The Norval Presbyterian Church Steeple reflected in Mill Pond, 1964. From the Esquesing Historical Society, EHS02331. Click on the image for more details.

By 1935, Montgomery’s husband, Reverend Ewan Macdonald, had declined in health and the decision was made for him to retire from his ministry at the Norval and Union Presbyterian Churches. It was a bittersweet goodbye for Montgomery, who had loved her time in Norval, but had also grown tired of the small-town gossip and drama that had increased in the later years.

On April 24, 1935, Montgomery and Macdonald spent their last night in the Norval Manse and left the following day for their new home in Toronto.

“This time tomorrow night the cold windows will shine no more with welcoming lights. All will be dark and still. We shall be gone and the closed doors and empty rooms will be left to the ghosts of our pains and pleasures. I have written “The Manse, Norval” at the head of an [journal] entry for the last time. … At last, in this “writing up” of my journal I have finished our life in Norval. … It will just be something over and finished with – a page turned – a book closed.” L.M. Montgomery’s journal, April 24, 1935

Remembering Lucy’s Norval

Montgomery’s time in Norval has long been celebrated by the community. Lovers of Anne of Green Gables flock to the village each year to feel a closer connection to the author, visiting from as close as Toronto and as far as Japan.

In events known as “Montgomery Christmas,” the village has celebrated Montgomery’s birthday on November 30th with dedicated events and a chance to “meet” Anne Shirley.

In 2015, the Norval Community Association opened the Lucy Maud Montgomery Children’s Garden for the Senses.

A dedicated group of volunteers have been working on launching the Lucy Maud Montgomery Museum and Literary Centre. The project will designate the Presbyterian Manse as a national heritage site, as well as protect and preserve the site and memories associated with Montgomery’s time in Norval. More about the project can be found on their website.