The main building and lawns used for the fictional Maplehurst Estate is actually Oaklands, a historic property in Toronto located on Avenue Road, just north of Davenport Road. Oaklands was used for the exterior shots of the Harris house in Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel, as Anne becomes acquainted with the Harris family, as Emmeline's tutor. In the book Beyond Green Gables, Kevin Sullivan writes that Oaklands was one of the “most enigmatic” locations at which he had ever filmed. “On the one hand it exudes the appearance of a Scottish Baronial Castle perched like a gothic citadel on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the Highlands. The property looks isolated enough, surrounded by the park of a great estate, where elk and deer might even be hunted regularly,” he writes. Oaklands is said to be the most glamorous remaining example of the Gothic Revival style in Toronto. Viewers may also recognize Oaklands as the scary sanatorium in Sullivan Entertainment's other production, The Piano Man's Daughter.
The house dates back to 1860, when Gothicism - a style based on the ancient castles and cathedrals in Europe - was at its most popular. It was owned until the 1930's by the family of a wealthy biscuit manufacturer. During this time it was said that you could see Niagara Falls from the top of its octagonal tower, but the view is now blocked by modern structures. Today, the property is used as a residence by the Christian Brothers, who bought the property in the 1930's and held classes there until 1949 for De La Salle College – a private high school.
Viewers would never suspect that Oaklands actually overlooks an athletic field, which is right beside a noisy downtown road. In Beyond Green Gables, Kevin recalls that the number of different angles they could shoot at were limited and that filming at Oaklands was a bit difficult in terms of sound. Any scenes that he shot there had to be re-dubbed back at the studio, but it was worth it for the grandeur of the place. “The prospect of shooting in significant historic locations and bringing to life the romance of the past has always proved to be a grand adventure for cast and crew on so many of our productions,” Kevin writes.
Check back tomorrow for an in-depth look at where the interior shots for the Maplehurst Estate were filmed!
Sources: Old Toronto Houses, Beyond Green Gables
