‘Old Island Homes' account a love letter to P.E.I.'s historic buildings

CTV News

04-05-2025

Heather Harris is a preserver of the past.
On her public 'Old Island Homes' accounts, Harris shares images and information on picturesque homes, churches, lighthouses and other buildings that catch her eye.
'It's been a really positive reception. I think people like to learn about buildings. I get a lot of people requesting buildings that they want to know more about,' says Harris.
One of her favourite resources is 'Meacham's Atlas of Prince Edward Island', an illustrated, historical atlas that was published in 1880.
'It has a bunch of historic maps all across P.E.I. But in addition, it also has probably 50 or so sketches and engravings of historic property from P.E.I.,' adds Harris. 'And I always liked trying to figure out where those [buildings] were, or what's there now. That's what sort of launched the account.'
Meacham's Atlas of Prince Edward Island
Meacham's Atlas of Prince Edward Island is pictured. (Courtesy: Heather Harris)
Born and raised on Prince Edward Island, the 28-year-old Kensington woman has always loved heritage buildings.
'I've always been drawn to the Victorian-style, like a lot of intricate woodwork, it's really dark and moody, and I feel that's what really draws people in,' explains Harris. 'But once I started researching the buildings more, I actually found I was almost more interested in the stories of the people who lived there, or what the building has been used for. It kind of brings a more humanity to it.'
Meacham's Atlas of Prince Edward Island
Meacham's Atlas of Prince Edward Island is pictured. (Courtesy: Heather Harris)
Gable gazer
She's also a big fan of the late Maritime architect William Critchlow Harris, who worked in both P.E.I. and Nova Scotia in the late 19th century.
'I love his work, he has a really distinctive style. If you know what you're looking for, you can pick out an old building designed by William.'
William Critchlow Harris
Architect William Critchlow Harris is pictured. (Source: PEI Public Archives)
For example, the trim on the gable of a roof features a more minimalist look with a plain trim and holes drilled in, rather than a gingerbread style. He also includes smooth, cylinder towers on some of his buildings and plays with different sidings for every level of a home.
'So, say, in the lower story, it might be just plain shingles. On the second story, it might be a horizontal sling, and then the third could be a fish scale. It makes each level sort of distinct.'
William Critchlow Harris
Architect William Critchlow Harris' home is pictured in Tignish, P.E.I.
History in her hands
Her passion for preserving the past is also reflected in her career. Harris is a heritage carpenter, and a graduate of Holland College's Heritage Retrofit Carpentry program. She has worked on the restoration of P.E.I.'s historic Province House. Most recently, she just returned to her home province after working on several heritage projects in Banff.
Heather Harris
Heather Harris is pictured working on P.E.I.'s Province House. (Courtesy: Heather Harris)
'It's a lot of woodwork, creating dovetail joints, as well as restoring old doors and heritage windows,' she explains. 'Windows are really neat because they're still all weighted.'
Her background in environment science also plays a part in her work.
'At first, I felt like my two kind of career paths were really different, like the environmental science and then heritage. But reading and learning a lot more about heritage, like preservation and conservation, I've learned that there's a big sustainability aspect to old buildings too, preserving and saving the material.'
Heather Harris
Heather Harris is pictured as a student at Holland College. (Courtesy: Heather Harris)
Personal touch
She also has Island homeowners reach out to her in the hopes of showcasing and appreciating their historic home.
'Sometimes people will invite me over to their house because they're so proud of it, and they want to share it with someone. I'm always happy to do that.'
Yeo House
Yeo House is a restored Victorian Home in Tyne Valley, P.E.I.
Outside of her social media pages and carpentry work, Harris' next steps include giving a talk at the Prince Edward Island Museum & Heritage Foundation's AGM on stories of lost architecture of P.E.I.
'I want to continue to do this little project of comparing the Meacham's Atlas pictures from 1880 with whatever is there now, whether it's the house or whether the house has been demolished and it's now a field.'
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