Saturday, August 27, 2011

Sutherland House, Seaview

This house was brought back to my attention recently!  As I say, I have enough photos and information on Island buildings that this blog could be a full time job!
On August 25, 2009 I took these photos of the 16-room Sutherland House (aka "Melrose Cottage").  The house was built in 1860 and had been for sale since the late 90's - it finally sold last year.  On June 11, 1999 two friends and I arranged to see the house through the real estate agent.  (see Real Estate sheet below).  Thinking I'd like to take on another renovation project I dreamed of transforming this place to its former grandeur but it would have been a huge project.  Below:  the south/front view of the house, facing the road, Rte. 103.
Below: southwest view.
Below: west view - note the board and batten siding and the running gingerbread barge board.
Below:  Beautiful detailing - note the attic window.  My trusty friend Arnold is peering in the windows - he's often in my photos of old houses - great for scale!
Below:  the east view - similar to the west end, the wall is shingled.
Below: further down the east wall - the back kitchen and porch.
Below: the northeast view.
Below:  the Sutherland House in its glory as illustrated in Meacham's 1880 Atlas of PEI - page 145.
Below:  this is from the photo collection of L.M.Montgomery at Guelph University.  Lucy Maud Montgomery's aunt (her father's sister) married Robert Sutherland of this place.
Below:  a couple of basic floor plan sketches I prepared from visiting the property (I didn't take measurements) and taking room sizes from the real estate listing.
Below: the Real Estate listing.
Below:  Faye Pound was featured in a Journal Pioneer article about this house last summer.
https://www.journalpioneer.com/news/local/a-house-full-of-history-in-seaview-52541/

A house full of history in Seaview

Faye Pound will be speaking at Keir Memorial Museum on Wednesday about this Seaview house.

Published on July 26, 2010 - Amber Nicholson/Journal Pioneer

Seaview - Historical architecture enthusiast Faye Pound will share her knowledge of the John Sutherland House at the Keir Memorial Museum's Summer Historical Series tomorrow.

Pound has spent most of her life researching the architecture and stories that make up some of the oldest buildings on P.E.I.
"I find historical research very satisfying," Pound said. "I love all old buildings, but there is something about houses that make them my favorite."
Built in 1860 near Seaview, the John Sutherland house is one of the few remaining historical homes that is being kept in its original form.
"This house is gloriously old," Pound raved. "It is one of my favorite houses on P.E.I."
The 16-room house, nicknamed the Melrose Cottage, was built by John St. Clair Sutherland. He, and his wife Marion, moved to P.E.I. from Scotland in 1842.
"It is a gothic revival house," Pound explained. "It was built with a lot of Scottish detailing and design."
Original features that still remain intact today include a teardrop-trim pierced with triangles, six over six windows made of hand-blown glass and handmade, square-headed nails.
Five generations of Sutherlands had their turn living in the home. The final Sutherland to live there was Barbara Sutherland who moved out two years ago when the home became unsafe to live in.
"It just became too difficult for her," explained Pound. "It needs quite a bit of repair."
Joe Schurman of Summerside purchased the heritage home. He now lives in Texas, but has contractors working to repair the home.
"We're thrilled someone is taking care of it, and sensitively," said Pound.
She said Schurman is ensuring contractors are careful not to alter the original character of the building.
Pound will speak in detail about the home at 10 a.m. on Wednesday at Keir Memorial Museum.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
     The following information comes from Jane N Mike Gaudet's Facebook page...
*Sutherland, John Sinclair, Esq.
(Princetown Presbyterian Church cemetery, Malpeque, Lot 18)
d. 5 June 1882, aged 68 years, emigrated from Caithness, Scotland in 1842. His wife, Marion Miller, d. 15 July 1901, aged 77 years.
*Sutherland, Robert
Agriculturist - 15 July 1905, page 5, col. 3
The remains of the late Robert Sutherland, Sea View, were laid to rest Wednesday afternoon, the funeral taking place from his home to Malpeque Cemetery where he was interred beside his father. The service in the house was conducted by Rev. E. J. Rattee, after which the casket, covered with many floral tributes, was brought out on the lawn where the members of King Edward Lodge A.F. & A.M., of which he was a member, conducted their impressive burial service. The largest concourse of people and carriages seen in that locality for some years followed the remains to the grave. The pallbearers were His Honor Governor McKinnon, Benj. Rogers, Esq., Charlottetown; Dr. Darrach, H. A. Leslie, Kensington; James Tuplin, New Annan; John S. Cousins, Park Corner. Among the prominent men present were Matthew Smith, Hon. Peter McNutt, Hon. Geo. Simpson, Hon. Wm. Campbell, Horace Haszard, A. C. Warburton, Donald Nicholson, J. D. McLeod, D. Montgomery, Alberton, and others.

7 comments:

  1. Was thinking I had seen that place before on my travels but had to look it up on google maps to confirm (thought it was closer to the water on Eddie Murphy Road for some reason. Did they ever finish the restoration work? Looks the same as it did back in 1999 almost.

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  2. I drove by this house on Sunday and it's in terrible shape. Any word on what happened with the restoration?

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    1. I have lots of pictures too if anyone is interested...

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    2. I am very interested, if you are still available on this blog. I would love more pictures of this place.

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  3. https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/local/historic-vegetation-covered-farmhouse-in-sea-view-pei-gets-dramatic-rescue-283192/?fbclid=IwAR1WgxzJ_H_t0-72OfEgEGbV4e0IfjJaWXgZULglEbA0RJYu7TWIJQhEG8Q#.XGLlAHhv3mq.facebook

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  4. someone has hired architects to fix it up....it's on their facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/sableworkspei

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