THE FAERIE COTTAGES
During World War I, Kentville Concrete Products was a thriving business. Demonstrating remarkable foresight, Charlie saved a part of his earnings during this period in a rainy-day fund. When the Great Depression hit, these personal savings allowed him to provide much-needed work for his staff. Between 1934 and 1938, Charlie and his staff worked to build five concrete cottages at Huntington Point.
Charlie and Mabel first camped at Huntington Point in 1919 when it was a secluded spot accessible only through a wooded cow pasture. Charlie decided this was the perfect location for his cottage project. Working without formal plans or blueprints, he improvised with materials such as concrete, beach stones, brick, wire, and wood. He creatively incorporated windows of various shapes and sizes, using salvaged materials to reduce costs. Each cottage was unique, yet they shared common characteristics: they were built from a mix of materials, reinforced with iron and driftwood, brightly painted, and deliberately asymmetrical. Each also featured an oversized fireplace, a space for cold storage, and a sailboat figure perched on the chimney rain-cap. Their whimsical designs and imaginative craftsmanship earned them the nickname "faerie cottages."
Four of these cottages remain today. The Red Cottage is still in the Macdonald family, owned by Charlie and Mabel’s direct descendants. The Blue Cottage is owned by the Charles Macdonald House of Centreville Society and is available to Society members for week-long vacations. The two other cottages are privately owned. The fifth and most distinctive cottage is no longer standing. Known as the Teapot Cottage for its unique teapot-like shape, it was demolished in the 1980s to make room for a new building.
Pendant la Première Guerre mondiale, Kentville Concrete Products prospéra. Prévoyant, Charlie mit de côté une partie de ses revenus dans un fonds de secours. Lorsque la Grande Dépression frappa, ces économies lui permirent d’offrir du travail à ses ouvriers. Entre 1934 et 1938, Charlie et son équipe construisirent cinq cottages en béton à Huntington Point.
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Charlie et Mabel campèrent à Huntington Point en 1919, alors un endroit isolé et accessible uniquement par un pâturage. Séduit, Charlie choisit ce site pour son projet de cottages. Sans plans précis, il improvisa avec du béton, des galets, des briques, du fil de fer et du bois récupéré. Chaque cottage était unique mais partageait des éléments communs : un mélange de matériaux, des couleurs vives, une asymétrie marquée, une grande cheminée et un voilier décoratif posé sur le chapeau de cheminée. Leur design fantaisiste leur valut le surnom de cottages féeriques.
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Quatre de ces cottages existent encore aujourd’hui. Le Red Cottage resta dans la famille Macdonald, tandis que le Blue Cottage fut acquis par la Charles Macdonald House of Centreville Society et devint accessible aux membres. Les deux autres cottages restèrent privés. Le cinquième, le plus distinctif, connu sous le nom de Teapot Cottage pour sa forme en théière, fut démoli dans les années 1980 pour faire place à un nouveau bâtiment.
Etliaqek World War 1, Kentville Concrete Products na wel pmiaqip lukwaqn. Nemitumkip tel wli nikanaptasikip. Saln kelo’tkipnn pkesiknn ta’n telawtik pekwatoqip na tujiw wjit ta’n tujiw nuta’tew. Ta’n tujiw Meski’kewey Ewle’juaqn ika’qek, na ula kelo’tkip wela’sikip wjit apoqnmuan ta’n nuta’tip wlukewinu’mk. 1934ek mi’soqo 1938ek, Saln aq lukewinu’mk elukutipnik l’tunew nankl concrete’e’l wenji’kuomji’jl Huntington Point.
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Saln aq Malpel tumk maqitewi’kapnik Huntington Point 1919ek na tujew kattekip aq pasik kisi la’timkip sapa’sin nipukt eliaq wenjutia’mue’katik. Saln kisita’sip na’te’l maw wltek wenji’kuomey lukwaqn ika’tun.
Elukwep katu mu majulkwatmukip wi’katikn, mimatua’toqip ta’n koqoey e’wtow kutey concrete, kuntal, bricksl, qasawo’qapi aq kmu’j. Kisite’tkipnn tuo’piti’l kaqi’similikkl aq kaqi’similki’kl e’wk piwiaq koqoey klaman ma tli ksika’taq. E’tasiw wenji’kuo’mji’j newtamu’kip, katu pukwelk koqoey newte’ teltekip wejitasikip pukwelamu’k koqoey, melkiknewa’tasik e’wmi’tij qasawo’q aq qwa’nusk, welitpamkwa’tasikl aq tela’tasikl mu tetpikkn. E’tasiw etekip mawsa’taqney, ta’n tett tekik tl klo’tasitow, aq salpu’lk ke’kutekip muskusi-iktuk kikpesaney wpisqikn. Na milikkl aq kisite’tasikl lukwaqnn pekwatu’tip teli amalwi’tasik “Faerie cottages”.
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Newkl ula wenji’kuo’mji’l etekl me’ kiskuk Mekwe’kewey wenji’kuomji’j me’ alsutmi’tij Macdonaldaq, wetapeksijik Salnal aq Malpelal. Muskunamu’kewey alsutmi’tij Charles Macdonald House of Centreville Society aq etek wjit ta’n Society naspultijik i’mu’tinow ne’wt ekntie’wimkl naji atlasmimk. Tapu’kl wenji’kuomji’jl alsutasikl. Na’newey aq maw piltuikkip wenji’kuomji’j mu kaqminuk. Telui’tasikip Teapot Cottage wjit newtamu’k telikkip nkutey teapot. Sioqta’sikipnek 1980’sek klaman l’tasitow piley wenji’kuom.
