MUSKOKA HERITAGE FOUNDATION
2008 BUILT AND CULTURAL HERITAGE STEWARDSHIP AWARDS

Muskoka Lakes Museum and Hall House

The first plans for the Muskoka Lakes Museum  were formulated in 1961 by the fledgling Port Carling Historical Society, at the Indian River cottage of Marion Catto. By mid 1963 the Historical Society was housed in a room of the former Algonquin Hotel, had a curator and plans were afoot to have a museum constructed on Island Park by centennial year, 1967. The village of Port Carling was to pay one-third of the cost; the federal and provincial governments were to contribute the rest, as well as a promise of yearly grants for ongoing museum upkeep. The museum was incorporated as the Port Carling Museum in October 1964. By July 2, 1967, it was officially opened by long time promoter and supporter Marion Catto. Contributions and donations to the collection flowed in. So voluminous were these that the Catto wing had to be added in 1972 to accommodate all of them.

The collections are notable for their depiction of early boat construction, the old hotels of Muskoka, and daily life in old Muskoka. By 1982 the Hall family log homestead, originally built in Glen Orchard was bought, carefully disassembled and reconstructed on the island by volunteer labour. It is a significant addition to the museum. It was originally, a one-floor structure when used as a home; a second floor was added to accommodate the museum's burgeoning collection. It is set up as an early homestead and was officially opened July 14,1984, along with the museum's first gift shop which, in those days, was located where the present Catto art gallery is located - in the area bridging the space between the museum and the present Hall House.

In 1989 the directors of the Museum passed a motion to change the name to Muskoka Lakes Museum, to reflect the wider community and emphasize Port Carling's location as the Hub of Muskoka. It is celebrating its forty-fourth year! 

The Homestead, Juddhaven Road, Minett

The Homestead was constructed in 1882 by Ron Jean-Marie's great- grandfather on 200 acres received by a government land grant in 1879. The property, which is located off the Juddhaven road, east of Minett, has remained in the family since 1879. After the death of Ron's grandparents, it remained vacant from 1965-1990 when Ron and his wife Carolyn Moore became weekend residents.  Ron bought it in 1994 from the estate and began the task of restoring the classic Ontario farmhouse to its original condition.  Since Ron's retirement 1994, it has been their permanent residence.

Ron and Carolyn have been scrupulous in modernizing only the mandated essentials and have maintained the house and most of its contents as it was originally constructed and furnished by Ron's great-grandparents. All the walls and floors are original as is the central staircase, which is so solid that there is not a single squeak. This land grant hangs in the hallway. The structure has horizontal floor planks with vertical wall planks. The exterior remains as it was, carefully restored and maintained as required. A sugar bush lies next to the farmhouse property and the proceeds from their hobby of maple syrup production facilitate their main hobby, gardening.

The special feature of the property is the 19th century garden that was located, uncovered and restored as a result of a Herculean effort by Ron and his wife. It features a number of plants and flowers, which were thought to be extinct. They were fortunate to have both photographs of the garden as it was in the 1920's and the assistance of a botanist friend in identifying rare species. A trip to view the property in late spring is advised as it is ablaze with daffodils, crocuses, narcissi, and lily of the valley. Later on, extraordinary foxgloves appear along with an array of daisies, lilies, spiderwort, yarrow, bugleweed, columbine and dead nettle. Rock gardens, installed prior to the 1940's, as well as an old vegetable garden are now restored.

This property remains a tribute to Muskoka's pioneers!

Rosseau General Store, Rosseau

According to the sign in front of the store, the Rosseau General Store has been in operation  since 1874.

In those early years, the store was the sole supplier of everything locals needed to survive – from cattle feed and medicines, to clothing and food. As the tourist industry grew, the store expanded its services from its dock on Lake Rosseau to include deliveries to cottagers by the supply boat, Constance.

In 1946, a fire in the attic threatened the building  which was saved by the concentrated efforts of many of the villagers.

Brian and Cheryl Fright , the current owners, bought the store in 1997 because they had a genuine interest to preserve and enjoy the lifestyle the store affords. Three of their four children work in the store today.

The store and living area are approximately 12,500 sq. ft. The living area, above the store, is 2,000 sq. feet and is not original. Behind the living area but not accessible either from this area or outside, is an unused area (at the moment) that may have been a hat factory at one time.

The store itself has original single square pane windows, and original glass top and wood counters. The main counter has been moved from the front door area back to its original location in the centre of the store. Interior steps to a lower level were lovingly rebuilt by a logger from old pieces of pine he had on his property.

Initially  the Frights were taken aback by the many villagers and cottagers who claim proprietary rights to the store, commenting and giving opinions whenever there are restoration activities. Now the owners take this in stride and welcome the fact that the place has meant and continues to mean so much to the community. The  building's siding is hemlock and painted white. Whenever the building is repainted, the president of Robin Hood Flour has personally undertaken to have the Robin Hood trademark repainted on the north side of the building. The gardens are being restored to their former splendour. The Tassies, owners of the store from 1972-85 and who now live in Bracebridge, were great gardeners and the Frights are restoring that legacy and part of the store's charm to its previous natural beauty. 

This year an interior access midway down the store was made into an area that was only accessible from the veranda. The original tin ceiling was uncovered and repaired with tin from another house in Rosseau that had the same motif and style of tin.

The Rosseau General Store truly represents a built heritage sight and continues to secure the cultural legacy for generations past and future.

The Bracebridge Public Library

For one hundred years the Andrew Carnegie funded Bracebridge Public Library has provided historical and cultural value to the Town of Bracebridge by providing its townspeople with a variety of reading materials, music, movies and hosting a variety of cultural events. In an age when so many of the Carnegie libraries in Ontario have been demolished or dramatically renovated to accommodate other uses, the Bracebridge Public Library has retained both its original architecture and primary purpose.

As is typical of the Carnegie funded library buildings, Bracebridge Public Library features elements of the Beaux-Arts theories of symmetry and classical detailing with a centrally located main entrance marked by columned porticos and a long staircase.  Such architecture was intended to bestow a sense of importance befitting a town's public library.  Viewed from Manitoba Street, the library's appearance has changed very little over the years and the interior architecture features fine craftsmanship and detail such as Ionic Capitals on the pillars, the wooden Juliette balcony over the front door, a domed ceiling and oak shelving and furniture. However, as the Town of Bracebridge grew, so did the need for a bigger library. By the early 1980's, fund-raising was underway to expand the original building. The resulting renovation and expansion was completed in 1985 and won an award for blending the new design with the old.

For a century now, patrons using the library have been admiring the beautiful interior architecture preserved in the upstairs Reference Room while passers-by have admired its exterior architecture that so proudly proclaims its civic importance. In its Centennial Year of 2008, it is very fitting that the Bracebridge Public Library should be honoured with a built and cultural heritage award.

Bethune Memorial House, National Historic Site, Gravenhurst

A national historic site, Bethune House in Gravenhurst is perhaps better known outside Canada's borders than within. It was built in 1880 as the manse for Knox Presbyterian Church in Gravenhurst. Malcolm Bethune, father of famous thoracic surgeon Dr. Norman Bethune, resided here from 1889-1893. Norman Bethune was born here in 1890. Presbyterian ministers continuously occupied the house until it was bought, restored and turned into a museum by Parks Canada in 1973. It was officially opened in 1976 as a memorial and is visited by thousands of tourists each year many of them from China where his memory is revered.

It is typical of the many pretty wooden Victorian homes in Gravenhurst, with a wide porch, hanging baskets and a splendid lawn surrounding the house. It is furnished in the manner of the time the Bethune's lived in it.

Dr. Bethune, descendant of a distinguished medical family, became known for his work and inventions in the field of thoracic surgery and the eradication of tuberculosis. Always marching to a different drummer, Bethune led an eclectic life. He worked at Frontier College (N. Ontario) in 1911, served in both the Canadian army and navy in World War 1, practiced medicine in Michigan until he caught tuberculosis; recovered, after innovative surgery, at the Calydor sanitarium in Gravenhurst. He decided to dedicate the rest of his life to thoracic surgery, curing tuberculosis  and  carrying out blood transfusions. Before leaving Canada in 1935 he practiced medicine in Montreal and Cartierville, P.Q.  He invented surgical instruments, wrote many medical articles and, as the Great Depression deepened, realized more and more that medicine should be concerned with the social causes of disease, not just those that were medical  He went to Spain during the Civil War (1936), where he developed the first mobile military blood bank and transfusion service, enabling lives to be saved on the battlefield. After that he returned briefly to Canada, then set out for China to save lives during the Second Sino-Japanese war. He moved permanently to China in 1938 where he lived selflessly, worked tirelessly, established a model hospital, taught surgery on the battlefield under the worst possible conditions - feats for which he remains revered. He died of blood poisoning on November 12,1939 and is buried in a large military cemetery in Shijiazhuang China.