10302 Highway 1: The Arthur Whitman House

Architecture Style: Greek Revival

Built: 1910

The Bridgetown Monitor reports that this house was built in 1910. It was moved from the north side of the street, having been part of the Paradise Inn which Gertrude Burke ran. Her husband, Ernest, had a blacksmith shop on the property. Donna and Mike Durling report that when they were renovating, they found all kinds of signatures from Massachusetts guests on the walls of the closets – must have been a tradition to “sign the closet wall!” In 1920 Arthur Whitman bought and moved this building to its present site. He used it as a store and rental property. He bought the land for his store/home from Joseph Worthylake, who owned a fair portion of the property on this side of the highway.

Annie Longley, the widow of Norman Longley, lived here for many years. She was a faithful community person and deeded the adjoining land for the Community Hall.

Hotels were in demand in the valley, and Paradise had its own first-class chef/hotelier, Tom Elliott, who ran the Elm House Hotel in Lawrencetown. He lived in a lovely Victorian home on the north side of the road, (where Albert Gates later built his Scotia Boat and Fly business and home). In 1948 Tom’s house burned, and he moved into Annie Longley’s home. At Christmas, he made plum puddings for every family in Paradise!

At one time the Miner family occupied a triangle of houses in this part of the village. The parents, Tom and Isabel, lived here, their son Bill, Agnes [Ramey] and family lived in the Burke house from which this one was taken, and their daughter Catherine lived next door in the Goodspeed house. The Miners were great contributors to community events.

Reginald and Clara Martin were here for many years, and in 1997 it was deeded to their granddaughter, Donna Durling. She and Mike and their children, Morgan and Cassidy, treasured this family home, inside and out.