Park House Museum
Encyclopedia
Park House is a historic house museum, located in Amherstburg, Ontario
, Canada
. It was built in 1796 in Detroit, but moved to Amherstburg in 1799. It has had many owners, the best-known being the Park family who owned it 102 years. In 1972 it was purchased by the Rotary Club of Amherstburg, becoming a local history museum and being renovated to portray life in the 1850s.
in 1796 by a British loyalist. After the American Revolution
the owner moved to Malden
, the new British fort across the river. Disassembled and moved by canoe in 1798, the house was rebuilt in Amherstburg on Lot 17, First Street (presently Dalhousie Street). It would remain here 173 years. The first image of Park House Museum is in the painting ‘A View of Amherstburg, 1813’ by Margaret Reynolds
.
The lots on First Street were awarded through a draw. Lot 17 was first given to a mercantile firm, Leith, Shepherd and Duff. The Commanding officer of Fort Malden
, Captain Hector McLean
, decided to give it to the Schooner Nancy instead. Thus it was held by her owners: her Captain, William Mills
and the Montreal
firm Forsyth, Richardson and Company.
Alexander Mackintosh
bought the property in 1817. However, Mackintosh only held the house until 1823 when Jean Baptiste Macon purchased it. Macon was a well-known merchant in Amherstburg when he bought the property, venturing into his own forwarding business. He hired as clerks the Park brothers, the later namesakes of the house.
Thomas F. Park purchased the house on September 23, 1839. Thomas lent the property to his youngest brother Theodore Jones Park who ran a general merchandising and forwarding business with his brother John R. Park
. Theodore bought the house in 1866, two years after his brother Thomas died.
Theodore's son, Dr. Theodore James Park, owned the house next. In 1880 he used the house as the town’s medical office. His sister Lizzie Park gained the house after his death. With no relatives she gave the property to Helen Donovan, Spinster of New York State upon her death in 1941. Donovan gave the land to Geraldine S. Sterns from Detroit that same year. Sterns then sold the property to the Lalondes in 1945. The Lalondes created an antique store named Park House Antiques. This store lasted 25 years before they sold the property to Zarko and Bessie Vucinic, the owners of Duffy's Tavern
.
The Vucinics wanted to expand their business to the riverfront. They approached Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan
to preserve Park House. Hazen Price, the head of a committee within the Amherstburg Rotary Club suggested buying Park House and preserving it so it would need not be moved or demolished. The club approved this and the house was moved to Waterworks Park (presently Amherstburg Navy Yard where Park House Museum still stands). In July 1973, Amherstburg Historical Sites Association was created to furnish and maintain the museum. After more than a year of restoring and furnishing the house to portray the time of the Park family and businesses, the Museum officially opened December 9, 1973 with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by Mayor H. Murray Smith.
The Park House Tinsmiths, a volunteer association created in 1978 makes reproduction tinware to help finance the Museum. Although displayed as far as the United Kingdom
and sold to places like Fort Malden
and Fort George
it could not sustain the Museum. On February 19, 2006 a $46,000 grant given by the Ontario Trillium Foundation
, resulted in a grand re-opening.
The museum now educates the public, including school children from Ontario
, Michigan
, Ohio
, and Illinois
using such resources as a hand press donated by the Amherstburg Echo
, used to print its first edition in 1874. It displays an early French framed, log-styled home with an original 1850s fireplace. The museum currently features displays of 1850s daily life, while the second floor houses exhibits of pioneer and recent artifacts.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was built in 1796 in Detroit, but moved to Amherstburg in 1799. It has had many owners, the best-known being the Park family who owned it 102 years. In 1972 it was purchased by the Rotary Club of Amherstburg, becoming a local history museum and being renovated to portray life in the 1850s.
History
Park House was constructed in Detroit near the Rouge RiverRiver Rouge (Michigan)
The River Rouge, also known as the Rouge River, is a river in the Metro Detroit area of southeastern Michigan. It flows into the Detroit River at Zug Island, which is the boundary between the cities of River Rouge and Detroit....
in 1796 by a British loyalist. After the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
the owner moved to Malden
Malden
Malden is the name of places:In England:*New Malden, Kingston upon Thames*Old Malden, Kingston upon Thames*Malden Rushett, Kingston upon ThamesIn the United States of America:*Malden, Illinois*Malden, Massachusetts*Malden, Missouri...
, the new British fort across the river. Disassembled and moved by canoe in 1798, the house was rebuilt in Amherstburg on Lot 17, First Street (presently Dalhousie Street). It would remain here 173 years. The first image of Park House Museum is in the painting ‘A View of Amherstburg, 1813’ by Margaret Reynolds
Margaret Reynolds
Margaret Reynolds served as an Australian Labor Party Senator for Queensland from 1983 to 1999.Reynolds had two ministerial appointments during her time in the Senate, serving as Minister for Local Government from September 1987 to April 1990 and as Minister assisting the Prime Minister for the...
.
The lots on First Street were awarded through a draw. Lot 17 was first given to a mercantile firm, Leith, Shepherd and Duff. The Commanding officer of Fort Malden
Fort Malden
Fort Malden is a fort that stands on the remains of Fort Amherstburg in Amherstburg, Ontario. The original fort was abandoned by the British/Canadians in 1813 when Southwest Ontario fell into American hands. The Americans began building a smaller replacement fort on the same site, but this was...
, Captain Hector McLean
Hector McLean
Hector McLean was an Australian born rower who rowed in the Boat Race and won Silver Goblets at Henley Royal Regatta....
, decided to give it to the Schooner Nancy instead. Thus it was held by her owners: her Captain, William Mills
William Mills
William Mills may refer to:*Sir William Mills , inventor of the Mills bomb*William Corless Mills , US museum curator*William Hobson Mills , British organic chemist...
and the Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
firm Forsyth, Richardson and Company.
Alexander Mackintosh
Alexander Mackintosh
Alexander Mackintosh was an American architect and architectural designer active in New York from the 1890s until his death.-Early life:...
bought the property in 1817. However, Mackintosh only held the house until 1823 when Jean Baptiste Macon purchased it. Macon was a well-known merchant in Amherstburg when he bought the property, venturing into his own forwarding business. He hired as clerks the Park brothers, the later namesakes of the house.
Thomas F. Park purchased the house on September 23, 1839. Thomas lent the property to his youngest brother Theodore Jones Park who ran a general merchandising and forwarding business with his brother John R. Park
John R. Park
John Rockey Park was a prominent educator in the Territory and State of Utah in the late 19th century, and in many ways was the intellectual father of the University of Utah....
. Theodore bought the house in 1866, two years after his brother Thomas died.
Theodore's son, Dr. Theodore James Park, owned the house next. In 1880 he used the house as the town’s medical office. His sister Lizzie Park gained the house after his death. With no relatives she gave the property to Helen Donovan, Spinster of New York State upon her death in 1941. Donovan gave the land to Geraldine S. Sterns from Detroit that same year. Sterns then sold the property to the Lalondes in 1945. The Lalondes created an antique store named Park House Antiques. This store lasted 25 years before they sold the property to Zarko and Bessie Vucinic, the owners of Duffy's Tavern
Duffy's Tavern
Duffy's Tavern was a popular American radio situation comedy which ran for a decade on several networks , concluding with the December 28, 1951 broadcast....
.
The Vucinics wanted to expand their business to the riverfront. They approached Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
to preserve Park House. Hazen Price, the head of a committee within the Amherstburg Rotary Club suggested buying Park House and preserving it so it would need not be moved or demolished. The club approved this and the house was moved to Waterworks Park (presently Amherstburg Navy Yard where Park House Museum still stands). In July 1973, Amherstburg Historical Sites Association was created to furnish and maintain the museum. After more than a year of restoring and furnishing the house to portray the time of the Park family and businesses, the Museum officially opened December 9, 1973 with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by Mayor H. Murray Smith.
The Park House Tinsmiths, a volunteer association created in 1978 makes reproduction tinware to help finance the Museum. Although displayed as far as the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and sold to places like Fort Malden
Fort Malden
Fort Malden is a fort that stands on the remains of Fort Amherstburg in Amherstburg, Ontario. The original fort was abandoned by the British/Canadians in 1813 when Southwest Ontario fell into American hands. The Americans began building a smaller replacement fort on the same site, but this was...
and Fort George
Fort George, Ontario
Fort George National Historic Site is a historic military structure at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, that was the scene of several battles during the War of 1812...
it could not sustain the Museum. On February 19, 2006 a $46,000 grant given by the Ontario Trillium Foundation
Ontario Trillium Foundation
The Ontario Trillium Foundation , is an agency of the government of Ontario and one of Canada’s leading grantmaking foundations. It was created in 1982...
, resulted in a grand re-opening.
The museum now educates the public, including school children from Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, and Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
using such resources as a hand press donated by the Amherstburg Echo
Amherstburg Echo
-History:The Amherstburg Echo was founded in November 1874 by William D. Balfour and John A. Auld. Upon Balfour's death in 1896, Arthur W. Marsh came to Amherstburg and joined Auld at the Echo...
, used to print its first edition in 1874. It displays an early French framed, log-styled home with an original 1850s fireplace. The museum currently features displays of 1850s daily life, while the second floor houses exhibits of pioneer and recent artifacts.