Description of Historic Place

Built in 1842, the Lyman Clothier House is a modest one-and-a-half storey, 3 bay, limestone building. It is prominently located near the important Kemptville intersection of Clothier Street West and Rideau Street, with its back to the South Branch of the Rideau River.

Heritage Value

The property is recognized, by the Municipality of North Grenville By-law 31-02, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.

The Lyman Clothier House was erected in 1842. This one-and-a-half storey rough cut limestone building was constructed in a vernacular style incorporating traditional Georgian and Neo-classical elements. This is most evident in the centrally place transitional front entrance door. The entrance has no sidelights and the fan transom over the six-panel (cross-and-bible) front door is semi-elliptical rather than semi-circular in form. Other significant details include the voussoirs over the doors and windows, and the quoins on the corners.

The building was constructed by Lyman Clothier Jr., son of Lyman Clothier who in 1804-5, was the first settler in the Kemptville area. The house was built on the property on which his father had erected the area's first lumber mill in circa 1812. The property became an important stopping point on the road from Ottawa to Prescott. In 1850, the Township of Oxford-on-Rideau (now part of the Municipality of North Grenville) was incorporated and the inaugural meeting was held in the Lyman Clothier House. Sold in 1852, the building seems to have operated as an inn or tavern house. Mount Zion Masonic Lodge meetings were held in the building (1845-1855) and some historical references indicate it also housed the inaugural meeting of the newly created Town of Kemptville on January 20, 1857. There is also indication that it served as a meeting place for Roman Catholics to celebrate Mass before they built a proper church. It is now a private residence.

Sources: North Grenville By-law 31-02; Municipality of North Grenville Heritage Files.

Character-Defining Elements

The character defining elements that define the heritage value of the Lyman Clothier House include its:
- location on part of the original property Lyman Clothier Sr. settled in 1804-5
- rectangular one-and-a-half storey footprint
- gable roof
- one storey wing at the rear
- construction of rough coursed rough-cut limestone
- front façade of evenly cut and coursed stone
- cut stone voussoirs over all door and window openings
- cut stone quoins at all building corners
- centrally placed front entrance
- semi-elliptical transom over the six-panel (cross-and-bible) door
- two single-hung sash windows on the front façade
- four windows (two upper and two lower) on each gable end
- date stone with “1842” carved into it on the east side of the front entrance
- stone chimneys incorporated into both gable end walls that extend through the eaves
- location near the intersection of Clothier Street West and Rideau Street
- location near the South Branch of the