Wellington PEI

August 2014 - Prince Edward Island

I did an overview of our first day in PEI last week.

Here are some fun photos of The Bottle Houses. The information below is from their web site.

Some views as you enter through the gift shop.

The first bottle house was built in 1980 out of approximately 12,000 bottles; it measures 20 feet x 14 feet with three main sections. Its six gables and the patterns produced by the careful choosing of colors and sizes of bottles truly makes this a unique building. Mr. Arsenault would cement between 300 and 400 bottles per row, using a total of approximately 85 bags of cement over a six month period.

The tavern
In 1982, Édouard Arsenault decided to try his luck at a second building, using approximately 8,000 bottles this time. This tavern-like hexagonal structure was originally used to house the attraction's souvenirs and handcraft items made by his wife Rosina. Today one can admire a large selection of bottles collected by Edouard. Whenever he came across a bottle that had a special feature, he preferred to keep it for display rather than using it in the construction. This building was re-built in 1993, as the severe winter conditions had brought its toll on this house as well. The roof and the central cylinder however were maintained.

The chapel
The third building constructed by the late Édouard Arsenault is truly a work of art. Approximately 10,000 bottles were transformed in 1983 to become a magnificent little chapel, complete with pews and altar. At the time of his sudden death at the age of 70, in the spring of 1984, Mr. Arsenault still had a bit of work to do: he intended to make the steeples higher and the front pew was not quite completed. At sunset, a symphony of light and colors streams in from behind the altar. Visitors are likely to sense a feeling of peace and tranquillity as they admire the final chapter of Arsenault's work.

I love that the pews are made from votive candle holders.

 

Around the grounds