Dingle Cottage
By Iris V. Shea
Published in Chebucto News, 2014
All communities in Mainland South have houses that date back to the 19 th
century and early 20 th century, although it might be difficult to recognize them due
to several “add-ons.” Photographs of these houses and other early houses which
have since been demolished to make way for new development are very valuable in
recording the history of our communities. One of the few houses in Mainland South
that actually holds Municipal Heritage designation is Dingle Cottage, the only house
on the left side of the Dingle Road on the way to Fleming Park.
Built during the 1870s, Sandford Fleming had the cottage built after he
purchased several tracts of land from the original settlers in the area, the Jollimores,
and from William Cunard and Arthur Murphy. Fleming spent his winters in
Ottawa at “Winterholme” and his summers in Halifax at The Lodge . Its dwas
14 Oxford Street in its early years but changed now to Blenheim Terrace.
Dingle Cottage was used as a residence for his caretaker Mr. James
Hutton. The hill behind the cottage was known locally as “Summerhouse Hill” a
term that may be lost today. In Fleming’s time, he had a summerhouse built at the
top of the hill in 1875 and another behind the backyard garden of Dingle Cottage.
Both provided an expansive view of the activities on the Northwest Arm. Part way
up the hill he had a circular road built, known as Loop Road, which continues to be
a favourite walking trail in Fleming Park. It is said that Fleming had the road built
for his grandchildren to ride their pony cart. Fleming’s daughter, Mary Ethel
Critchley, lived in the cottage from 1911, moving back and forth to Blenheim Cottage
in the winter, until the early 1930s with her husband Thomas .Their two sons, Thomas
Sandford and Ozwald, grew up in the cottage.
Until Fleming bought his Dingle property, the road from Halifax, referred to
in documents as the old French Road, ended at Melville Island. Fleming, at his own
expense, had the road extended to his gates and to the cottage.
Locally, we remember Sir Sandford Fleming for his generosity to the
residents of the western side of the Northwest Arm, donating the land in 1895 on which a
Church of England chapel was built and, in 1908, donating part of his
“Dingle Lands” to the citizens of Halifax following the opening of a memorial tower
on this property at the Dingle. In 1905, and again in 1907, he offered the city of
Halifax part of his Dingle lands for the purpose of a park “for the use and
enjoyment of the public forever.” One of the conditions was the erection of a tower
to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first legislative assembly of Nova
Scotia (1758-1908). The city thought it should be provincially funded and suggested
that Fleming find support elsewhere. Fleming found that support when the
Canadian Club in Halifax agreed to raise the necessary funds for constructing the
tower. The foundation stone was laid on 2 Oct. 1908. An appeal for funds
throughout the British Empire brought astounding results. The grand opening and
dedication of the tower took place August 14, 1912, attended by Queen Victoria’s
son, Prince Arthur (the Duke of Connaught and Canada’s Governor general at the
time), members of parliament, local politicians and other dignitaries. Fleming
turned over the tower and 100 acres of land around it to the city. The city of Halifax
gave it the name Sir Sandford Fleming Park.
The cottage became part of the inheritance of Fleming’s two youngest
sons, Hugh and Walter in 1913. Hugh sold his share in the cottage and in lot number 7
to his brother, Walter. The people of Jollimore called the Dingle Cottage "Critchley’s Cottage". The outcropping of stones leading into the waters of the Northwest Arm near the north end of the seawall, once known as Fleming’s Stone
Wharf, still bears the name “Critchley’s Wharf.” A spectacular floor to ceiling
fireplace fills most of one wall in the east wing of the cottage, added after the
Critchleys moved in.
On 22 July 1915, Sir Sandford Fleming died at Dingle Cottage while being
cared for by his daughter, Mrs. Critchley. He was buried in Beechwood Cemetery in
Ottawa. Newspapers reported his funeral was one of the largest ever held in that
city. Fleming’s younger daughter, Lily Frances Exshaw, had bought the cottage in
1920 from her two younger brothers. In 1935 she sold it and lot number 7, the lot on which it was
situated, to John W. MacLeod. Thomas Wallace, a Halifax Optician, purchased the
same from MacLeod in 1948 and sold it that same year to the City of Halifax.