The Stuart House / La Maison Stuart

The Stuart home was donated to the Lost Villages Historical Society in early 2004 by Cheryl (Stuart) Griffith, the niece of the late owners Donald and Wilda Stuart, and moved to the museum site in May of the same year. The Griffith family wanted to see the old Stuart home preserved to recognize its historical significance to the Lost Village of Wales., The original property owner at Wales was Dr. James Stuart, formerly a surgeon in the King's Royal Regiment of New York. Dr. Stuart had received a grant of land of 500 acres in the Township of Osnabruck in 1783. This house was built on that land in 1810, and five generations of Stuart family members lived in this home from 1810 until 2003., The house construction techniques were of the early 1800s. Over the original cedar slabs, piled in an offset fashion, a mixture of clay plaster and straw was applied. Over the years, the walls have been covered with Gyprock, paint and wallpaper., In 1957, the house was relocated to the north end of the Stuart tract ahead of the anticipated flooding for the Seaway and Hydro projects. It was lifted from its original stone foundation and placed on a new one of concrete blocks. At the time, the house was covered in a grey, brick-like fibre siding known as Insul- Brick. The architecture of the building has not changed significantly since it was enlarged and remodelled in the mid- 19th century, with the cornice returns still evident on the gable ends. Upon careful examination, it was revealed that The Stuart home holds a special place in the hearts of the members of the Lost Villages Historical Society because it was in this home on February 11, 1977, around the kitchen table of Donald and Wilda Stuart, that Fran Laflamme, an educator in the community and the founding president of the historical society spoke these words: "This is something many of us have talked about for years. If we don't start something now to preserve our heritage, then it can never be done. It will involve some trouble and work, but I think not too much for the results we may get.” It was with this encouragement that the Lost Villages Historical Society was born. Fran Laflamme's vision has developed into the Township of South Stormont's most important tourist attraction., Since that first meeting, the historical society has worked diligently to preserve the history and heritage of the communitues of the Lost Villages of the St. Lawrence.,