Description of Historic Place

The Dr. Roddie Macdonald House is a large, two storey Queen Anne style home prominently located on the main thoroughfare in the village of St. Peters Bay, overlooking the Bay.

Heritage Value

The Dr. Roddie Macdonald House is valued as an example of Queen Anne style architecture, for its connection to Dr. Roddie Macdonald and for its importance to the community of St. Peters Bay, Prince Edward Island. The home is also associated with the history of medicine in the province. Dr. Roderick Macdonald (1858 -1961) provided exceptional care and years of medical service to the people of St. Peters Bay and surrounding communities.

The original home was built in 1880 and had three rooms and a flat roof. It was moved to the current site, enlarged and embellished in 1892 prior to Dr. Roddie's 1893 marriage to Josephine MacDonald (b. 1867), daughter of Lieutenant Governor A.C. MacDonald. The Macdonalds raised 7 children here. The 1892 renovations included enlargements to the west and south wings, and the addition of a Queen Anne tower and verandah. The home also housed Dr. Roddie's apothecary and medical office. Much of the original historic fabric of the house has been retained, although some more recent changes have been made to the windows and back wing of the structure.

The legacy of Dr. Roddie is well-known in Prince Edward Island history. He was named "Doctor of the Century" and "Dean of Canadian Physicians" by the Canadian Medical Association at a dinner to honour him held in Charlottetown in 1958. He was also conferred the title Knight of St. Gregory by Pope Pius XII in 1954. He is the only Islander to ever sit for acclaimed photographer Yousef Karsh, who photographed many prominent historic figures including Ernest Hemingway, Fidel Castro, and JFK.

Dr. Roddie was elected a member of the provincial Legislative Assembly in a by-election in 1917 but was defeated in the 1919 general election. His departure from politics provided him more time to focus on his medical practice and family. As was often the case with country doctors, he worked long and sporadic hours, travelled long distances to attend to patients whenever needed, and often did not receive payment for services. Further information on the life and work of Dr. Roddie can found in articles by Frank J. Ledwell and Sasha Mullaly in The Island Magazine. Dr. Roddie died in 1961 at the age of 103. He is known as the oldest practicing physician in Canadian history, having practiced for over 69 years. A telling sign of the legacy of Dr. Roddie is the number of people in the St. Peters Bay area named Roddie or Josephine!

The Dr. Roddie Macdonald House, with its distinctive architecture, is an important component in the St. Peters Bay landscape and a reminder of the work and legacy of a dedicated medical professional.

Source : Heritage Places files, Department of Education, Early Learning & Culture, Charlottetown, PE
File # : 4310-20/D5

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage character of the Dr. Roddie Macdonald House is evident in the following heritage character-defining elements:

- the overall massing of the house
- the bellcast mansard roof
- the two storey six-sided corner tower with conical roof topped by a finial
- the size and placement of the windows, and hood covers
- the front verandah with various decorative elements including: square posts with gingerbread scrolls, pierced grille work, turned balusters, and newel posts
- the front door vestibule with side windows
- the three dormers on north and west elevations; the two dormers on the east south elevations
- the square bay windows on west elevation
- the eave bracketing
- the wood shingle cladding
- the stone foundation of large cut sandstone blocks
- the rear wing running off the main body and second lower wing

Other character-defining elements contributing to the heritage value:

- the location of the house overlooking St. Peters Bay