Gordon-Dunn-Holm House soon to be demolished in Alberton

     This old house is located at the corner of Main and Carroll Streets on your way from downtown Alberton to Northport - not far from Sacred Heart Catholic Church.  
     It is said to be the oldest house south of "the cross" the main intersection in Alberton.  It was most recent the home of Harvey and Sandra Holm who lived here from 1984-2004 then rented it.  They believe the house is near 200 years old.   
     The ground under this house is mostly sand, once you dig through 6" of topsoil you hit sand.  Mr. Holm's said it was great digging fence posts.   He also said he used the old stone-lined well on the property for many years - it was 16'-18' deep and in recent years had a pipe going into the house to supply water, however, when three houses were built nearby it completely dried up.  
     The Holm's bought this house from Carl Shea; before him the house was owned by Bob Dunn (m. ? Gordon) who used the workshop at the back (next to Dufferin Street) to make sleigh runner, chafes, etc.; before the Dunn's the house was owned by the Gordons.
     The house is said to have a ghost named "Rah" - the Holm's never experienced him.  See the story below from, Footprints in the Sands of Time: A History of Alberton, 1980.

   Page 265-266: "It's very rah (raw) the day," was the usual remark to fall from his Scottish tongue when he greeted an acquittance, so they called him, "Old Rah."  He lived in what is believed to be the oldest house between "The Cross" (corner of Church and Main, Alberton) and the settlement at Cascumpeque Point (Northport) - at the corner of Main and Carroll Streets.  Probably he acquired it about 1887 from James Gordon under whose name it appears in Meacham's Atlas of 1880.  One day, some years later, Old Rah dropped dead in the driveway and in 1902 his mortgaged property was sold to John Dun.  Another family moved into the house before it was purchased by Mr. Dunn and tradition says that Old Rah's ghost was seen in an upstairs bedroom.  Believers claim it was only a whitened flue, but the family left immediately.  This story was well known in the community and two of the Dunn boys, aged about then and twelve, made use of it to have some fun with their small sister on occasions when their mother was absent from home, "Old Rah will get you," they would exult as they locked her in the room where Old Rah was said to have been see, "Old Rah will get you."  The child was terrified but she dare not tell her parents lest the boy carry out threats of what they would do to her if any tales were told.  On other occasions they would tell her, "Old Rah will get you.  You just wait.  He'll reach out from behind one of those white birch trees beside the driveway and grab you.?  The little girl is a grandmother now.  She has not yet seen Old Rah but she never walks up the driveway to her old home at night without thinking of him." 

Green House, Alberton

     Below is the former home of Arthur and Alice (Gordon) Green, located at 398 Main Street in Alberton.  The house was recently purchased by the Week's family and nicely restored.

     Arthur was a tailor and coal dealer in Alberton.  Alice was a nurse.  In her early life she lived in western Canada where she did missionary work.  When her mother took ill she returned to Alberton and later married Arthur.  She helped him with his businesses and continued to operate them a decade past his death in 1959.  When the Maplewood Manor opened in 1968 she returned to nursing as a supervisor at the manor.  
     Today Alice is more famously known in the area as being the main writer of the book, "Footprints in the Sands of Time: A History of Alberton" with the Alberton Historical Society in 1980.  She died months after finishing the book in September 1980.     

Here's more information about Alice from the Archives Council of P.E.I.

http://www.archives.pe.ca/peiain/fondsdetail.php3?fonds=Acc3221

           Alice C. Green was born in 1908 to George Campbell Gordon and Lucy A. Hunter. She had one brother named John. The family lived in Huntley, two miles from Alberton, Prince Edward Island. George died in 1916, leaving Lucy to raise their two children and run the family farm. She sold the property in 1926 and moved with Alice and John to Alberton.
            Alice graduated from the Prince County Hospital School of Nursing in 1931. She worked as a private nurse for a few years before returning to high school for one year to upgrade from Grade 10 to Grade 12. After deciding to enter missionary work, Alice spent a year in Toronto at the United Church Training School. Her first appointment was in Ethelbert, Manitoba where she served on staff at a small mission hospital working with young people in the Ukrainian Canadian community. Her next appointment was in Gypsumville, about 160 miles north of Winnipeg. During her two years at Gypsumville, Alice was in charge of a nursing hospital located fifty-six miles from a doctor and seventy miles from a hospital. In addition to her work as a nurse, Alice kept house, conducted church and funeral services, sometimes performed the duties of an undertaker, visited people's homes, participated in community activities, and kept up correspondence with the men and women from the Gypsumville community who were in the Armed Services during World War II.
            ‘When her mother fell ill, Alice left her post at Gypsumville to return home to PEI. Lucy recovered but lost her sight as a result of her illness and Alice remained in Alberton to care for her. On 26 August 1948, Alice married Arthur C. Green, a tailor and coal dealer in Alberton. This was Arthur's second marriage and Alice gained three stepchildren: Alvah, Charles T. and Arthur F.
            Arthur's health began to fail shortly after his marriage to Alice. Alice helped him with his coal business until his death in 1959 at which point she took over running the business. She continued to deal in coal until 1967. In early 1968 she returned to nursing, working as a supervisor at the Maplewood Manor.
            Alice was an active member of her church and community. She was the first woman elected to the Session of Alberton Congregation of the United Church of Canada and served as clerk for at least sixteen years. She was president of the Women's Missionary Society (WMS) for ten years and was also an active member of the United Church Women organization. She served as a voluntary part-time secretary for the Pastoral Charge. Alice also represented the Alberton congregation at the Presbytery and Conference and served as Statistical Secretary for the PEI Presbytery.
            Alice was an active member of the Alberton Women's Institute and Red Cross Society. She served as president of the Women's Institute in 1948-1950, 1955-1957, 1967-1970, and 1975-1977. She acted as secretary 1962-1964 and associate secretary 1970-71. Alice and Olive Wilkie also compiled a history of the Alberton Women's Institute entitled "Alberton Women's Institute: The First Fifty Years, 1927-1977". In 1949 Alice was appointed Red Cross Convener, a post she held continually for almost twenty years. In 1953, "Mrs. Red Cross", as she was called, initiated the Red Cross Swimming and Safety Classes, sponsored by the Alberton Women's Institute. Alice was a key player in establishing the Red Cross Blood Donor Clinic, the Mobile X-ray Clinic, and the Loan Cupboard in the Alberton area. In 1954 the Red Cross Disaster Service was organized in Alberton and Alice acted as chairman for a number of years. She was awarded a Red Cross Service Medal for her outstanding contributions over the years. In 1962 Alice introduced the United Fund to the Alberton area and chaired the campaign for four or five years. She was also president of the Alberton branch of the Association of Retarded Children.
            In addition to her many volunteer activities, Alice distinguished herself as a local writer and historian. In 1950 she began working as a Guardian correspondent. In 1974, she published "An Historical Sketch of the Prince County Exhibition at Alberton". She was also the main author of "Footprints on the Sands of Time: A History of Alberton" (1980).
            Alice died 28 September 1980 at the West Hospital in Alberton, just months after finishing her "History of Alberton".

Old Barn, Huntley

     This old barn will soon be gone - like so many old barns in rural Prince Edward Island.  
     This farm belonged to Will Horne who likely built the barn sometime in the 1930's.  The farm was bought by Ross & Jean Brennan in the early 1970's - they lived here for near a decade.  The property has changed hands a few times over the years.  The barn has been used for storage for near 25 years.
     My father, Wilbert Jeffery, worked here as a young man in the 1940's and 50's - he recalls this barn always being here.
     Will Horne married Mary Gordon, daughter of John Owen and Grace (Riley) Gordon, of the Western Road in Alma.  
     Meacham's 1880 Atlas of Prince Edward Island show this farm belonging to a large section of land (240 acres) of the Estate of Rob't Gordon.  
     Cumin's 1928 Atlas of Prince Edward Island shows William Horne owning 75 acres here.

     Above: the barn north side of the barn which is located on the south side of the Cheese Factory Road in Huntley.  The Cheese Factory Road connects Huntley to Alma. 

      Above/Below:  The northeast corner of the barn.  The metal siding and roofing is being removed in preparation for demolition.

House for Sale, Alberton 1909

     I just came across this ad - interesting description - I don't know this house!

The Charlottetown Guardian, Aug. 14, 1909.  Page 16

For Sale in Alberton

     A house in good repair.  Downstairs, four large rooms and hall, front vestibule, large back porch and six foot piazza (verandah) on three sides of house.  Six bedrooms, two halls and dark room upstairs.  One acre and a half of land in house lot.  Small fruits and cherry trees.  Good water sink and pump in kitchen.   Nine acres of land adjoining will be sold separately.        For further information address - Mrs. James Handrahan, 57 Hillsboro St., Charlottetown or Mrs. Geo. C. Gordon, “Huntley”, Alberton

cf.  Island Newspapers UPEI Robertson Library  www.islandnewspapers.ca

Gordon-Barbour House, Montrose

     I was out to Montrose the other day and took these photos of the Jack & Kay Barbour home.  The house is located on Rte. 152 leaving Alberton, between Huntley and the Montrose Bridge.

     The following information cf. http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=1815

     This large "Fox House" (more commonly known as "Four-Square" style) was built in 1914 for Robert Hudson Gordon, one of the local pioneers of the fox farming industry on Prince Edward Island.  The carpenter was Robert Rankin.  

     The very large (one of the largest in western PEI) 2-1/2 storeys house has a hipped roof complete with large dormers on each side.  There are shallow bay windows and a partial wrap-around verandah with round columns.  This house always been well maintained and today is in excellent condition.

     During the 1930's the house came up for offer and was purchased by Roy Barbour and his family - Roy's son Jack and his family remain here today. 

     The large barn and out-buildings are also in very good condition - always well maintained.  The property is large with mature trees all around.