THE DUFFERIN HOUSE

  • The Dufferin House Kitchen
  • A rustic kitchen with a large stove, a chair in the corner and a wash basin hanging on the wall.
  • Interior Staircase, Dufferin House
  • A photograph of a dark wood bed with a diamond patterned quilt on top. Various knick-knacks are spread throughout the room as if someone living there has just placed them down. A cross-stitched piece in a frame is displayed on the wall. A floral rug is on the ground.
  • A dark wood bed with a multicoloured quilt on top. In the corner of the room is a pink and white wash basin. On the floor is a wooden doll basinet and a multicoloured rug.
  • A bedroom with orange wallpaper, wood floors, a small child's bed in the corner and some toys.
  • A large bed with a quilt, a wash basin the corner, a crib and mirrored chest of drawers,

This house was built on the traditional and ancestral territories of the Tionontati (Petun), Anishinaabe, Mississauga’s of the Credit First Nation, Wendat (Huron) and Haudenosaunee (Six Nations). It was constructed ca. 1850 by Nancy and James Eccles on Lot 8, Concession 1 EHS, Mono Township, Dufferin County.

The Colonization of Ontario

During the colonization of (what is now known as) Ontario, land was divided up and distributed to early European settlers in lots. “Lots” and “Concessions” are the legal description of the property. The lots are grouped together, side-by-side, into a long strip called a “concession”. Typical farm lots in Ontario were around 200 acres. These parcels of land were purchased or in some cases given to settlers by the Government for free if they felled trees, built a structure and established a farm. 

A black and white photograph of a family of 10 people. Standing in front of a rustic log cabin. The log cabin has two windows, a door and chimney.
The Moore Family, ca. 1890, Mono Township (Museum of Dufferin Collection, P-0620 B)

Where the White Pine Grows

A close up of the timber used to construct the log cabin. Axe marks are visible, which tells us the trees were hand-hewn.
A close up of the axe marks on the timber. These logs were squared by hand.

This 1-and-a-half storey house is made of original square timbers, with full dovetails at each end. However, the chinking (material used in between the logs to create a seal), chimney, windows, doors and roof were all replaced when the structure was moved to the Museum of Dufferin in 1993.

The timber is hand-hewn, meaning it was squared off by hand using axes. The white pine timber was chosen as it is strong, durable and abundant in Dufferin County. When there are temperature or humidity variations, pine does not shrink and swell as much as other tree species.

1880s

The interior of the house is decorated to the time period of 1881, representing the date when the County of Dufferin was incorporated. Rich colours, heavy furniture and detailed wallpaper are indicative of style in the late 1800s.

The objects inside of the house did not belong to the Eccles Family. The artifacts are a collection from various Dufferin County settler families, which is why this building is called the “Dufferin House”. 

A busy wallpaper with orange grapes, green grape leaves and pale green small leaves.
A replica of William Morris' Wallpaper "Vine", printed between 1872 and 1876.

Two Kitchens, No Washroom

A rustic kitchen with a large stove, a chair in the corner and a wash basin hanging on the wall.

Why are there two kitchens in this house? The kitchen attached to the side of the house is known as a “summer kitchen”. The outbuilding physically separated hot kitchen activities from the rest of the house during the warmer months. In the winter months, this space acted as a cold storage room for food. You’ll notice that there is one room missing from this house! Indoor washrooms were not common in Dufferin County until the early 1900s. This particular home had a small outhouse on the property. Baths were taken inside – can you find the wash basin in the summer kitchen?

What is That?

A stringed instrument displayed on a table with a white table cloth.

This percussive musical instrument is called a hammer dulcimer. The player holds a small spoon-shaped mallet hammer in each hand to strike the strings. This instrument was owned by a family in Horning’s Mills, Dufferin County and is believed to date to 1814. The history of the dulcimer originates in the Middle East, however, the Irish and English adopted it to play Celtic and Folk music in the 1800s. 

A long black silk shirt rests on a wicker dress form.

This dress form was used when sewing or mending skirts and dresses. This particular shape of form was used for full back skirts, with bustles on top. The form is from the home of accomplished seamstress, Frances Louise (Johnston) Simpson (1868-1944) of East Garafraxa, Dufferin County.