Save Montgomery's Hallowed Ground
Donation protected
"It is and ever must be hallowed ground to me" said world-renowned authoress, Lucy Maud Montgomery, of her Cavendish home. It was here that she wrote Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Kilmeny of the Orchard, and The Story Girl, as well as hundreds of short stories and poems. She loved her grandparents' home nestled among trees and although no buildings remain, the homestead fields which surround it are there, as are the lanes she walked, the gardens she tended, the well she drew water from and her beloved old trees she sat under to dream and write.
Every year thousands of L.M. Montgomery fans visit her "hallowed ground" to experience the very environment that inspired her to write - as L.M. Montgomery said herself, Anne of Green Gables would have never been written, had it ot been for the Cavendish years spent at the Macneill Homestead. For many of them this is one of the most memorable places they get to experience while on the Island. The recent addition of the original Macneill kitchen where L.M. Montgomery used to write in winter months has made this location even more special.
Since late 1980s three generations of the Macneills have been tending to L.M. Montgomery's Cavendish Homestead, designated as a National Historic Site. It was the late John Macneill, Alexander Macneill's great grandson, with the help of his wife Jennie who restored the site after having read L.M. Montgomery's Selected Journals. Recently the site has been passed to John and Jennie's youngest son, David Macneill, who is caring for the family property with his nephew, John Ross.
Unfortunately, Montgomery’s Cavendish Homestead suffered unimaginable devastation due to the tropical storm Dorian this past weekend, September 7-8, 2019. Around 80% of all the old trees on the property have been uprooted and there is a significant damage from trees falling on the bookstore/museum and the old foundation.
After speaking with the Macneills, the clean up, and bringing the property back to its presentable state, which includes planting new trees, will cost in excess of $15,000. It is a huge amount of money for the family but with you, the public, and her devoted readers from around the world there is real hope this very special place could, yet again, be restored.
Please, consider helping this cause, so that new generations of readers can enjoy the legacy and experience the beauty so exquisitely described in L.M. Montgomery's novels. No donation is too small and whether you are able to donate or not, please support it by sharing this fundraiser on Social Media. Together we will be able to preserve this important piece of Island history and bring it back to what it used to be, so that it can remain as a literary destination for years to come.
“Dear old trees! I hope you all have souls and will grow again for me on the hills of heaven.”
L.M. Montgomery
Fundraising team (2)
Denise Bruce Of Ingleside
Organizer
Raised $1,755 from 25 donations
Clinton, PE
David MacNeill
Beneficiary
David Macneill
Team member
Raised $1,975 from 9 donations
This team raised $4,404 from 45 other donations.
