The summer home of Canadian Pacific Railway pioneer Sir William Van Horne on Minister's Island, New Brunswick.

11 May 2011

Railway Pioneer's Home Coming Back to Life

Minister's Island New Brunswick - The former summer home of Canadian Pacific Railway pioneer Sir William Van Horne is being fixed up.
 
Ministers Island in Charlotte County, the grand summer cottage that was once the centrepiece of the island, has been allowed to fall into decay.
 
The home, dubbed Covenhoven, is accessible by a road during the Bay of Fundy's low tide.
 
Some of the treasures that were once thought to be lost are coming back where they belong.
 
A border painted by Van Horne himself, along with artwork and other mementos on display in the house, offered insight into what the interior looked like at the start of the 20th Century.
 
"He was an artist in his own right, but he also was a great collector. So, it was amazing what was in here," said Darreth Thorne, for Van Horne Estate of Ministers Island Inc.
 
Many of the features that hint at a grand past are peeling and badly in need of repair.
 
"It's a contradictory feeling of grandeur and decay," said historian David Sullivan.
 
Adam Karpowicz, art conservator for the province, was on hand Wednesday to assess the possibility of restoring the summer house.
 
He said water and neglect over the years have taken a toll.
 
"Probably about two or three square feet of losses on this mural and I think that the process of restoration would probably last about four months," Karpowicz said of the border.
 
Most of the contents of the house were sold off at auction in 1976. But in recent years some of those treasures have been making their way back to the island, in the form of donations to the estate.
 
Sullivan said Van Horne was critical to building up the area and his memory should be preserved.
 
"A lot of his buddies started coming, he was really sort of vanguard of this wave of well-to-do people that started coming to St. Andrews in the late 19th century, so he's extremely important to the town."
 
Chris Flemming, who works for the estate, said bringing the summer home back to life is important.
 
"A very eclectic man, a very eclectic island, and what he did on the island reflected his vast array of interests, so therefore it's a very large responsibility for us who are looking after the island to re-create or give an impression of all of the things that Van Horne did," said Flemming.
 
The island will be opening up to the public, tides permitting, as early as next month.
 
The Van Horne Estate on Ministers Island Incorporated.