The Heart Of The Estate

 More looks at Kingsmere Lake today.

I headed back up the slope, photographing the guest cottage at Kingswood again.

The path led me onwards, passing this quote by Mackenzie King.

As he became leader of the Liberal Party and then Prime Minister, Mackenzie King recognized that his country home ought to become a place more befitting that position. Thus Moorside would end up becoming part of his growing estate, and a proper home in and of itself. 

Most people probably approach Moorside by the main path. But if you know where it is, there's a second path that comes out onto the meadow in front of the house, and it's a better approach. 

The house can be seen in the background here.

The meadow is large and surrounded by trees, in fall glory.

Moorside became Mackenzie King's weekend retreat from the city, where he could entertain his friends and family, but also dignitaries from around the world.

Those would include his close allies Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt, the latter of whom is seen in the photograph on this display.

Alongside Kingsmere Lake

 Here's a look at Kingswood. I headed down the slope towards the lake.

A pump house can be seen here.

Kingsmere Lake is a beauty, but especially so in the fall. Its very name was an influence on Mackenzie King buying land here. Some cottages can be found here, grandfathered in from the time of the creation of Gatineau Park.

Here we see Mackenzie King's boathouse, built in the early years for boating and swimming.

A short walk beyond is a set of stone steps leading right into the water. I took several shots.

A Place Of Peace And Quiet

 More today inside the main cottage at Kingswood on the Mackenzie King Estate.

This is the living room, complete with a desk and plenty of books to be found.

I always appreciate a good fireplace. This room would have been the social centre on the estate in the early years.

Mackenzie King's own bedroom is simple but fitting, adjacent to the main entrance of the cottage.

I stepped back outside.

This looks back towards the guest cottage and the carriage house.

The lake, downslope from here, was one of the elements that drew Mackenzie King to make a home here. We'll go down there tomorrow.

In A State Of Deep Melancholy

 More today inside the guest cottage at Kingswood on the Mackenzie King Estate.

Mackenzie King entertained family, friends, and guests here for years, developing the main cottage over time.

And here it is.

This is the main kitchen.

This was the room of his mother, Isabel Mackenzie King, when she would visit. 

Between the years 1915-22, Mackenzie King sustained several deaths- his parents, a brother, and a sister. It left him in a state of melancholy that would reflect through the rest of his life. He would never marry, his life too occupied by politics and public service, but this estate became his place of sanctuary and healing.