Description of Historic Place

The Taylor House is a large one and one-half storey Maritime vernacular ell structure. The house, clad in wood shingles, is picturesquely nestled in the rural landscape of Orwell Corner Historic Village in Orwell, Prince Edward Island.

Heritage Value

The Taylor House is located at Orwell Corner Historic Village, one of the seven sites of the Prince Edward Island Museum and Heritage Foundation. The Taylor House dates from approximately 1860. Originally located in the nearby community of Uigg, the house was owned and occupied by Rev. Donald M. Campbell (1864-1935), a MacDonaldite minister. Rev. Campbell was ordained in Halifax as a Church of Scotland minister and served the Eastern parish of PEI for more than 10 years. Campbell left the province, worked briefly in Massachusetts under former Islander Rev. John Goodwill, then accepted work with the Presbyterian Church of Canada, settling in Saskatchewan where he remained.

The house was sold to Robert MacLeod who moved it by horse and capstan to its current location at the Orwell Corner Crossroads. MacLeod's employee, Cephas Gay, and his family occupied the house. Gay worked as a tanner, harness maker, and butcher and operated MacLeod's slaughterhouse.

The home was later occupied by Roddie and Annie MacLean who ran a post office from the parlour and remained here until advanced in age. The MacLeans sold the property to Edison Taylor and his wife Ella MacLeod, who in turn sold it to Edison's brother Ernest Taylor.

In 1948, WWII veteran Ernest Taylor (1916-2001) and his wife Ruth MacLean moved into the house where they raised several children. The family moved to Ontario in 1955 and returned to the home in 1969. Ernest and Ruth Taylor, Ruth VanIderstine and other residents of Orwell were concerned with the possible loss of the Orwell United Church when its congregation amalgamated with St. Andrew's in Vernon Bridge. Ernest was the chair of a community group instrumental in the preservation of several historic buildings at Orwell. In 1970, the PEI Heritage Foundation was established and took over the site in 1973 to operate it as an interpretive centre showcasing PEI agricultural history. The Centennial Commission provided $94,000 for the development of the 11-acre site which opened to the public on July 16, 1973.

The Board of Directors of Orwell Corner Inc. established in the early 1970s with Ernest Taylor as its first president, continues to work in partnership with the PEI Museum. The Taylors were deeply committed to Orwell Corner Historic Village, volunteering to look after the site and ran various fundraising events and concerts. Ruth Taylor worked as a summer interpreter for many years. The Taylors' wish was that the home would become part of Orwell Historic Village which officially happened in 2013.

The Taylor Home continues to be valued for its age, architectural style, historical associations, its importance to the community, and as an integral part of Orwell Corner Historic Village.

Source : Heritage Places files, Dept. of Fisheries, Tourism, Sport & Culture, Charlottetown, PE
File #: 4310-20/T6

Character-Defining Elements

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

- the scale and massing of the house
- the pitch and slope of the roofline of the main body of the house, and the kitchen addition
- the wood shingle cladding
- the size and placement of the sash windows
- the window lintels
- the wide eave returns
- the off-set front door with transom and sidelights of coloured glass and overhang

Further contributing heritage character-defining elements:

- its picturesque location within Orwell Corner Historic Village
- its various outbuildings which assist in the interpretation of the province's agricultural past