Vernon Bridge, Prince Edward Island — The Atlantic Provinces (North America)
The Story of the Pillars
From McGill University to the Macphail Homestead
Photographed by Jay Noble, August 30, 2026
1. The Story of the Pillars Marker
In the early 1890s, with massive financial support from PEI-born tobacco magnate and philanthropist William C. Macdonald, Montreal's McGill University embarked on a major building program, including a new home for its engineering faculty. Opened in 1893, the Macdonald Engineering Building was designed in Renaissance-influenced style by leading Canadian architects Andrew T. Taylor and William -Hamilton-Gordon. The building's western entrance was flanked by two pillars, described as follows:
relief carvings cover all four sides; carved vertical inset panels 38 cm wide ascend the entire height of the column; each side is carved with a different decorative bas relief combining elements of Corinthian leaf pattern, urns, cornucopia, birds, gryphons, floral and leaf designs, and a female head and arms supporting a rectangular frame, adorned in an Italianate style...
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Salvaging the apparently unwanted pillars, Dr. Andrew Macphail - appointed McGill's first Professor of the History of Medicine in June, 1907- arranged for them to shipped by railcar from Montreal to the nearby Uigg railway station. The pillars were then installed as gate posts for the driveway of Macphail's country home.
Since the early 1990s, Homestead vehicle traffic has been diverted to a new driveway, but this transition from active vehicle route to peaceful footpath has not guaranteed the entry pillars an undisturbed existence. Both pillars needed to be repaired and straightened in 2012, and the western pillar (at left, when viewed from the roadway) was toppled and shattered by a fallen tree in the after-math of Storm Fiona in late 2022. With financial support from the Province of Prince Edward Island, this pillar was repaired and remounted in September, 2023 by PEI firm Red Clay
Photographed by Jay Noble, August 30, 2026
2. The Story of the Pillars Marker
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Man-Made Features. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1907.
Location. 46° 9.589′ N, 62° 49.289′ W. Marker is in Vernon Bridge, Prince Edward Island. It is on MacPhail Park Road, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 209 MacPhail Park Road, Vernon Bridge PE C0A 2E0, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Maritimes and in Atlantic Canada. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony and also the Viceroyalty of New France.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Sir Andrew Macphail (1864-1938) (about 180 meters away, measured in a direct line); The Doorstep Stone (about 210 meters away); The Sir Andrew Macphail Homestead / La propriιtι familiale de Sir Andrew MacPhail (about 210 meters away); Wendall Boyle Orwell Corner Memorial (approx. one kilometer away); The Croft House (approx. 10.1 kilometers away); To Commemorate the Honourable J. Angus MacLean P.C, O.C., D.F.C. 1914-2000 (approx. 10.1 kilometers away); The Selkirk Settlement / LΙtablissement de Selkirk (approx. 10.2 kilometers away); Ross (approx. 10.2 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Vernon Bridge.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 6, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 1, 2026, by Jay Noble of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 1, 2026, by Jay Noble of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
