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Site #18
159 Laurel, Passamaquoddy Historic Cottage 1911
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The written story is available below the images for the hearing impaired
Passamaquoddy, named for First Nations peoples of New Brunswick and Maine, is one of the best Winnipeg Beach examples of a classic Manitoba cottage type. With its shallow pyramidal roof and long line of screened openings facing into a verandah, this kind of cottage can be found in all Manitoba summer resorts. Passamaquoddy is an exceptional example of the type, built by S.B. Ritchie, the C.P.R. contractor who constructed many Winnipeg Beach cottages. The elements of the form are clearly visible outside but also inside, where the original construction—exposed wooden frame and rafters—and a variety of ingenious wooden features and built-in furniture are all open to view. This is one of the older cottages in the community.
The screen porches were hung with heavy canvas drapes. During the day, they would be open, and rocking chairs would be used to "relax". Then at night, the drapes were pulled closed, and cots were set up on the porches for those who wanted to sleep in the great outdoors.
Clothing was heavy and restrictive, and so was the moral code. Men could play tennis or have a drink in the bar at the Empress Hotel, but initially, women were not allowed to even be out walking without a chaperone.
Even with a cotton summer dress on, women would have to wear several more layers, including a corset. Men wore 3 piece suits and hats. There was no air conditioning, the lights were oil lamps, the water was carried from the pump, and the toilets were outhouses in the back yard.
Even with a cotton summer dress on, women would have to wear several more layers, including a corset. Men wore 3 piece suits and hats. There was no air conditioning, the lights were oil lamps, the water was carried from the pump, and the toilets were outhouses in the back yard.
Yet people flocked to this lifestyle and loved every minute of it.
If you have any personal photos of this historic tour stop, please take a photo of them with your phone and email them to: winnipegbeachhistory@gmail.com
