Dalvay-by-the-Sea - Stanhope, Prince Edward Island - Cobblestone Buildings on Waymarking.com

This is a fabulous site to walk around. The architecture is wonderful and you can imagine the luxury of the first owners and this building as a private residence. The small lake makes for a wonderful place to sit in an Adirondak chair. Turn it around at the end of te day to watch the sun set over this architectural gem.

Text from the plaque:
Dalvay-by-the-Sea

"Built between 1896 and 1899 by Alexander McDonald of Cincinnati, Dalvay-by-the-Sea is a fine example of a summer house in the Queen Anne Revival style. Its picturesque form is animated by a profusion of bays, gables and dormers, by contracting colours and textures, and by the use of local materials. Typical also of the style is the welcoming central hall with its large fireplace, wood panelling and second-floor gallery. Dalvay highlights the stylishness of the Queen Anne Revival, which was favoured for Canadian domestic architecture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Construite de 1896 à 1899 par Alexander McDonald, de Cincinnati, Dalvay-by-the-Sea est une pittoresque maison d’été de style Queen Anne. Elle est animée de baies, de lucarnes et de pignons nombreux, de couleurs et textures contrastées et utilise des matériaux locaux. Le hall d’entrée accueillant, ave sa grande cheminée, ses lambris et sa galerie à l’étage, est également caractéristique. Sa silhouette est typique de lélégance du style Queen Anne,, qui était la forme d’architecture domestique privilégiée au Canada à la fin du XIXe siécle et au début du XXe.

Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada
Government of Canada – Gouvernement du Canada

The following text is quoted from Parks Canada National Historic Sites website (see: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/pe/dalvay/natcul.aspx)

A Luxurious Oceanfront Summer Home 

• 1895: Cincinnati oil tycoon Alexander McDonald falls in love with the unspoiled coastal landscape of Prince Edward Island while on vacation.
• 1896: McDonald commissions the construction of a rustic yet elegant PEI summer home adjacent to sand dunes, Dalvay Lake and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
• 1896 to 1899: Construction takes place. The summer home is named Dalvay-by-the-Sea.
• Early 1900s: Dalvay-by-the-Sea is the scene of lavish summer parties. Many friends and visitors stay for extended periods and participate in summer activities.  
• 1910: Original owner Alexander McDonald dies.

An Unknown Future

• 1910: Upon his death, McDonald's $15 million estate including Dalvay-by-the-Sea is left to his only granddaughters, Laura and Helena Stallo.
• By 1930: The Stallo's inheritance is lost due to mismanagement. The future of Dalvay-by-the-Sea is in peril.

From Summer Home to Resort 

• 1930: Dalvay-by-the-Sea is sold and changes hands numerous times.
• 1931: New owner and infamous rum-runner Captain Edward Dicks converts Dalvay into a resort.
• 1936: Dicks goes bankrupt.
• 1937: Ownership is transfered to the federal government for inclusion in Prince Edward Island National Park.
• 1994: Dalvay-by-the-Sea is designated nationally significant for its Queen Anne architecture.