Description of Historic Place

Glynwood is a wood framed, Georgian inspired home located at 36 Maxfield Avenue. The home was once part of a large estate in the Charlottetown Royalty owned by Henry Longworth (1816-1895). It has since been altered considerably and currently serves as an apartment building. The designation encompasses the building's exterior and parcel; it does not include the building's interior.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of Glynwood lies in its association with Henry Longworth and its role as an example of the lifestyle of the wealthy that lived in the Charlottetown Royalty in the 19th Century.

Henry Longworth built Glynwood in the 1850s. Longworth named Glynwood after the Longworth family estate near Athlone, Ireland. Prominent in Island society, Longworth is listed as "a farmer, an importer and a raiser of thorough bred stocks" in the Patrons Directory of J. H. Meacham's 1880 Illustrated Historical Atlas of the Province of Prince Edward Island. He was also a Justice of the Peace for Queens County according the Hutchinson's Prince Edward Island Directory of 1864. The Longworth family were involved not only in farming, but also in shipbuilding, commerce and politics. Their status is reflected in the fact that the future King Edward VII, during a visit to Prince Edward Island, planted a tree in the front yard of Glynwood! Unfortunately, at some point in its history, the tree was cut down.

Although it is not clear exactly when Glynwood was built, the style chosen for the residence shows strong Georgian influences with a rectangular plan and a gable roof. The Georgian style emerged from 18th Century Britain and was intent on expressing confidence, order and balance. It was a common style of home in 19th Century Prince Edward Island.

Glynwood is representative of the lifestyle of the wealthy that lived in the Charlottetown Royalty in the 19th Century. During this period, men of considerable means bought large tracts of land outside the City in the Royalty in order to create estates. Their plan was to live like the country gentlemen of Britain. According to an engraving from J. H. Meacham's 1880 Illustrated Historical Atlas of the Province of Prince Edward Island, Glynwood was a grand home and farm surrounded by trees and rolling farmlands.

Originally, part of the Charlottetown Royalty and later the community of Sherwood, Glynwood was incorporated into the boundaries of the City of Charlottetown when the City amalgamated with its nearby communities in 1995. Once the main house on a country estate, Glynwood is now an apartment building surrounded by 20th century residential development. Fortunately, it has retained its overall shape and commanding view of Charlottetown and its harbour.

Sources: Heritage Office, City of Charlottetown Planning Department, PO Box 98, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7K2
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Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements contribute to the heritage value of Glynwood:

- The overall massing of the building
- The wooden siding and the simple mouldings painted in a contrasting colour
- The gable roof
- The size and placement of the paired windows and the windows in the gables
- The size and shape of the chimney

Other character-defining elements of Glynwood include:

- The location of the home with a view of Charlottetown's harbour