Ardgowan is a

National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment An environment minister (sometimes minister of the environment or secretary of t ...

located in Parkdale,

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...

, currently a neighbourhood of the city of

Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city in ...

. The Ardgowan estate contains the country cottage of

William Henry Pope William, Willie, Will or Bill Pope may refer to: * William Pope, 1st Earl of Downe (1573–1631) * William Pope (naturalist) (1811–1903), English-born naturalist and painter * William Burt Pope (1822–1903), English Christian theologian * Willi ...

, one of the

Fathers of Confederation The Fathers of Confederation are the 36 people who attended at least one of the Charlottetown Conference of 1864 (23 attendees), the Quebec Conference of 1864 (33 attendees), and the London Conference of 1866 (16 attendees), preceding Canadian ...

. In contrast to the majority of islanders, Pope was decidedly pro-Confederation, and hosted delegates and observers of the

Charlottetown Conference The Charlottetown Conference (Canada's Conference) was held in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island for representatives from colonies of British North America to discuss Canadian Confederation. The conference took place between September 1 thro ...

of 1864 at his house. In this relaxed social setting, participants better understood one another, helping to forge a new national vision.Ardgowan National Historic Site: A reminder of PEI's political and social history in the Confederation Era
, Parks Canada, 2009. Ardgowan National Historic Site was designated in 1966. The house and five of its original 76 acres were acquired by the national park service in 1967—the

centennial of Confederation The Canadian Centennial was a yearlong celebration held in 1967 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation. Celebrations in Canada occurred throughout the year but culminated on Dominion Day, July 1, 1967. Commemorative coins we ...

—to honor all Fathers of Confederation, and to preserve an example of a picturesque rural Victorian cottage of the Confederation Era. The building and grounds are restored to an 1860s appearance. The grounds are open to the public, while the building houses Parks Canada staff, and is the administrative center for all national park system sites in Prince Edward Island.

References

External links

Parks Canada - Ardgowan NHS
Buildings and structures in Charlottetown National Historic Sites in Prince Edward Island {{PrinceEdwardIsland-struct-stub