Description of Historic Place

Maplethorpe is a 2 ½ storey wood frame, Gothic Revival house built circa 1860 in Bedeque.

Heritage Value

Maplethorpe is valued for its age, its good architectural style and design, its historical associations, and for its importance to the history of Bedeque, Prince Edward Island.

This house was built for, or possibly by, Major Wright (1830-1907) sometime around 1860 at the main intersection of Bedeque, or Centreville as it was known at the time. Wright, who was a successful merchant, and according to local convention, the most successful in the area, operated a general store and post office adjacent to his house in partnership with his cousin, Charles C. Gardiner, under the name "Wright and Gardiner, General Dealers". An influential figure in the community, in addition to serving as a merchant and postmaster, Wright was also named a Justice of the Peace for Prince County in 1866.

Following the local tradition of naming farms and houses, Wright dubbed his dwelling "Maplethorpe". He lived there from the time of its construction until his death in 1907, during which time he raised a family alongside his wife, Mary Ada Shreve (1846-1906). The pair had four children: two sons, Stephen and Richmond, and two daughters, Mina Millicent and Mary. The Wrights lost Stephen in childhood, and it was their second son, Richmond, who would take over the family business sometime before his father's passing. The store, no longer in operation, was still standing in October 2002 when it was demolished.

Following the Wright family's ownership of the property, the house was rented out for many years and gradually fell into a state of disrepair. It was most recently purchased in 2001, at which time its new owners carried out sensitive exterior and interior renovations to restore the house and convert it into Historic Maplethorpe Bed and Breakfast. In addition to the 2nd floor window openings on the south elevation which were reduced in size circa 1908, in 2002 all windows were replaced along with a number of interior updates including new wiring, insulation and drywall, additional bathrooms, a new kitchen, and the removal of plaster and lathe upstairs.

In its day, Maplethorpe was regarded as an elegant and imposing structure, symbolic of the prestige attained by the Wright family, and continues to be a significant property for the role it plays in interpreting the history of Bedeque.

Heritage Places files, Department of Education, Early Learning & Culture, Charlottetown, PEI
File #: 4310-20/M45

Character-Defining Elements

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

- the location of the house on its original footprint
- the flat-sloped roof over the verandah on the front (south) elevation
- the five squared verandah posts with crown moulding
- the curved openings between the verandah posts
- the angular detailing of the verandah posts
- the bracketing above the verandah posts
- the turned balusters
- the unusually long, formal window opening on the south elevation
- the Romanesque/round-topped attic window opening (with moulding) on the south elevation
- the bay windows (with three original window openings) on the south elevation ell section
- the tall window opening on the ell section
- the roof dormer with original window opening on the south elevation ell section
- the low placement of the matching, original, formal window openings (first storey east elevation)
- the hood covers on the first storey windows
- the round-topped window opening on the east elevation
- the centre gable, with bracketing only under the eave of the gable
- the bracketing under the eaves of the north elevation
- the Romanesque/round-topped attic window opening and trim on the north elevation
- the low placement of the formal window openings on the first storey of the north elevation
- the original second storey north elevation window openings located directly above those on the first storey
- the steeply pitched, simple gabled roof the main body of the house
- the medium pitched roof of the ell section of the house
- the wood clapboard exterior
- the cornerboards
- the wide eaves with bracketing
- the overall good condition of the house