TOURING CANADA THROUGH HISTORIC HOMES

WALK OF FAME

BY: MALLORY HORRILL

I am unashamedly a big fan of historic houses. There is something I find very enjoyable about seeing period decor and architecture. It’s like fulfilling the dream of stepping back in time for a brief moment. This is not to say that I am a traditionalist, I do not necessarily think that all historic buildings require period dress or role play and I also enjoy when the institutions host events and forge partnerships that may appear to be somewhat unconventional.

For today’s ‘Person of Note’ blog I have decided to express multiple Canadian persons to you through the homes that they at one point occupied. If you have any Canadian travel plans for the summer take note!

Without further ado, I bring to you my personal compilation of 8 Canadian family historic homes!

1. Beaconsfield Historic House
    -Located in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Beaconsfield is a lovely Victorian home that was built in 1877 by the wealthy shipbuilder James Peake. The home was grand for the period, boasting 25 rooms. In 1883 Peake was forced to sell the residence as his business sharply declined. The Cundall family maintained ownership of the home until 1916 after which the building acted as a ladies residence and residence for nurses.

2. The Fry House

    -Located in Jordan, Ontario
The Fry House is a medieval, German farmhouse that was built in 1830 by Jacob Fry. In 1895 the Fry family moved into a brick residence, leaving the farmhouse as a playhouse for the children and at one point a chicken coop. In the period of the 1950s the farmhouse was restored to the period that Jacob and his family lived in the home. The home is now under the operation of the Jordan Historical Museum.

Outside View of The Fry House

3. La Maison Drouin
   -Located in Isle d'Orléans, Quebec
This modest home was built around 1730 by the Canac-Marquis family. The structure has been owned and inhabited by only 2 families in its 250-year history.

4. Craigdarroch Castle, National Historic Site
    -Located in Victoria, British Columbia
Known as ‘Canada’s castle’, the opulent residence was the home of coal baron Robert Dunsmuir and his family. The 39-room residence was built in the late 19th c. and features stunning original stained glass windows.

Inside Craigdarroch Castle

5. Hawthorne Cottage, National Historic Site
    -Located in Brigus, Newfoundland & Labrador
The cottage was built in 1830 and was home to the Canadian famed Artic explorer Captain Bob Bartlett.

6. Lougheed House
   -Located in Calgary, Alberta
The grand home was built in 1891 (enlarged in 1907) and was home to Senator James Alexander Lougheed, his wife Lady Isabella Lougheed, and their six children. In 1934 the city took possession of the home as the onset of Depression inflicted property taxes too high for the family to pay. However, use of the building was not at an end as it became the center for a women’s Youth Employment Training Program in 1939, a military barracks for the CWAC’S during WW2, and a Red Cross blood donor clinic in the late 1940s.

Outside View Lougheed House

7. Seven Oaks House Museum
    -Located in Winnipeg, Manitoba
The 9-room home was built in 1851 by John Inkster for his wife Mary Sinclair and their children. The structure received its name from the Battle of Seven Oaks which took place on the property in 1816. The residence was inhabited by the Inkster family until 1912 when the grounds were given to the City of Winnipeg for use as a public park. In 1958 the home was restored and opened to the public. 

8. Knaut-Rhuland House, National Historic Site
    -Located in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
This 18th century home was built in the style of  ‘British Classicism’. The residence is named after and depicted in the period of its first owners Benjamin Knaut and Conrad Rhuland.

Inside Knaut-Rhuland House

Have you visited any of these sites? Please share other historic home sites that you have visited!