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THE LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT

SMYTHE ;- ROBERT

Kingswood ; a history of the

little cottages, Mackenzie King
Estate.

BIBLIOTHEQUE DU PARLEMENT

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Plans for a log bungalow, to lie made from S.C. timber shipped from the Skeena River district,
were prepared by the Canadian National Railways Chief Architect's office. The bugalow was to
be a guest house for the Kingswood cottage, with a large comfortable living room, two bedrooms,
several verandahs, and an impressive three-sided open fireplace.
Although rustic in style, the
proposed guest cottage offered conveniences as modern as the lady carrying gol f clubs at the right.
The log house was never realized, although elaborately detailed drawfn~s for it have surviNed.
17

prepared for the

NATIONAL CAPITAL COMMISSION
1982
ROBERr 8MYTHE

USnARY

OF PARLIAMENT

C/\f\!!\OA

HERITAGE

RESOORCE PLANNING

99 Cart1er Street - SUite 604

Ottawa
Ontario K2P lK2
613 2,33-5184

Nnv 13 1998

B1BLlOTHtQUE DU PARLEMENT

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One of the sheets of plans for

a log guest cabin, inspired by
Canadian National Railways bungalows at Jasper Park Lodge,
King was struck with this idea
during his 1924 tour of western
Canada, and the execution of
these plans is associated with
several other realized and
unrealized projects which
were born of that trip,

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Part Ill:
SPECIAL PROJECTS

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FRAMI NG

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PLAN

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A Log Bungalow, Rustic Lanterns & Creeping Bent

On his tour of western Canada in 1:he Fall of 1924 King had many thoughts concerning Kingsmere.
While on
board a Canadian National Railway!. train, en route from Prince George to Prince
Rupert, he dictated a massive
..
letter to Sir Henry Thornton, pre! ident of the C.N.R. It set out very detailed specifications
for a log
guest house at Kingswood - 'I 1001. forward to making my little summer re tre a t at Kingsmere more and more a
place of real interest to visitors from different parts of our own country, and especially abroad. I would
like to make this little cottage a guest house which I could turn over to a gentleman and his wife during
the time they might be visiting me. I have already, as you, I think, know a little cottage adjoining mine
which
.

I have used in this way where one or two of the ministers

1 really need is ~~ment

to t~

cottage

1 already

and their wives

have come to see me.

What

have, so that if I ~,;shed to have four or five friends

at a time I shou1 d be able to entertai n them sa ti sfactorily' .

The log bungalow

was to be constructed

of B.C. fir or cedar

of windows made with small panes, overhanging

ains, and rooms with abundant

light.

eaves, ~ verandah

A central

and purpose at the list of rooms to be included

King's request

for a set of plans brought

'on the model of a Swiss cottage',

fireplace

having splendid

was important,

with plenty

views to the lake and mount-

as was the size, dimensions,

lay-out

in the cabin.

an immediate

reply from Thornton

to the Premier's

office

in Ottawa,

which was forwarded to his hotel in Vancouver.

A flurry of telegrams, letters and meeting ensued.
The offi ce
of the Chief Architect and Engineer prepared prf1iminary sketches, and the blueprints were shown to Ki ng in
Winnipeg, on his return trip to the capital.
Early in December

Sir Henry was able to 'enclose

herewith

sketches

and plan!. showing

the outward

appearance

and

interior arrangements of such a bungalow as I think will meet your views. The plans have been prepared by the
architect who was responsible for the building at Jasper Park'. He also indicated that the western logs from
which the cottage
railway:

this,

be supplied
mountain

was to be constructed

'you can leave

would be shipped

...to me without

from their point of origin

any possibility

by Mr. Olaf Hansen who held large timber interests

and forest

landscape

had inspired

of complication'.
in the Skeena

to Ottawa courtesy
The logs themselves

River district,

King on his first Prince George-to-Prince

Rupert

of the
were to

the region whose

train ride.
171

The dreams for a

they did produce
The interior was
with many rustic

log bungalow along the lines of the Jasper

a handsome set of er cht tec ture ljp lans fo r
to be dominated by a baronial three-sided
references, they were to be spared nothing

One tiny aspect of the scheme was shipped

the proposed

decor: The only pictures

t1 Ottawa.

Park Lodge cottages did not materialize, but

a robust, if incongruously luxurious, guest cabin.
fireplace, and while guests were to be furnished
for their personal comfort.

In the first letter to Thornton,

on the log walls were to be of B.C. scenery,

King described

relieved

by

some of

'few properly

prepared heads of British Columbia an1m~ls'.

Textiles would be ho~espuns made in Quebec, and the furniture
would be inspired by the wooden bedsteads, tables, chairs, and ottomans in use at the Jasper Park Lodge, w1th
'accessories for example, such as thelanterns
in the lodge at Jasper'.
These six C.N.R ..lanterns

of an unknown design,

made from wire, eventually

made their way to Ottawa and then

Kingsmere.
While in Jasper King asked his old friend Colonel S. Maynard Rogers, Superintendent of the Jasper
National Park, to supervise their dispatch.
It was a rugged journey, judging by the volume of transcontinental
communications

required

to bring them east.

In his reply to King's telegraphed

'making your lanterns

at

Strathcona

Rogers at Jasper confirmed

care of A.S. McLean,
unfolded

impatient

memoranda

artistic

and General

of the Ch~teau Laurier

was worth the effort.

National

Colonel

had left for Montreal,

Superintendent
office

Rogers wired that the C.N.R. was

from J. Rogers of the C.N.R. Strathcona

attempted

shops, to

where they weDe to be put under the

of the C.N.R. hotel sy~tem.

to Rogers, A.S. McLean forwarded

beauty that I had contemplated

of the Canadian

A telegram

from the Prime Minister'S

Ten days after King'S first message

The difficulty

Winnipeg'.

that the wire lanterns

General Manager

feet square to the Manager

inquiry as to their whereabouts,

As these events

to trace the lanterns'

"six rustic

lanterns"

course.

in a box about four

in Ottawa, and from there they came into King's possession.

King wrote to thank McLean,

saying

and will always be associated

'these lanterns

far exceed anything

in my mind with the unfailing

in

courtesy

Railway system' .
172

A third related
request was made on that western. tour.
It was for grass seed suitable
for the growing
conditions
to which the struggl ing 1awns of Kingswood were subjected,
l ate and early frosts,
etc.
t~aynard
Rogers, In cons ul t a t ton wtth
Fescue Grass.
Sod or seed
shipment be held over until
The grass was scheduled
for
to the

'laboratory'of

In mid-Aprii

Stanley

Thompson and Company of Toronto.

of 1925 King-reminaed

Stan 1ey-Thompson
in May.

the greenskeepersof
the Jasper Park golf cour se , suggested
a Creeping Bent
was to have been shipped with the lanterns,
but experts
recommended that the
Spring because that particular
strain
required special
care over the winter.
shipment the following year, and the responsibility
for supplying it shifted

Rogers of his commit~ent.

Rogers made the necessary

Co., and-a-f-te-r- repea ted proddi ngs from Ki ng four packages

Unfortunately

the sods came.without

adequate

instructions,

arrangements

with

of creepi ng bent arri ved ea rl y

and Mr. "Thompson followed

a week

later to straighten
out th i s confusion.
It was too late.
Frustrated
by the company's apparent tardiness
in sending the sods, King decided to plant the ~rea he had intended to cover with creeping bent grass, u~ihg
a local

sod installed

The whole affair

by Paddy Murphy.

left

him somewhat unsettled.

him for his interest

and co-operation.
'To be quite frank I found it a little
and in fact

rather

bent before

the latter

telegraph
about

than delay

the Toronto

longer

arrived~
Office

a dozen bags of roots

Although

he wrote

once or twice

of the firm called

be fo re his undertakings

and which I have since

planted

Sunday,

a l.t r d bath I bought yesterday

lawn (still

when I put it in place.

to be sodded)

results'.

(July

J vent down to. my own little

and the be qrm lnqs of the wall,

to plant

with

creeping

on me at Ottawa but I Was obliged

were c a rr f ed out.

as a sort

to derive

beautiful

to Mr. Thompson, thanking

I decf ded to sod the lawn which I was proposing

The representative

"I took out

note

To Colonel Rogers he was more open in relating

the final outcome:
difficult
to account for the many de lays in obtaining
any samples

of a year or two I hope to be able

May 17, 1925:

a gracious

of nursery

Subsequently

to

I received

and from which in the course

9,1925)
for the qar den Joan has made.
cattage

and was delighted

which is going to look

well,

It loaked

with the levelled

a1 so the terrace

at

the end af the lawn."

173

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~------------~.--------~--

Plans for a log bungalow, to lie made from B.C. timber shipped from the Skeena River district,
were prepared by the Canadian National Railways Chief Architect's office.
The bugalow was to
be a guest house for the Kingswood cottage, with a large comfortable living room, two bedrooms,
several verandahs, and an impressive three-sided open fireplace.
Although rustic in style, the
proposed guest cottage offered conveniences as modern as the lady carrying golf clubs at the right.
The log house was never realized, although elaboratelY detailed drawin~s for it have surviNed.
174

re

ut
CLASS

or

SERVICE DESIREO

Olt M""II

01, hllll

NICbl MIIIIIO

Furln (dOl.

CANADIA.~~lMrIONja

Exclusive

2.\T. \V.

Connection
with

Cable Servico
to nil the World

TEL-...:.....~~---PHS
HEAO

OFFICI,

TORt

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w. ca.

NTO, ONT.

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FtHlI1

WESTERN
UNION
TELEGRAPH
CO..

Nlclltller
PllrnAI Ihnulj Iflllk lA I 1,,0:
IlIe the dass 01 smlce deslf,di
OTHERWISE TilE MESSAG
WILL BE TnAHSMITTEO AS
A rUll'RA lE HUG RH!

H'Jiladll\l

BARBER, OIlNIIlUL

Money Transferred
by Telegraph

fotlAlUaot

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Send Ihe followIng message, subjecllo the lerms on back hereof, whIch are hereby agreed 10
Ottawn. November 11, 1924
Col. lJaynard Rogers,
JBaper Park, Alberta:
00uld YOIl tell me 11' bag of grnaa seed anal lontorns
ar'r angad for at Jasl)er Park weBe forwArded LlS pl anned. I shall
h#lve Shipment t raosd if by My chance thQy nave been. rorwarded,
MHokonzie

lUng

NI GHT1E'lvrER
OHARGE: PRIUE

ll111l'STRR '80}'HOE

All Log Bungalow; Rustic Lanterns; and Creeping Bent TELEGRAPH, CORRESPONDENCE, and MEMORANDA
SERIES: PAC MG 26 J 10 Vo126: Gifts Received; Vo127 Horticulture; Vo127: Improvements, and
Vo128 Maintenance and Improvements; Vo128: Miscellaneous.
175

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The Mackenzie King Estate today

GAl
Lyor
esta
scap
he

\A

delif
and
. men
squh

leisu
exar

holk
a -

Parking

i-Tea

room

b-

Visitors' kiosk

k-

Moorside

c-

Garage

1-

Garden

d -

Pergola

m-

Window

e -

Ice house

n-

Hidden Garden

Kinf
cottage

men
reco
on the Forest

f-

Guest house

o -

Arc de Triomphe

g -

Boat house

p -

Abbey Ruins

h-

Pump house

q -

Forge

i-

Kingswood cottage

r-

tlcul
the'

Arcl
diari

Garage/Theatre

in

tr.

joun