vision is to preserve this heritage site that will celebrate the life, c the writing and the cultural impact of Lucy Maud Montgomery,” says HFHH chair Lois Fraser. “The intention is to attract local, national, and international tourists and students.”

summer 2018 • Niagara Escarpment Views 25 Closer view of the Norval manse. PHOTO BY ROSALEEN EGAN

MM, the famous Canadian literary figure and celebrated author of and other novels, wrote in her personal diary on Feb. 28, 1926, “Norval is considered one of the beauty spots of .” She had recently moved to the village where she lived, wrote and was an active community member for nine years while her husband served a two-point charge, at Norval and Union Presbyterian Churches. In addition to the manse, the half-acre property on Draper St. includes a barn and a former caretaker’s cottage dating to 1830. HFHH envisions the property as the first anchor in a larger project, the eventual development of the Village of Norval as an unspoiled area of Ontario’s natural beauty where people can visit a leisure and cultural hub year-round. Norval is situated where the Credit River meets Silver Creek at Hwy. #7 in Halton Hills. This year is its 200th anniversary. The manse was built in 1888 by Norval and Union Presbyterian Churches as a residence for their shared minister. In 2010, the churches separated, each hired their own minister and the manse could no

26 Niagara Escarpment Views • summer 2018 summer 2018 • Niagara Escarpment Views 27 Norval Presbyterian Church where LMM’s husband was minister. LMM was active in this and her husband’s second charge, Union Presbyterian Church near Glen Williams. LMM taught Bible classes and Sunday School, led the Young People’s Society and played the church organ. PHOTO BY ROSALEEN EGAN

longer be used by them. took place March 10, 2017.” both the manse and the LMM’s time. It is a two-storey Kathy Gastle, chair of the The purchase was made cottage as properties with house with two bathrooms, Lucy Maud Montgomery possible by two gifts of cultural heritage value or four bedrooms, a living room, Heritage Society of Norval, $100,000 each from HFHH interest under the Provincial study, dining room and spiral says “In 2015 I was approached board members, Al and Lois Heritage Act. The HFHH and staircase. It also has separate by the churches with the idea Fraser, and Bob and Elaine its partners are preparing maid stairs from the kitchen of purchasing the manse for Crawford. The Town of an application to the federal to a bedroom upstairs. preservation. I was already a Halton Hills donated $90,000 government to designate According to Kathy, “The board member of the Halton as part of the Canada 150 the property as a National kitchen will be a central part Hills Heritage Foundation. celebrations. The two families Historic Site of Canada. of the future vision for the The board agreed to purchase hold the mortgage and, until Except for the addition museum with a re-creation the manse for a future all planning approvals are put of a downstairs bathroom, of Maud’s kitchen.” museum. The preservation and in place for the museum, the alterations to the kitchen and HFHH member Elaine protection of it was important manse will be rented privately. a glassed-in porch, the manse Crawford is related to LMM to Halton Hills. The purchase The town has designated is in original condition to and has a valuable collection

28 Niagara Escarpment Views • summer 2018 of artifacts belonging to the nature writing, and social author, including a hand- experiences. The literary written cookbook. LMM wrote centre will focus on her “If I had not been a poor devil literature through writers, of an author, I think I would speakers, and partnerships have made an excellent cook.” in developing programs with colleges and universities. The Vision LMM was very involved The plan is to make the in the Norval community manse a state-of-the-art beyond her many church museum that will deliver duties, including as an active collaborative projects and member of the Women’s interactive exhibits drawn Institute. She was an avid from LMM’s themes in her diarist and a mother of two writing, journals, photographs, boys. She partially wrote or

summer 2018 • Niagara Escarpment Views 29 The cottage next to the manse on Draper St. comes with a barn behind it. Plans are to make the cottage an interpretive centre. PHOTO BY MIKE DAVIS.F1 F2

F1 F2

Signed photo of LMM between 1920 and 1930. She lived in Norval from 1926 to 1935. LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA / C-011299

on d M tgo au m Mont e d go M r au m y y e c First page of Anne of M r u Green Gables, published 1908. y y L FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS c

u e M L r u t e M s n r e e t NORVAL u LUCY MAUD u C s n m y e e & r Two versions of a logo for the planned u NORVAL C MONTGOMERY L r a LUCY MAUD MUSEUM & LITERARY CENTRE ite museum and literary centre. IMAGES PROVIDED m y MONTGOMERY & ar L r NORVAL ONTARIO CANADA MUSEUM & LITERARY CENTRE ite

NORVAL ONTARIO CANADA published six books and filled novels, LMM wrote articles, Collection, that includes her in being that someone who nearly three volumes of her 10 poetry and short stories. hand-written journals, photos, saved the Village of Norval personal journals in Norval. Before moving to Norval, personal papers, and more. for future generations.” “In her journals,” says Kathy, she and her family lived in HFHH continues to Charitable donations “LMM writes of the village’s Leaskdale, ON where the develop partnerships and can be made through: extraordinary natural beauty manse is now a national affiliates with educational heritagefoundationhalton. and chronicles the social, historic site. There is a Lucy institutions, heritage and ca or by mailing to Heritage economic and technological Maud Montgomery Museum historical organizations, Foundation of Halton changes in this era.” in Bala where her novel, The multiple levels of government Hills, 232A Guelph St., Ste. The six books published Blue Castle is set. Norval agencies, local community 201, Halton Hills ON L7G while she lived in Norval has a long relationship with and arts, culture, and tourism 4B1. Receipts are issued are (1926), these sites and many in Prince organizations to advance the for donations over $25. Emily’s Quest (1927), Magic Edward Island. HFHH’s vision quality, scope, and appeal of For information contact for Marigold (1929), A includes partnering with them planned experiences at the [email protected]. Tangled Web (1931), Pat to help with marketing. L.M. Montgomery Museum of Silver Bush (1933), and and Literary Centre. Rosaleen Egan is an (1935). Partners Fundraising of three independent journalist, LMM is strongly associated The is a million dollars is necessary photographer and playwright with , strategic partner in the project for the HFHH vision to near Alliston, with a blog at the province of her birth and will provide leadership succeed. Lois says, “We share rosiewrites.com. Her last feature and the setting of 19 of her in organizing, designing and the belief that every piece for Niagara Escarpment Views 20 novels, most famously developing interactive exhibits, of heritage that we enjoy was “Smelling the Norval Rose: Anne of Green Gables. She and collaborate on education today was saved by someone The Lucy Maud Montgomery was born November 30, 1874 and a writer-in-residence in its day, and we invite Children’s Garden of the and died in 1942 in program. The university is residents in the Niagara Senses,” Spring 2018. at the age of 67. Beside home of the L.M. Montgomery Escarpment area to join us

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