A Light in the Field

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

A Light in the Field is one-quarter of a comprehensive inventory of
Prince Edward Island architecture conducted by the author circa
1979–81. It follows the publication of Historic Houses and Historic
Churches, and will be followed by a similar work on the Island’s
historic public buildings.

The buildings presented here are all pre–1914. They range from
magnificent lighthouse towers and soaring gambrel-roof barns to humble
henhouses and fish shacks. Text, color and black-and-white photos,
diagrams of structural features, close-ups, overviews, aerial shots, and
interior views all contribute to Smith’s portrait of Canada’s
smallest province.

The work is visually pleasing. A lobster cannery, the floor plan for a
lighthouse, an ingenious hay barracks, a ground-hugging potato barn,
snake fences, and fox towers are some of the more unusual items
included.

The variety of visual components keeps interest high. The book
introduces nine lighthouses, an equal number of fishery buildings, more
than a dozen farms, and five mills. All parts of PEI are represented.

The text is smooth and informative, if not exciting. Facts dominate,
with personal enthusiasms downplayed.

A Light in the Field is an important contribution to the local history
of PEI and makes a strong statement in support of preserving domestic
historic buildings.