Merrickville’s 11th annual House and Garden Tour sponsored by Holy Trinity Anglican Church is to be held June 18, 2016
This year’s tour will transport ticketholders through a wondrous metamorphosis of some of the areas most impressive and historic homes and gardens. It’s a fundraiser for the local church and features a number of historic houses – including one built on property that was original deeded to Benedict Arnold! The five gardens are equally wonderful examples of the best of both past and present, one having been featured in a recent CBC mini-series.
The Blockhouse Museum (operated by the Merrickville and District Historical Society) will be open throughout the House and Garden Tour (and for the rest of the summer, too!). Your expert guides will be dressed in period costume and, once inside, visitors will experience life in Merrickville during the early 1800s.
There are a total of four homes on the tour this year.
Angel Manor
The house is on Kilmarnock Island. The land on which the house was built was given to the sons of Benedict Arnold for their father’s help in the American revolution. They owned the land until the 1830’s but never lived on it.
Villa Villekulla
Built in 1885, the home has been lovingly restored and decorated in an eclectic style. One of the home-owners, a talented artist, has decorated the home using many of her own pieces.
Stephen Merrick House
The Stephen Merrick house, erected in 1844 in Merrickville by Stephen Merrick, son of the founder of Merrickville, is recognized as a Canadian historic site and part of the architectural heritage of the Rideau Corridor by Parks Canada. The cut-stone front of ashlar.
Anarchy Apartment
This newly built 2-storey apartment is housed in an historic building on St. Lawrence Street above “Anarchy Studio”. The clever use of space is a must-see for anyone interested in decorating a bijoux.
Car aficionados will be delighted by the handsome array of antique automobiles which will be parked in front of each home and garden. Thank you to the Ottawa MG Club and Barry Phillips.
Two of the featured gardens are situated in Burritts Rapids, a sister community to Merrickville a few kilometres away. Burritts Rapids was founded in the 1790’s. Old photographs echo the historic architecture of this picturesque community which has not changed much in over 200 years. “The shops have gone, but the structures have been carefully retained as private homes.”
These two gardens have been featured in Canadian Gardening magazine.
John French House Garden
Olivia Mills honed her gardening skills at her father’s and mother’s side in Ireland. The John Strahan French House is the oldest dwelling (circa 1820) in the charming village of Burritt’s Rapids.
The Burritt Farm Garden
Built circa 1832, Burritt Farm was erected on land granted to Daniel Burritt the Younger on May 17, 1802. “[The house is an] excellent example of stone cottages that were built in the Rideau Canal corridor following the completion of the Rideau Canal.
Elgin Street Garden
This Elgin Street home and garden sits on land originally owned by the Mirrick family. The Edwardian style house was built in the 1880’s. The owners, Joelle Schmid and Nick Previsich, purchased the house in 2012 and gardening quickly became a passion of theirs.
Samuel Pearson House Garden A
The Samuel Pearson House on St. Lawrence Street is an elegant stone double perched on the corner of Colbourne Street. Designated heritage, the house was built in 1866 by the skilled stonemasons who built the Rideau Canal.
Samuel Pearson House Garden B
The north garden greets the visitor with a sense of a lovely, calm oasis in a busy village. The home-owner was drawn by the elegance and size of the stone house when creating this garden 15 years ago.
Rideau Woodland Ramble
Art, Jazz And The Garden 2016 Come and enjoy Art & Jazz in the gardens at the award winning Rideau Woodland Ramble again on June 18th 2016 between 12pm and 5 pm. Members of MAG Artists as well as guest artists, and Red Jazz will be on hand.
I have found, through years of practice, that people garden in order to make something grow; to interact with nature; to share, to find sanctuary, to heal, to honour the earth, to leave a mark. Through gardening, we feel whole as we make our personal work of art upon our land.
– Julie Moir Messervy, The Inward Garden, 1995, p.19
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