Billings Estate Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1975 |
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| Location | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Type | house museum |
| Official name: Billings House National Historic Site of Canada | |
| Designated: | 1968 |
The Billings Estate National Historic Site is a cool heritage museum located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It's found at 2100 Cabot Street. This museum is actually the old home of one of the first families to settle in the area.
The house itself is the oldest wooden house still standing in Ottawa. It was built between 1827 and 1829 by a man named Braddish Billings. He was born in Massachusetts, USA. This house became home to four generations of the Billings family over many years. Even though the Bytown Museum building is older, the Billings Estate is Ottawa's oldest house that is still standing today. Braddish Billings moved to the area in 1812. He was the very first settler in what was then called Gloucester Township.
The Billings Family Story
Braddish Billings became very successful in the timber trade. This means he made money by cutting down trees and selling the wood. With his success, he built this big home and called it Park Hill. Later, Billings changed his focus to farming. The house then became the center of a large and successful farm. This farm grew food for the nearby town of Bytown. A railway, called the Bytown and Prescott Railway, even connected the farm to the town.
The Billings family owned the estate until 1975. Over time, parts of the land were sold off to people who wanted to build houses. Today, the estate is much smaller than it used to be.
What You Can See Today
In 1975, the house officially became the Billings Estate Museum. The City of Ottawa now runs this museum. It's a great place to learn about early life in Ottawa. The house is also part of an event called Doors Open Ottawa. This event happens every year in early June. During Doors Open, you can visit many interesting and historic buildings in Ottawa for free.
The estate also has a historic cemetery. This cemetery holds graves that date all the way back to 1820. It's a quiet place to reflect on the past.
The Museum's Collection
The Billings Estate Museum has a huge collection of over 13,000 artifacts! An artifact is an object made by people long ago. Most of these items are not on display at the museum all the time.
The museum stores many of its artifacts at the Routhier Community Centre. This storage place is at 172 Guigues Avenue. Here, staff work to keep the artifacts safe and well-preserved. Some items stored here have never even been shown in an exhibit! This storage facility also opens its doors during Doors Open Ottawa each June. It's a special chance to see behind the scenes.
See also
- List of designated heritage properties in Ottawa
- Elkanah Billings
