Description of Historic Place

This Gable Ell style house retains many of its decorative Gothic Revival elements including a gable roofline with eave returns, paired eave bracketting, and a verandah with turned posts and brackets. It is situated in a rural setting overlooking the Montague River with mature trees.

Heritage Value

The house is valued for its Gable Ell style and Gothic Revival decorative elements and for its historical association with the Poole and Hewitt families.

William A. Poole (1831-1903) was a prominent merchant in Lower Montague and Montague in the 19th century. This is one of three large homes he had constructed in the community all in close proximity to one another.

The style of the home is Gable Ell with many fine Gothic Revival embellishments including paired eave bracketting and a decorative verandah. This used to extend along the east side of the house, but now is only present on the front facade.

In 1897, the home was purchased by Captain Robert Hewitt (1840-1902) from Nova Scotia. He was a fisherman and seafarer. Tragically, he died while lobster fishing at Bonne Bay, Newfoundland in August 1902. He left behind his widow and a family of three sons and four daughters.

The property was inherited by Robert's son, James Hewitt, and in time, his son, Captain Horace Hewitt. James Hewitt's other brothers had active businesses in PEI. Freeman Hewitt owned a chicken factory in Cardigan, while Austin Hewitt operated a brewery in Charlottetown.

At some point the house was also used as a post office, with mail being picked up or dropped off via a small window added to the west side of the house. This has since been removed.

Horace Hewitt eventually sold the house to Marjorie Webster, who later sold it to its current owner. She operates a bed and breakfast from the home called Mary MacQueen's By the Sea.

Source: Culture and Heritage Division, PEI Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8
File #: 4310-20/TR2

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the house is shown in the following character-defining elements:

- the wood frame one-and-one-half storey construction
- the Gable Ell style
- the gable rooflines with eave returns
- the paired eave bracketting
- the brick chimneys
- the original fenestration
- the bay windows
- the front verandah with turned posts and bracketting