Barnum House facts for kids
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| Established | 1958 |
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| Location | Grafton, Ontario, Canada |
| Type | Historic house museum |
| Designated: | 1959 |
The Barnum House is a very old and special house in Grafton, Ontario, Canada. It was built a long time ago, between 1817 and 1819, by a man named Eliakim Barnum. He was a United Empire Loyalist, which means his family was loyal to Britain during the American Revolution.
This house is important because it's the earliest example of a style called Neoclassical architecture in Canada. This style uses ideas from ancient Greek buildings. Barnum House was also the first house museum to open in Ontario, back in 1940. Today, the Ontario Heritage Trust owns and takes care of it. In 1959, Barnum House was named a National Historic Site of Canada.
Contents
The Story of Barnum House
Building a New Home
The land where Barnum House stands was first used in 1811 by James Norris. He was Eliakim Barnum's brother-in-law. Sadly, Norris's house burned down by accident during the War of 1812. British soldiers were staying there at the time.
After the fire, Eliakim Barnum bought the land from Norris. He then built the beautiful house that we can still see today.
A Special Design: Neoclassical Style
When Eliakim Barnum designed his house, he was inspired by popular American homes. These homes were found in places like New England in the early 1800s. They used the neoclassical style.
This style tried to copy parts of old Greek buildings. For example, it often had a main front that looked like a temple. It also used special columns called pilasters and curved arches. Inside the house, especially in the living room, you can see fancy wooden designs that match this style.
Eliakim Barnum's Life
Eliakim Barnum moved to Haldimand Township from the United States in 1807. He settled near Lake Ontario, along a main road connecting two important towns. Barnum quickly became successful in the area.
He ran a tavern, which was like an inn, and a distillery. Later, in 1830, he bought a lot of land and opened a grist mill. A grist mill grinds grain into flour.
Barnum also helped start the community of Grafton. He helped create St. George's Anglican Church and the first school in the area. He was also a justice of the peace, which meant he helped with local laws. He was even a leader in the local army, a lieutenant-colonel.
Passing Through Time
Eliakim Barnum lived a long life and passed away in 1877 at 94 years old. His youngest son, James, inherited the house. James later closed the grist mill, showing the family was no longer as focused on farming.
James died in 1907. The house stayed in the Barnum family until 1917. Then, the Prentice family bought it and lived there until 1939.
Becoming a Museum
In 1939, the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario bought Barnum House. They worked hard to fix it up and make it look like it did originally. In 1940, they opened it as Ontario's very first house museum!
In 1958, the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario gave the house to Haldimand township. The township ran it as a community museum. Then, in 1982, the Ontario Heritage Trust bought the house and took over its care.
Restoring Barnum House
The Ontario Heritage Trust did a big restoration project on Barnum House between 1989 and 1991. They wanted to make sure the house would last a long time. They rebuilt the foundation, fixed the roof, and repaired the windows and outside walls.
They even found the original paint colors and wallpaper to make the inside look just right. A new two-story part was also added to the house. This new section became a gallery and a place for research.
For some years, the Ontario Heritage Trust worked with the Barnum House Museum Foundation. This partnership helped keep the museum running.
Challenges and Collections
After their partnership ended in 2002, the Ontario Heritage Trust faced challenges keeping the museum open. The house was closed for several years starting in September 2003. However, a generous donation allowed it to open again for three months in the summer of 2007.
Today, Barnum House holds a large collection of old items. These artifacts are from the Georgian and Victorian periods. The collection includes furniture, china, books, newspapers, cooking tools, and children's toys. There are also old photographs and scrapbooks.
One very special item is a piano from the early 1800s, made by Muzio Clementi. It is believed to be the only one of its kind still existing. The collection at Barnum House is just as important as the house itself.
