The Tea House
Our beautiful, character filled Tea House was once a cabin called “Tranquility”, built in 1922 at Seba Beach. In 2000 it was brought to the Museum specifically to use as a Tea House, where it was restored, and the kitchen upgraded. Opened to the public in 2002. For safety reasons, the original chimney was dismantled. In repairing and renovating the upstairs, which is used for storage, volunteers found a brochure for the 1930s annual regatta held on Lake Wabamun. In the same area, they also found magazine and news paper images of women’s hair styles, so naturally, our guess is that it was a girl’s room.
Zeke and Mabel Visit the Tea House
Now if you’ve never met my cousin Zeke Bindertwine, there are three things you should know.
First, Zeke claims he knows the history of nearly every building in Parkland County.
Second, he’s usually mostly right.
And third, he tends to explain things while leaning on something that probably shouldn’t be leaned on.
The other afternoon we were wandering the museum grounds when Zeke stopped in front of the Tea House, tipped his hat back, and said:
“Well now Mabel, that little building there has lived more lives than a barn cat.”
Turns out he wasn’t exaggerating.
This cozy Tea House started its life in 1922 as a cabin called Tranquility over at Seba Beach. Zeke says the name must have been accurate because you can practically picture people sitting on the porch listening to the breeze off Lake Wabamun and pretending they didn’t have chores waiting at home.
In 2000 the cabin was moved to the museum, carefully restored, and given a proper kitchen. By 2002 it was welcoming visitors as the Tea House we know today.
“Best decision they ever made,” Zeke said. “History is always better with pie.”
During renovations, volunteers made some interesting discoveries upstairs. They found a brochure for the annual Lake Wabamun regatta from the 1930s — proof that people around here have always enjoyed a good summer gathering.
But the real curiosity was the magazine pages showing women’s hairstyles tucked away nearby.
Zeke nodded thoughtfully at that.
“Well now,” he said, “that does sound like the sort of clue a fellow could get himself in trouble interpreting.”
I suggested it might simply mean someone was planning a very ambitious haircut.
Either way, for safety the original chimney had to be taken down, but the building itself kept its charm. These days it’s one of the warmest and most welcoming spots on the museum grounds.
Zeke looked at the door for a long moment and said,
“You know, Mabel… buildings like this hold more stories than folks realize.”
And he’s probably right.
Though personally, I think the most important story involving the Tea House is how quickly the pie disappears during events.
Now I’m not pointing fingers…
…but Zeke was standing suspiciously close to the dessert table.
Like so many places at the museum, the Tea House didn’t simply survive by luck — it was moved, restored, and lovingly fussed over by people who believed a building with stories left in it deserved another life.