Seven Oaks House Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1952 |
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| Location | 50 Mac St., Winnipeg, MB |
| Type | Historic house |
| Architect | John Inkster |
| Public transit access | 18 North Main / Corydon |
The Seven Oaks House Museum is a special place in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It's a two-story log house that shows what life was like a long time ago. This old house is recognized as a Provincial Heritage Site and a Winnipeg Landmark. This means it's an important part of history that needs to be protected.
The museum includes a store built in the early 1830s. This store is one of the oldest buildings still standing in Manitoba! The main house was built a bit later, from 1851 to 1853. These buildings are rare examples of log homes from the 1800s. They help us imagine life in the Red River area back then. What makes this place even more unique is that the buildings are still on their original spot. Plus, much of the land around them hasn't been built on. You can visit the museum during the warmer months, from the May-long weekend until Labour Day.
The Seven Oaks Homestead: Oldest Buildings in Winnipeg
Two main buildings are still standing at the Seven Oaks House Museum:
- Seven Oaks House is the oldest house in Winnipeg. It was built between 1851 and 1853. Most of it was made from strong oak logs. The house has a stone foundation and nine rooms. It was built in a style called Vernacular Georgian. This was for John Inkster, who was an important local businessman and politician.
- Inkster's General Store was built even earlier, around 1826 to 1831. This makes it the absolute oldest building still around in Winnipeg! It started as a small two-room cottage. Around 1853, it was changed to be a General Store and Post Office. It's a great example of an early building style called Red River Frame (or post-and-plank).
The name "Seven Oaks" comes from a nearby creek. There used to be seven big oak trees there. This spot was also where the Battle of Seven Oaks happened in 1816. The Inkster family owned this property until 1912. Then, they gave it to the City of Winnipeg. They wanted it to be a park and a museum for everyone to enjoy.
John Inkster: Builder and Businessman
John Inkster (1799–1874) was the person who owned, designed, and built Seven Oaks House. He was born in Scotland in 1799. In 1821, he came to the Northwest. He worked for the Hudson's Bay Company, which was a big fur trading company. But soon, he became a farmer in the Red River Settlement. In 1826, he married Mary Sinclair (1804-1892). She was a Métis woman whose father was an important person in the Hudson's Bay Company.
John Inkster became one of the first independent business owners in the area. He ran a shipping business, a general store, and several mills. He also served on the Council of Assiniboia. This was the local government from 1857 to 1868. During the Red River Resistance, a time of big changes, John Inkster was chosen to represent his community. He was supposed to join Louis Riel's Provisional Government. But he got sick and couldn't take part.
Visiting the Museum
You can visit both of these old buildings. They have been restored to look like they did when John Inkster and his family lived there. Some of the furniture is even original! It's like stepping back in time to see how they lived.
The museum is open every day from 10 AM to 5 PM. This is from the May-long weekend until the Labour Day weekend. You can take a tour to learn more about the history. You can also make a donation to help support the museum. The museum works with other groups like the CMA and the Virtual Museum of Canada.
