Fairholm National Historic Inn

The History then and now...

Brooke & Gina MacMillan are the current owners; they bought Fairholm from the Rogers Family in 1999 and after a loving restoration, turned this private home into the stately, Historic Inn we have today.

True Island hospitality is part of the Fairholm policy and we believe our staff is superior when it comes to accommodating our guests. One great example of this is our housekeeper, Judy Moir, whose dedication is surpassed by none. She's been with us since 2003 and has been an asset to Fairholm ever since!

Introduction

Fairholm is one of Canada's National Historic Sites and is the only 5-Star Rated Canadian National Historic Inn. Because of its significance, a monument was placed at Fairholm by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada on behalf of the Government of Canada. It reads:

"This superb Picturesque villa is one of the finest homes built in pre-Confederation Canada. It was constructed about 1839 for politician and administrator T.H. Haviland Sr. (1795-1867). Basic to its design is the late 18th-century British taste for scenic composition of landscape and architecture. Here, the graceful bowed walls and extensive garden setting typical of the Picturesque style are wedded to the stately symmetry of classical design popular at the time in the Maritime Provinces. A rare example of early brick construction on the island, Fairholm retains much of its original interior."

The History

Fairholm was owned by three prominent Prince Edward Island families, the Havilands, the Youngs and the Rogers. The first half of the 19th century, one a detractor, and one an advocate or responsible government.

Haviland - Thomas Heath Haviland was born in England and emigrated to Prince Edward Island in 1816. An energetic, upwardly mobile young man, he soon gained the position of Provost Marshall. Other positions of importance and influence followed: in 1823 he was named to the Executive Council, in 1824 he became assistant judge of the Supreme Court, the Colonial Secretary, the Registrar, and the Clerk of the Executive and Legislative Councils. Haviland also secured his personal fortune acting as land agent for Prince Edward Island's absentee landlords and his own properties. Haviland opposed the move towards responsible government, which was granted in 1851 despite his preferences. He adapted to the new political climate; in 1854 he won a by-election in Princetown. Haviland was elected and reelected Mayor of Charlottetown starting in 1857.

His biographer has referred to Haviland as "... the perfect embodiment of the old regime before the arrival of responsible government in 1851..." Haviland and his colleagues saw no contradiction between pursuing personal interest and the interest of society simultaneously; indeed, in their minds, the two interests were interdependent.

Fairholm reflected Haviland's and the Island’s growing prosperity. Despite the political upheavals, the population continued to grow, and the agricultural sector expanded. The house was ready for occupancy at just about the time that Haviland's wife, Jane Rebecca Brecken, died.

Young - Haviland sold the house in 1855 to the Honourable Charles Young. A man of more liberal sentiments, Charles Young, LL.D., Q.C., represented the other side of the responsible government debate. Born in 1812 in Glasgow, he came to Nova Scotia as a child with his family. Young was educated at Dalhousie College in Halifax, and studied law in the firm of his brother William (later Sir William, Chief Justice of Nova Scotia) in Halifax. In 1838, Charles Young was called to the bar, and in the same year he left for the Island to seek his fortune. Just two years later, Young represented Queen's County in the provincial legislature, a seat that he held until 1863. Meanwhile, he frequently represented tenants in their disputes with landlords. Young was an advocate of political and social reform, and he energetically defended the move toward responsible government. He also supported the establishment of free schools. Once responsible government was granted din 1851, Young became the Attorney General, a position that he held for many years. In 1852 Young became a judge. Young and his wife Lucretia nee Starr lived in the house until Young's death in 1892.

Rogers - Fairholm stood uninhabited for two years, until acquired by Benjamin Rogers, a hardware merchant. The Rogers family owned the house until 1999, and one of the last of the Rogers to live in it was the much respected and admired Irene Rogers. Mrs. Rogers was very active in the preservation movement in Prince Edward Island, and wrote and spoke extensively on the subject. She was also, until the time of her death, a member of The Prince Edward Island Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. Her children sold Fairholm to the current owners.

Bringing the Picturesque style to the New World

The Picturesque Style was a movement, a theme in architecture which began in 18th century England. A new breed of landscape artists created gardens of drama and romance, shadows and sunlight, contrasts of colours and textures in both foliage and flower, changing throughout the day and with the seasons. This was a marvellously fresh idea at a time when all of Europe favoured highly structured, formal gardens. It was soon evident that the monumental classicism of 18th century European architecture hardly fit into such a style and new approaches the design, more sensitive to these settings were sought.

Hence, Picturesque, an easy elegant style and it came to Canada. It suited administrative officials, army officers, and immigrants with education and social position. Architects, newly arrived from England, provided expertise in the design of such houses and these new world adaptations became known as Maritime Picturesque.

Most often symmetrical buildings, these "villas" and diminutive "cottages" had advancing proportions and overhanging eaves to create effects of light and shade; verandas and French windows to facilitate access to the garden. Some were astylar while others were in currently fashionable Neoclassicism or Gothic Revival styles.

Recently arrived architects provided the expertise in the design of such houses, as did architectural pattern books. While it is not known who the architect of Fairholm was, the likeliest was Isaac Smith (1795-1871), an immigrant from England and the author of many of Charlottetown's most prominent structures, including Province House (1843-48).

Architecture

Fairholm is a fine house indeed! The house is town storeys high, capped by a gently pitched hip roof framed by four end chimneys. Its main facade features a centre door surrounded by sidelights and a graceful elliptical fanlight.

On either side of the door are smoothly curving bay windows which run up the full height of the façade. It is this feature that most closely identify the house with the Picturesque Movement. The symmetrical main facade and the balanced exterior indicate the classicism of the design.

The walls are a mottled red brick, an uncommon material fro the island at this time, and infrequently found on picturesque villas. H.M. Scott Smith points out that the use of brick makes Fairholm "perhaps the most outstanding brick house on prince Edward Island."

Cut stone punctuates the exterior surface, as lintels over the windows, for the raised basement, and as a swing course between the two storeys. Two, two-storey extensions, identical in size and dimensions, are attached to the rear facade. Originally there was a simpler porch, consisting of a pediment supported by columns to either side, but this older one was replaced by a gentle arc supported by columns. The Rogers erected the present porch, supported by piers, having a sunroom over the porch some time early in the 20th century. While the porch and sunroom were later additions, they are nevertheless sympathetic to the original design of the house. A veranda was added at one time to the western side of the house. Mr. George Rogers, the present owner of the house, remembers that this veranda was removed in the 1940's.

Sharing our dreams

How do you take a genteel, noble home with deep local roots spanning 160 years out of an advanced state of benign neglect?

When Fairholm was built the times allowed for prominent families to live in a style we can only imagine. A home the size of Fairholm had staff to care for the house, the gardens, tend to the wishes of family and the many guests. It was a rarefied lifestyle.

It is quite an accomplishment that Fairholm was maintained as a private home until recently. All the care given Fairholm over those 160 years secured its place in Charlottetown's history. In 1999, after 100 years as the Rogers family in residence, the Rogers descendents decided to sell the property. In June of that year, three intrepid partners appeared on the scene.

Unable to look away from such a magnificent property so steeped in history, we saw the enormous, unusual house, a large lot and a wonderful carriage house in disrepair. It was our challenge to become heritage restorers and eventually innkeepers. In the autumn of 1999, we purchased Fairholm. Whether we had lost our senses was still in question but three people were ready for the daunting challenge facing us. Our goal was to do everything that was needed and to do it right.

Little did we know what such a declaration of commitment entails? Through that winter, we planned and planned, preparing for spring. We were excited about the gardens. The brick exterior needed cleaning. And indoors...well!

The fine hardwood parquet floors of Fairholm needed to be refinished. An attempt at sanding revealed they were finished with spar varnish which rendered the sander inoperable. The alternative was hand scraping. So, on hands and knees, we scraped…and scraped. We spent hours researching paint colours and wallpaper styles. The foyer and upstairs hall were papered over 100 years ago with wallpaper imported from England. It is in mint condition. It stays! There were other samples of wallpaper around which we were able to almost exactly match with imported Sanderson wallpapers, including a William Morris design. In order to turn a home into an Inn, (with the appropriate nod to modernity) private bathrooms had to be added to each suite. Chimneys required lining or rebuilding. Three fireplaces still function fire wood. The remainder have been converted with gas inserts for your comfort and safety. Plaster needed repairing. Furniture needed refinishing. The list was endless. We decided to include a suite in the basement for the onsite innkeeper, to provide ‘round the clock service to guests. The basement is huge but not of standing height. We dug the basement deeper with picks and shovels, carrying bucket loads of fill out. One day, not this day, we will restore the old carriage house, adapting it to provide additional guest suites. We have visions of building a second carriage house, similar to the original one.

All this because of a dream!

We wanted to create a place of quiet repose of yesteryear, where visitors come to restore themselves amid history, gardens and elegantly lush rooms. We want our guests to know gracious moments, to feel indulged whilst here. We want to give our guests satisfying memories that linger on. And when our guests return again - we will remember them.

We are grateful for the restoration guidelines and the support of our Charlottetown’s Heritage Board. Because Fairholm is a National Historic Site, many restrictions were placed on what we could and could not do with the property. This was a blessing for it clarified our objectives and gave stability to our vision. The careful selections of all of our interior colours and wallpapers have been carried out with commitment. We would like to extend a sincere Thank You to Gina for her concern and appreciation in restoration of Fairholm.

Our primary objective was to restore the home while maintaining its original character. This, we believe, we have done. And so with confidence and pride in our work, we are ready to share the vision with you.

	The History then and now... Brooke & Gina MacMillan are the current owners; they bought Fairholm from the Rogers Family in 1999 and after a loving restoration, turned this private home into the stately, Historic Inn we have today. True Island hospitality is part of the Fairholm policy and we believe our staff is superior when it comes to accommodating our guests. One great example of this is our housekeeper, Judy Moir, whose dedication is surpassed by none. She's been with us since 2003 and has been an asset to Fairholm ever since! Introduction Fairholm is one of Canada's National Historic Sites and is the only 5-Star Rated Canadian National Historic Inn. Because of its significance, a monument was placed at Fairholm by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada on behalf of the Government of Canada. It reads: "This superb Picturesque villa is one of the finest homes built in pre-Confederation Canada. It was constructed about 1839 for politician and administrator T.H. Haviland Sr. (1795-1867). Basic to its design is the late 18th-century British taste for scenic composition of landscape and architecture. Here, the graceful bowed walls and extensive garden setting typical of the Picturesque style are wedded to the stately symmetry of classical design popular at the time in the Maritime Provinces. A rare example of early brick construction on the island, Fairholm retains much of its original interior." The History Fairholm was owned by three prominent Prince Edward Island families, the Havilands, the Youngs and the Rogers. The first half of the 19th century, one a detractor, and one an advocate or responsible government. Haviland - Thomas Heath Haviland was born in England and emigrated to Prince Edward Island in 1816. An energetic, upwardly mobile young man, he soon gained the position of Provost Marshall. Other positions of importance and influence followed: in 1823 he was named to the Executive Council, in 1824 he became assistant judge of the Supreme Court, the Colonial Secretary, the Registrar, and the Clerk of the Executive and Legislative Councils. Haviland also secured his personal fortune acting as land agent for Prince Edward Island's absentee landlords and his own properties. Haviland opposed the move towards responsible government, which was granted in 1851 despite his preferences. He adapted to the new political climate; in 1854 he won a by-election in Princetown. Haviland was elected and reelected Mayor of Charlottetown starting in 1857. His biographer has referred to Haviland as "... the perfect embodiment of the old regime before the arrival of responsible government in 1851..." Haviland and his colleagues saw no contradiction between pursuing personal interest and the interest of society simultaneously; indeed, in their minds, the two interests were interdependent. Fairholm reflected Haviland's and the Island’s growing prosperity. Despite the political upheavals, the population continued to grow, and the agricultural sector expanded. The house was ready for occupancy at just about the time that Haviland's wife, Jane Rebecca Brecken, died. Young - Haviland sold the house in 1855 to the Honourable Charles Young. A man of more liberal sentiments, Charles Young, LL.D., Q.C., represented the other side of the responsible government debate. Born in 1812 in Glasgow, he came to Nova Scotia as a child with his family. Young was educated at Dalhousie College in Halifax, and studied law in the firm of his brother William (later Sir William, Chief Justice of Nova Scotia) in Halifax. In 1838, Charles Young was called to the bar, and in the same year he left for the Island to seek his fortune. Just two years later, Young represented Queen's County in the provincial legislature, a seat that he held until 1863. Meanwhile, he frequently represented tenants in their disputes with landlords. Young was an advocate of political and social reform, and he energetically defended the move toward responsible government. He also supported the establishment of free schools. Once responsible government was granted din 1851, Young became the Attorney General, a position that he held for many years. In 1852 Young became a judge. Young and his wife Lucretia nee Starr lived in the house until Young's death in 1892. Rogers - Fairholm stood uninhabited for two years, until acquired by Benjamin Rogers, a hardware merchant. The Rogers family owned the house until 1999, and one of the last of the Rogers to live in it was the much respected and admired Irene Rogers. Mrs. Rogers was very active in the preservation movement in Prince Edward Island, and wrote and spoke extensively on the subject. She was also, until the time of her death, a member of The Prince Edward Island Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. Her children sold Fairholm to the current owners. Bringing the Picturesque style to the New World The Picturesque Style was a movement, a theme in architecture which began in 18th century England. A new breed of landscape artists created gardens of drama and romance, shadows and sunlight, contrasts of colours and textures in both foliage and flower, changing throughout the day and with the seasons. This was a marvellously fresh idea at a time when all of Europe favoured highly structured, formal gardens. It was soon evident that the monumental classicism of 18th century European architecture hardly fit into such a style and new approaches the design, more sensitive to these settings were sought. Hence, Picturesque, an easy elegant style and it came to Canada. It suited administrative officials, army officers, and immigrants with education and social position. Architects, newly arrived from England, provided expertise in the design of such houses and these new world adaptations became known as Maritime Picturesque. Most often symmetrical buildings, these "villas" and diminutive "cottages" had advancing proportions and overhanging eaves to create effects of light and shade; verandas and French windows to facilitate access to the garden. Some were astylar while others were in currently fashionable Neoclassicism or Gothic Revival styles. Recently arrived architects provided the expertise in the design of such houses, as did architectural pattern books. While it is not known who the architect of Fairholm was, the likeliest was Isaac Smith (1795-1871), an immigrant from England and the author of many of Charlottetown's most prominent structures, including Province House (1843-48). Architecture Fairholm is a fine house indeed! The house is town storeys high, capped by a gently pitched hip roof framed by four end chimneys. Its main facade features a centre door surrounded by sidelights and a graceful elliptical fanlight. On either side of the door are smoothly curving bay windows which run up the full height of the façade. It is this feature that most closely identify the house with the Picturesque Movement. The symmetrical main facade and the balanced exterior indicate the classicism of the design. The walls are a mottled red brick, an uncommon material fro the island at this time, and infrequently found on picturesque villas. H.M. Scott Smith points out that the use of brick makes Fairholm "perhaps the most outstanding brick house on prince Edward Island." Cut stone punctuates the exterior surface, as lintels over the windows, for the raised basement, and as a swing course between the two storeys. Two, two-storey extensions, identical in size and dimensions, are attached to the rear facade. Originally there was a simpler porch, consisting of a pediment supported by columns to either side, but this older one was replaced by a gentle arc supported by columns. The Rogers erected the present porch, supported by piers, having a sunroom over the porch some time early in the 20th century. While the porch and sunroom were later additions, they are nevertheless sympathetic to the original design of the house. A veranda was added at one time to the western side of the house. Mr. George Rogers, the present owner of the house, remembers that this veranda was removed in the 1940's. Sharing our dreams How do you take a genteel, noble home with deep local roots spanning 160 years out of an advanced state of benign neglect? When Fairholm was built the times allowed for prominent families to live in a style we can only imagine. A home the size of Fairholm had staff to care for the house, the gardens, tend to the wishes of family and the many guests. It was a rarefied lifestyle. It is quite an accomplishment that Fairholm was maintained as a private home until recently. All the care given Fairholm over those 160 years secured its place in Charlottetown's history. In 1999, after 100 years as the Rogers family in residence, the Rogers descendents decided to sell the property. In June of that year, three intrepid partners appeared on the scene. Unable to look away from such a magnificent property so steeped in history, we saw the enormous, unusual house, a large lot and a wonderful carriage house in disrepair. It was our challenge to become heritage restorers and eventually innkeepers. In the autumn of 1999, we purchased Fairholm. Whether we had lost our senses was still in question but three people were ready for the daunting challenge facing us. Our goal was to do everything that was needed and to do it right. Little did we know what such a declaration of commitment entails? Through that winter, we planned and planned, preparing for spring. We were excited about the gardens. The brick exterior needed cleaning. And indoors...well! The fine hardwood parquet floors of Fairholm needed to be refinished. An attempt at sanding revealed they were finished with spar varnish which rendered the sander inoperable. The alternative was hand scraping. So, on hands and knees, we scraped…and scraped. We spent hours researching paint colours and wallpaper styles. The foyer and upstairs hall were papered over 100 years ago with wallpaper imported from England. It is in mint condition. It stays! There were other samples of wallpaper around which we were able to almost exactly match with imported Sanderson wallpapers, including a William Morris design. In order to turn a home into an Inn, (with the appropriate nod to modernity) private bathrooms had to be added to each suite. Chimneys required lining or rebuilding. Three fireplaces still function fire wood. The remainder have been converted with gas inserts for your comfort and safety. Plaster needed repairing. Furniture needed refinishing. The list was endless. We decided to include a suite in the basement for the onsite innkeeper, to provide ‘round the clock service to guests. The basement is huge but not of standing height. We dug the basement deeper with picks and shovels, carrying bucket loads of fill out. One day, not this day, we will restore the old carriage house, adapting it to provide additional guest suites. We have visions of building a second carriage house, similar to the original one. All this because of a dream! We wanted to create a place of quiet repose of yesteryear, where visitors come to restore themselves amid history, gardens and elegantly lush rooms. We want our guests to know gracious moments, to feel indulged whilst here. We want to give our guests satisfying memories that linger on. And when our guests return again - we will remember them. We are grateful for the restoration guidelines and the support of our Charlottetown’s Heritage Board. Because Fairholm is a National Historic Site, many restrictions were placed on what we could and could not do with the property. This was a blessing for it clarified our objectives and gave stability to our vision. The careful selections of all of our interior colours and wallpapers have been carried out with commitment. We would like to extend a sincere Thank You to Gina for her concern and appreciation in restoration of Fairholm. Our primary objective was to restore the home while maintaining its original character. This, we believe, we have done. And so with confidence and pride in our work, we are ready to share the vision with you.