Situated on Montreal Road (close to the Boundary intersection) at the end of a narrow path, sits a hidden gem tucked away behind hundreds of trees. Inverarden House was built in 1816. At 203 years old, this is one of the oldest buildings still standing in our area.. But for how much longer?
This gorgeous building was constructed for retired Northwest Company fur trader, John McDonald of Garth. John was a small man in stature, and was visibly handicapped: his right arm was much smaller than his left. This prevented him from following in his ancestors footsteps because he couldn’t have a military career (despite how much he enjoyed combat.) This predicament led him towards a different career path.
Following his Great Uncle’s advice, John sailed from Scotland to Canada in 1791 to take up employment as a clerk for the North West Trading Company. He remained with the company until 1814. After deciding it was time to retire, John purchased land at Gray’s Creek. Construction of his beautiful home began in 1816, and was finalized by 1823 after the construction of the “wings” were added to the building. These additions made Inverarden a complete and substantial Regency styled residence.
Near the end of his life, John decided to relocate to Williamstown and passed “Garth” (his name for the home) to his eldest daughter and her husband, John Campbell. The house then became known as “Inverarden” from then (1870s) on. This home remained in the Campbell family until 1965, and became a museum in the 1970s.
Every year, National Trust for Canada issues a call for nominations for Canada’s “Top 10 Endangered Places.” For the second year in a row, I have nominated Cornwall’s Inverarden House to make the list. A beautiful home with such rich and unique history should not be dilapidated and left to rot away. As a National Historic Site of Canada (designated as such in 1968), our government should be ashamed of themselves for letting this building reach this condition.
Inverarden needs all the help it can get, and I believe making an important and national list like this will only help solidify this beautiful structures future. We’ve lost enough of our history, don’t you think?
