Description of Historic Place

The former James A. White House in Cornwall, Prince Edward Island is a large, impressive wood-shingle clad house with Gothic Revival details. The house overlooks York Point Road and in the distance, North River.

Heritage Value

This home, built in a vernacular Island ell style, was built in 1894 for James Alfred "Fred" White (b. 1859) and family, a descendant of prolific local shipbuilder William White (d. 1858), who settled in the area from Cornwall, England.

The large impressive home, on part of the original White family homestead, is in excellent condition and retains much of its original architectural features including its twin, two-storey square bay windows, capped with fancy cut-shingle detailing. A rare find is the mason's name, Henry Horne, engraved in the foundation stones, along with the date of the building.

Following Fred White's death, his widow Catherine "Kate" and daughters sold the property in 1940 to neighbor Gordon McEwen and his wife Jean (MacLean) who ran a mixed farming operation on the 100-acre property for 30 years.

The 100-acre farm was purchased by the Cudmore family in 1972. The house and a small plot of land were later parceled off and sold to Ron & Daphne Irving, well-known members of PEI's artistic community. The Cudmore family retained ownership of the barn and acreage.

The house has been well-maintained with few changes to its original architectural details. In 1998 a concrete floor was added to the cellar, windows were replaced with new wood windows and the attic window enlarged. The attic was remodeled in 2011 and the front verandah enclosed for use as a home office. Interior woodwork trim was reproduced by a previous architect-owner.

The interior was re-modelled in 2016 to accommodate the Country Lane Bed & Breakfast operated until 2019.

The former James A. White House is a tangible reminder of the fine craftsmanship of the early shipbuilders of the province and is an excellent example of rural architecture which contributes to the landscape of the community of Cornwall.

Source: Heritage Places Files, Dept. of Economic Growth, Tourism & Culture, Charlottetown, PE
File #: 4310-20/C21

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the former James A. White House is shown in the following character-defining elements:

- the scale and massing of the house
- the pitch and slope of the rooflines
- the double 2 storey box bay windows on the front elevation
- the size and placement of the multi-paned windows
- the wood shingle cladding
- the fancy-cut shingles in the gable end peaks
- the dormer windows on each elevation of the ell section

Further heritage character-defining elements:

- original interior features including the wood paneled ceiling, original wood staircase and banisters and hardwood flooring