When the house that became the Charlotte’s Rose Inn was built, in 1884, Lucy Maud Montgomery (author of Anne of Green Gables) was ten years old, the country of Canada was 17 years old, and Queen Victoria had worn the crown for just eight years. In fact, the city of Charlottetown was named for Victoria’s grandmother, Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the wife of King George III.

The house was built by William H. Fraser, in a combination of the Romanesque Revival/Second Empire Mansard style of France. The single fronted three-story style has a mansard roof with protruding third floor windows. Prominent bay windows grace the front rooms on the first and second floor. Fraser also built the Charlottetown City Hall.

One of the things that makes this house so interesting historically is that it was held in trust for a married woman, Mrs. Mary Jane Moore, during a time when women were not allowed to own property by law. Had it been in her name alone, it would have become her husband’s house by default.

Just around the corner on Rochford Street, another house was already built to an initially similar design. We assume the original owners of our house told the builders they would like one “just like that one please.”

About your Innkeepers

Dee Enright was born and raised in the province of Quebec while Chris Toleman hails from Australia originally. The pair met in Yukon in 2005 and have been travelling together ever since to places such as Europe, Australia, South America, Mexico, Belize, the Caribbean, USA, and all across Canada. Their dream of owning an inn allows them to meet people from around the world, share their love of Canada and PEI with their guests, and still continue their globetrotting in the off-season.