Saturday, May 24th we decided to take a longer trip and participate in one of the Ontario "Doors Open" celebrations. It turned out to be a long day but well worth it.
Up at 5:30am. shower, have breakfast and prepare the picnic lunch. I had planned the itinerary the day before so once the car was packed it was hit the road.
We took the Springfield Road to Springfield and then went north to #7. Once on #7 we leisurely made our way as far as Mayberly. There is a wonderful little restaurant there that we have eaten in before but this time it was much too early. From there we took the Bolingbroke Road and County Road #36 to County Road #42. This part of the road was windy and quite slow going but very pretty with lakes dotting the terrain.
Eventually you end up in Westport, a pretty little village at the easternmost part of Upper Rideau Lake. This is where you pick up #42 and continue east skirting around the base of the lake. As we headed through the little town of Newboro you have Rideau Lake to the north and Newboro Lake to the south. We continued on until we reached our first stop.
Up at 5:30am. shower, have breakfast and prepare the picnic lunch. I had planned the itinerary the day before so once the car was packed it was hit the road.
We took the Springfield Road to Springfield and then went north to #7. Once on #7 we leisurely made our way as far as Mayberly. There is a wonderful little restaurant there that we have eaten in before but this time it was much too early. From there we took the Bolingbroke Road and County Road #36 to County Road #42. This part of the road was windy and quite slow going but very pretty with lakes dotting the terrain.
Eventually you end up in Westport, a pretty little village at the easternmost part of Upper Rideau Lake. This is where you pick up #42 and continue east skirting around the base of the lake. As we headed through the little town of Newboro you have Rideau Lake to the north and Newboro Lake to the south. We continued on until we reached our first stop.
Delta, Ontario "Stonemill"
Delta is a little town approximately 35 minutes north of Brockville. Once a thriving town it is now almost deserted. The main street is short with most of the buildings empty and for sale. Our first stop was here to visit "Stonemill". This was what at one point made Delta a thriving little town.
We were the first visitors to arrive and a young man gave us an extensive history of the mill. It has been beautifully restored and being one of the oldest grist mills in Ontario it was named a heritage site in 1970.
We were the first visitors to arrive and a young man gave us an extensive history of the mill. It has been beautifully restored and being one of the oldest grist mills in Ontario it was named a heritage site in 1970.
The mill was built in 1810 by William Jones and is the earliest surviving mill of its kind in Ontario and played a significant role in the settlement of Leeds.
Being ahead of its time it was completely mechanized to take the grain from the farmer and follow it through all the steps to eventually become milled flour. This was all possible due to the water-wheel that produced the energy to operate the system.
It is 3 stories high and we followed the path the grain would take from arriving at the mill by wagon to the end production. The precision with which it operates is mind boggling considering the time at which it was built.
According to the website, "in 1963 the last owner of the Mill, Hastings Steele, deeded the Old Stone Mill to a group of four people in trust, for the sum of one dollar. It was Mr. Steele's prime concern that the Mill should be preserved and would in time become a museum of milling technology. These four people founded the The Delta Mill Society later the same year and in 1972 the Society was incorporated as a Non-profit Corporation in the Province of Ontario." For more information and pictures visit "The Old Stone Mill".
This part of the visit was really worth the stop. We also stopped in at the Town Hall in Delta but did not partake in the lunch as we had brought our own picnic and it was still a bit early for lunch.
From Delta, we carried on to Maitland to see "Homewood", next on the itinerary.
From Delta, we carried on to Maitland to see "Homewood", next on the itinerary.
"Homewood"
According to the pamphlet we picked up for the tour, Homewood is one of Ontario's oldest residences. It was commissioned by United Empire Loyalist Dr. Solomon Jones and built by Louis Briere, a Montréal mason and contractor, in 1799. Jones was a militia surgeon and his son an ensign in the 1812 war.
The house is built in the Georgian style but due to the origin of Briere it has some French Canadian influences.
Jones was also a farmer and delighted in growing fruit trees. His great grandson following in his footsteps developed the Jones Red Fameuse apple in the early 1900's
Homewood remained in the family for six generations before being bought by Dupont and slated for demolition. The company was persuaded to donate the building and 4.5 hectares of land to the Ontario Heritage Trust in 1974. The Heritage Trust along with the Grenville County Historical Society and the Canadian Parks Services undertook the restoration of Homewood.
The house is built in the Georgian style but due to the origin of Briere it has some French Canadian influences.
Jones was also a farmer and delighted in growing fruit trees. His great grandson following in his footsteps developed the Jones Red Fameuse apple in the early 1900's
Homewood remained in the family for six generations before being bought by Dupont and slated for demolition. The company was persuaded to donate the building and 4.5 hectares of land to the Ontario Heritage Trust in 1974. The Heritage Trust along with the Grenville County Historical Society and the Canadian Parks Services undertook the restoration of Homewood.
Fulford Place
Our last stop was at this magnificent Edwardian mansion, built between 1899 and 1901 for Brockville native Senator George Talylor Fulford.
Fulford made his fortune through patent medicine that he manufactured in Brockville and sold worldwide. His most famous was "Pink Pills for Pale People", no more than an iron supplement mixed with sugar and cornstarch and sold as a miracle drug.
Originally built as a summer residence it is 20,000 square feet of grandiose architecture and expensive materials. Mahogany, oak and walnut grace the main floor walls and ceilings in the dining room, main hall and library. The original grounds were created by Frederick Olmsted who designed Central Park in New York City. Many of the furnishings in the home are original, having been donated by family.
We first visited the site a few years ago when an architect we knew who was working on the restoration recommended it to us. We felt it was worth a second visit. Indeed it was and it was a wonderful finish to lovely sightseeing day.
Fulford made his fortune through patent medicine that he manufactured in Brockville and sold worldwide. His most famous was "Pink Pills for Pale People", no more than an iron supplement mixed with sugar and cornstarch and sold as a miracle drug.
Originally built as a summer residence it is 20,000 square feet of grandiose architecture and expensive materials. Mahogany, oak and walnut grace the main floor walls and ceilings in the dining room, main hall and library. The original grounds were created by Frederick Olmsted who designed Central Park in New York City. Many of the furnishings in the home are original, having been donated by family.
We first visited the site a few years ago when an architect we knew who was working on the restoration recommended it to us. We felt it was worth a second visit. Indeed it was and it was a wonderful finish to lovely sightseeing day.