1-The 1830 “charmer” directly is behind St. . Augustine’s Anglican Church in Prospect village, a tiny community about 10 miles southwest of Richmond.
2-This storey-and-a-half rubble stonework beauty is of Loyalist or Neo-classic Neo-classic.
3-Bubble glass panes are found throughout the house and the present living room (formerly the kitchen) has 3 downstairs bedroom or “birthing” room, opening from one side .
4-Unlike most houses of the period, the staircase in this one led upwards – from the kitchen. In other words, front and rear doors are both centred with a connecting hall.
The stair rail is of tiger maple with a delicate, simple newel post and fine stringers.
5-There are four ample bedrooms, bedrooms, a slightly smaller one opening off the master bedroom. A former cupboard is now the bathroom and the square window over the rear door is unusual. Ceiling hooks exist in both living room and upstairs and it is thought they were used for hanging lamps. Or possibly they could have been utilized utilized downstairs for hams and other meats.
6-William James was the original owner and was, evidently, a gentleman of both means and good taste. He built the sawmill on the Jock tributary and was certainly not a man to be rushed, according to local legend. The story goes that he would put a cedar log on for sawing after breakfast and went back at lunchtime, four hours later and extracted the finished plank.
7-It would seem Mr. James, was not wholly dependent on the sawmill for his livelihood. The land for St. Augustine’s Church was donated by the James family in 1854.
8-There is a local story regarding the two surviving James sisters who attended the. church. “They didn’t see eye to eye,” the tale goes, “and quite often at Sunday services they sat in different pews”.
9-In 1962 Arnold and Moira Guetta bought the property property from Mr. and Mrs. D. B. Rees . Previous to the Rees’ tenure, the stone house belonged to John Porter who had bought it from a son-in-law of William James about the turn of the century.
Beckwith council, staff and members of the heritage committee and public gathered outside Prospect United Church on Richmond Road for the reveal. – Submitted photo
In 1816, following the War of 1812, the Perth Military Settlement offered land grants north of the Rideau to emigrants from Scotland, and to veterans of British regiments, encouraging them to stay in Upper Canada, to help build and defend the fledgling colony.
By 1857, Prospect’s population was 75, and it had daily mail. Some of the prominent people were as follows: William Baxter, shoemaker; John Burrows, postmaster and store and tavern keeper; William Coleman, Wesleyan minister; Patrick Devine, carpenter and joiner; William James, sawmill owner; Fleming May, schoolmaster; Joseph Morris, blacksmith; Johnny Porter, blacksmith; James Sanders, carpenter and joiner; John Scott, sawmill and carpenter’s shop owner; Peter Stewart, tailor; and John Tombleson, shoemaker. Read the rest here—
Clipped from The Ottawa Journal, 07 Jul 1943, Wed, Page 18
Clipped from The Ottawa Journal, 14 Jun 1947, Sat, Page 30
Jayne Munro-Ouimet Linda, the Poole’s that we’re involved with the newspaper business in Carleton Place lived in the Prospect area of Beckwith Township
Clipped from The Ottawa Journal, 17 Oct 1889, Thu, Page 4
Clipped from The Ottawa Journal, 19 Feb 1901, Tue, Page 2
Clipped from The Ottawa Journal, 14 Aug 1929, Wed, Page 11
Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read. Also check out The Tales of Carleton Place.
Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun andScreamin’ Mamas (USA)
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