Description of Historic Place

The McNichol-Best House is a grand, multi-gabled 2 ½ storey home with an eclectic mixture of Chateau, Shingle, and Arts and Crafts architectural styles picturesquely located on a large property of mature trees fronting on the Cardigan River in the rural community of Cardigan, Prince Edward Island.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the McNichol-Best House lies in its grand architecture, as an example of a John Marshall Hunter designed residence, and for its historical connections. The home was designed by Scottish-born, Charlottetown architect, J.M. Hunter (1881-1942) for Margaret (Donahoe) McNichol. It is believed the design was based on a UK home McNichol admired. Construction of the home was completed by local builders Pat, Adrian and Urban Bradley of St. Teresa's in 1920, and was known as "Road's End Mansion".

Margaret Frances (Donahoe) McNichol from nearby Roseneath, PEI married Republican Senator James P. McNichol (1864-1917) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Margaret Donahoe was working as Director of Nursing at Philadelphia General Hospital when she met and married widower James P. McNichol. McNichol, a successful building contractor who became involved in politics at the age of 24, served as a state senator from 1905 until his death in 1917. Margaret McNichol had a large extended family and spent her summers in Cardigan often opening the home and grounds for community picnics and socials.

The home remained in the McNichol family until 1973 when it was purchased by Charles Alexander "Sandy" Best (1931-1978) and his wife Eileen Best of Ontario as a summer home. Mr. Best was a farmer, nurseryman, scientist and represented Halton, Ontario as a Member of Parliament from 1957 to 1962. Best died in 1978 and in 1982, his widow and four children moved to the home year round. Sandy Best was the son of Dr. Charles Herbert Best (1899-1978), co-discoverer of insulin -- Dr. Best died one week after his son. The Best family owned the property until 1997. They too opened the house and grounds to the community hosting local fundraising teas, music and poetry events, and New Year's levees.

The home retains much of its fine original interior architectural features. The original exterior upper cladding was changed from roughcast to wood clapboard siding in approximately 1940, and in 1997 the slate roof was replaced with asphalt shingles.

The McNichol-Best home with its eleven bedrooms, four bathrooms, five reception rooms, six fireplaces and three massive stone lined chimneys is an unusually large home for a small rural community and is a fine example of a large summer home. In more recent years, the home has been operated as the five-star Cardigan River Inn.

Situated on a 23-acre property bordering on the Confederation Trail and overlooking the Cardigan River, the McNichol-Best Home continues to be an important and impressive asset to its community and province.

Source: Heritage Places files, Department of Education, Early Learning & Culture
Charlottetown, PE
File number: 4310-20/M43

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the residence is shown in the following character-defining elements:

- the overall size and massing of the house
- the 10 gabled roof with intricate geometric angles with wide eaves, overhangs and double peaked roof on main body
- the cantilevered eave of west elevation
- the size and placement of the windows
- the large, 70-paned window to the right of front door
- the multi-paned casement windows
- the wood clapboard and wood shingle cladding
- the first storey sandstone construction
- the sandstone foundation

Other heritage character-defining elements:

- the home's location on a large, mature treed property on the south side of the Cardigan River