Description of Historic Place

The Callbeck House is a large vernacular composite home prominently located on a corner lot known as Strong's Corner, in the rural community of Central Bedeque, Prince Edward Island.

Heritage Value

The Callbeck House is valued as an early residence in its community, for its association with early settlement and its associations with the Crawford and Callbeck families, including its current owner, Senator Catherine Callbeck, and for its contribution to the streetscape of the community of Central Bedeque.

Constructed in phases, it is believed the earliest section built by Thomas Baker dates from 1863, or possibly earlier, for merchant John Crawford (d. 1907) who later sold it to his sister and brother-in-law Patrick and Mary Brown. Brown in turn sold the property to Philip Henry Callbeck (1824-1874). Callbeck, his wife Priscilla Pope (Wright) and their children William, Elizabeth and Phoebe, moved into the house in 1872. Between 1872 and 1885 a west wing addition was made to the south end of the house. Priscilla Callbeck hosted Methodist meetings in the home prior to the construction of a Methodist church in the area. Phoebe married from the home, and William Callbeck later inherited the house following his father's early death. William was working at Colin Wright's store located across the street, and later purchased the business, establishing the long-running Callbeck's of PEI mercantile operation. Employees of Callbeck's store boarded at the Callbeck Home and for many years the house had one of the only telephones in the community, used exclusively for business during store hours.

The south verandah was enclosed as a sunporch in 1929 when William Callbeck's son Ralph Callbeck married Ruth Campbell. An upper room and balcony were added to the south elevation above the sunporch about 1945 to create an additional bedroom. Further renovations made in 2001 by the current resident included expanding the south and north elevations and adding a back porch. New siding and windows were installed at this time.

The Callbeck House is also significant as it is the residence of Senator Catherine Callbeck. Callbeck served as a member of the PEI Legislative Assembly from 1974-1978, as a member of Parliament from 1988-1993, as the first elected female premier of PEI in 1993 and was appointed to the Canadian Senate in 1997, serving until 2014.

The Callbeck House continues to be an important landmark in Central Bedeque.

Source: Heritage Places files, Department of Economic Growth, Tourism & Culture, Charlottetown, PE File #: 4310-20/C20

Character-Defining Elements

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

- the overall form, scale and massing of the structure
- the slope and pitch of the gable roof and addition roof lines
- the asymmetrical front entrance
- the evident additions to the structure
- the dormer window on the eastern wing of the structure
- the front entrance door, and surrounding transept lights
- the placement of the windows
- the south elevation sun porch with multi-paned windows
- the flared siding detail on the second storey addition over the sunporch

Further contributing character-defining elements:

- the setting of the residence within a rural community with mature treed lot
- the home's proximity to the Callbeck Centre