Description of Historic Place

Honey Tree Cottage in the rural community of Eglington in King's County, Prince Edward Island is a centre gable residence with a rear addition, and bay window addition on its north elevation. The house overlooks farmland and Eglington Cove and once formed part of the 62-acre William MacKenzie homestead.

Heritage Value

Honey Tree Cottage, the former William MacKenzie farmhouse, is valued for its age, its contribution to the landscape of Eglington and for its connection to early settlement in the area.

While the exact date of construction is unknown, the Honey Tree Cottage probably dates from approximately 1860-1870s given its architectural style, common to that time period. The home was built by or for farmer William MacKenzie (1849-1903), his wife Melissa Morrow (1852-1921) and their family who occupied 62 acres of land as indicated by the 1880 Meacham's Atlas.

The property remained with the MacKenzie family and descendants until 1995. Descendants of early Scottish settlers in Kings County, the MacKenzies farmed the land for several generations.

While the exterior of the home has had some recent updates including a new foundation, replacement windows and modern siding, the heritage character is still evident in the massing of the building and its interior features.

The owner has a great interest in, and values, the home's heritage character and historical associations and now operates the property as a vacation rental, offering vacationers the opportunity to experience the beauty of Prince Edward Island's rural landscape in an updated older home.

Honey Tree Cottage, the former William MacKenzie farmhouse, continues to be an important component of the landscape of Eglington and is valued for its connection to early settlement in the area.

Source: Heritage Places files, Dept. of Economic Growth, Tourism & Culture, Charlottetown, PE
File #: 4310-20/H30

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of Honey Tree Cottage in Eglington is shown in the following character-defining elements:

- the scale and massing of the building
- the pitch and slope of the roof
- the bay window on the front elevation
- the size and placement of the window openings

Further heritage character-defining elements:

- its location overlooking Eglington Cove
- interior features including the wood paneled ceiling, original wood staircase and banisters and hardwood flooring