MUSKOKA HERITAGE FOUNDATION
2007 BUILT AND CULTURAL HERITAGE STEWARDSHIP AWARDS

JUDDHAVEN, LAKE ROSSEAU
KEN & MARILYN JUDD

Juddhaven is nestled on three acres of land, overlooking a quiet bay on Lake Rosseau. It is a living museum, and has remained in the Judd family since it was built in1875. The present owners, Ken and Marilyn Judd, inherited it from Audrey Judd and have operated it as a seasonal Bed and Breakfast since 2003. Audrey, a nurse in Bracebridge, had also inherited it. She restored and maintained it for 50 years, until the year 2000.

In 1875, Francis and Ann Judd, and their eight children emigrated to Muskoka from Hampshire, England. They secured a 200-acre land grant and intended to farm. When the farm did not flourish, Francis Judd turned his efforts to logging for income. In 1877 the farmhouse became the first post office in the area with Ann Judd acting as postmistress until 1916.

The house was built in 1875 and the original wooden structure still stands, as does the original porch (glassed in, in the 1940s) and picket fences (with new supporting posts). Also original are the light fixtures (though rewired), some lathe and plaster work, the doors and door fittings, all but one of the original windows, the oilcloth floor coverings, the furniture, a claw footed bathtub, paintings and the original post office sign and registry book. The second generation of the Judd children became hoteliers in the area, and Ken and Marilyn have retained the china dishes and the well preserved guest registers from the former Earnescliffe, one of the family's other hotels.*

At some point in the 1970s, significant water damage necessitated a great deal of interior wall replacement by then owner, Audrey Judd. Basement repair, roof replacement, wiring and plumbing updates were other necessary changes. Recently, a guest room with a woodstove and bathroom has replaced an old summer kitchen, likely added in the 1920s or 30s. The 'wallpaper' is a cleverly assembled decoupage of old Farmer's Advocate newspapers, all found in the house. Two of the four upstairs bedrooms were merged to form a single, ensuite guest room to accommodate client requirements. Marilyn Judd's lovely gardens contribute a 19th century ambience to the old property, and the view from the porch to the waterfront remains exactly as it was in 1875.

Juddhaven is a tribute to the owner's desire to maintain a corner of original Muskoka, where one can relax and take a step back into the past. Seldom do we find a property in Muskoka that has been owned and maintained by one family for such a long time. The Judd's are to be commended.

*Source: Cathy Cahill-Kuntz, 'Juddhaven: Stepping into a Simpler Time', Muskoka Magazine, June, 2007 pp.91-99

PEAKE BARN, J.D. LANG PARK, BRACEBRIDGE
THE MUSKOKA PIONEER POWER ASSOCIATION

The Peake Barn was originally constructed in 1926 on William Peake's property just east of Bracebridge. In 2005, a few years after the Peake property was acquired by the District of Muskoka, the barn was slated for demolition. Realizing its heritage value, former councilor and present mayor, Don Coates, contacted the Muskoka Pioneer Power Association (MPPA) to see if their club members would be interested in saving it. For over twenty years the MPPA has rescued and restored farm equipment and machinery that reflect Muskoka's rural past, and displayed them at the annual Bracebridge Fall Fair in J.D. Lang Park

With great enthusiasm, the MPPA club members soon began the planning process for funding and relocating the Peake Barn, and found approval and support from the Town of Bracebridge, the District Municipality of Muskoka, the Bracebridge Agricultural Society, the Oddfellow's Lodge and various private donors.

The relocation and rebuilding of the Peake Barn project began in 2006. Club member, Paul Sisson, contacted noted Dunsford, Ontario barn builder, Clarence Brubacher, and he and his men came to assess the barn. They loosened the pegs which held it together and removed the roof, its trusses and the side panels which were then in six sections. All of the pieces were then loaded onto oversized trailers owned by Paul Hammond and driven to the J. D. Lang Park with an OPP escort. In the meantime, club members had prepared a new floating concrete pad on which the relocated barn was to rest. There was a construction hiatus caused by the harvest season, but by the time of the 2006 Fall Fair, Mr. Brubacher and his team had returned to finish the roof. Although the Peake Barn is not as old as some existing Ontario barns, it was discovered that some of its timber parts had been hand hewn and used earlier in a much older structure. The barn now sits once again in a pretty rural location, near a windmill, a paddock and a reconstructed log cabin. Completing the setting, Julia Onions donated a crabapple tree, symbolic of the original crabapple tree that once stood near the barn on the Peake property.*

The Muskoka Pioneer Power Association is to be commended for their determination, strong team spirit and cooperation in preserving this wonderful Muskoka barn and adapting its use to serve as a museum housing the Association's collection of horse drawn farm equipment. They have made a valuable contribution to the preservation of Muskoka's built and cultural heritage

*Sources: Jim Onions, Ken Black

MADILL CHURCH, HUNTSVILLE

The beautiful, log Madill Church is located at 254 Old Muskoka Rd., just south of Huntsville. Old Muskoka Road was the original development road and, at the time the church was built, it served the local farming community. The church is owned by the Muskoka Presbytery of the United Church of Canada and maintained by the Madill Trustees. Built in 1872-73 by Wesleyan Methodists, it is one of Ontario's few remaining squared, white pine log buildings with dovetailed corners. It was named after John Madill, the settler who donated the land for the building. A cemetery on the church grounds contains the graves of many Muskoka pioneers, including Captain George Hunt after whom Huntsville is named.

Before 1872 local settlers had held their religious services in local family homes. After it was agreed that a church was to be built and Mr. Madill had donated the land, each family contributed one 'round' of logs that were then squared, dovetailed and fitted together. Necessary materials and supplies to finish the building were transported from Bracebridge by wagons, pulled by teams of horses and oxen.

A celebratory service was held on the day of the church's completion, May 8,1873. Henceforth, the church has been served by many different ministers; some having been circuit-riding preachers. The original features of the church include: the floors, walls, wainscoting, lectern, pews, oil lamps, pump organ and stove. Pictures of early parishioners can still be seen on the walls. In 1968, the foundation of dry stonework was reconstructed and the logs were raised to their original sitting. More recently the building has been re-pargeted, and its windows refurbished. In addition to weddings and funerals, the church still holds two services a year: one the third Sunday in July, the other the first Sunday after Thanksgiving.

THE PORT CARLING WALL

It all began in 2004 with a suggestion from Don Oliver of Port Carling to the Muskoka Lakes Mayor, Susan Pryke, that the main street of Port Carling needed a facelift. The mayor challenged Mr. Oliver to get involved, so he recruited Ian Turnbull, Ian Wallace and Greg Mannion to help him out. Within one year these four men had researched, planned and designed a very complex project. Furthermore, they were able to raise almost half of the necessary funds to implement it.

In due time the Bracebridge-based company Forrec, known for their design-build capabilities, was brought into the equation and the result of this collaboration was a unique and fascinating historical mosaic known as The Wall. Its purpose was fourfold: to serve as a spectacular tourist attraction to the village; to stimulate further revitalization of Port Carling; to foster community pride and, to reflect the heritage of Muskoka.

Located on the large south-facing wall of the former Hanna store, a building that is now owned by Greg Mannion, The Wall is visible from Highway 118 west and to boats in the bay. From a distance it shows a large image of the old S.S. Sagamo and a freight shed. Up close one can see that these larger images are comprised of almost a thousand smaller photographs of Port Carling from the years 1860-1960. To locate, collect and digitally scan the photographs, the project had support from the Township of Muskoka Lakes and volunteers and staff from the Muskoka Lakes Museum. To the touch, The Wall feels like acrylic, but the process to replace damaged sections of it is as simple as hanging wallpaper.*

This wonderful Port Carling project has achieved all four of its goals. It is an ingenious contribution to the cultural heritage of Muskoka. The successful innovation, drive and determination of Don Oliver, Ian Turnbull, Ian Wallace and Greg Mannion have really made a difference in Port Carling, and they should be commended for their efforts.

*Source: Ken Black

MUSKOKA BOAT & HERITAGE CENTRE, GRAVENHURST

This innovative museum, the concept of the Muskoka Steamship and Historical Society, was established as part of the Muskoka Wharf Project in Gravenhurst. It is located on the site of the old Ditchburn boat works, across the bay from the former Greavette boat yard. Open for a little over a year, the Muskoka Boat and Heritage Centre connects the stories of Muskoka's wooden boats, her steamships and her many resorts. The portion of the museum that houses the magnificent antique boats is called Grace and Speed, as a tribute to the boat builders of yesteryear whose elegant wooden-crafts were well known for their grace and speed. Muskoka was once the hub of Canada's wooden boat and pleasure craft building industry, and so it is fitting that our boat builders' workmanship is represented here. There are more than 25, privately owned, classic boats on display on a rotational basis. As a result, the museum is an attractive place to visit for boating enthusiasts, students and tourists alike.

In the early years when Muskoka was being settled, steamships were the backbone of navigation, and the Heritage Centre tells the story of their history in an interesting way. There is a 3-D section of a steamship to explore, and interactive displays that allow visitors to have fun while they learn. At one time there were 80 hotels throughout Muskoka, and a portion of the museum has recreated both the ambience and an interior typical of these grand hotels for visitors to enjoy.

The history and culture of a more gracious, gentler era is artfully captured in this excellent museum. It is a valuable addition to the cultural heritage of Muskoka.