Cavendish Post Office

The house LM Montgomery grew up in served as Cavendish Post Office between 1833 and 1913. The Macneills were Postmasters for that whole period of time, until the Post Office closed in 1913. It was very convenient for Maud as she could keep sending her manuscripts without worrying that any of her neighbors would learn about rejections. And there were many rejections! 9 out of 10 manuscripts mailed to publishers came back. Even "Anne of Green Gables" had been rejected 5 times before it got finally published in 1908. Maud did not get discouraged though. She kept writing, mainly in the kitchen, which was the warmest room in the house. She would get frequently interrupted there as postal business was taking place in the kitchen as well. Having a post office in her house came as a true blessing to the writer - not only did Montgomery have the comfort of confidentiality, but she also could use the postal "letter bills" to write on in the time when paper was very expensive.

6 decades after its closing Cavendish Post Office reopened again in 1973. A house, similar to the one LM Montgomery grew up in, was brought  from Rocky Point and restored to serve as the new Post Office. Many visitors make a stop there and are not disappointed. There is an ongoing exibition there on LM Montgomery and the history of a rural Prince Edward Island Post Office.

  

Cavendish Post Office is a must see for all Montgomery fans. The Ladies who work there are extremely nice and they do not mind putting this "Anne" postal stamp on anything one might ask to stamp. :) A good idea is to send one postacard to yourself - a few days after you return home, you get a great souvenir from the Island.