Henry House

Henry House. . "The house looked much the same as it does now. The buffalo house was behind Henry House and was used for a storage shed after the buffalo were taken away. " - Betty MacInally, The land where Henry House stands was purchased by the Henry family in 1815 and remained in the family for almost a century., Henry House was constructed around 1840. Thomas Henry lived in the home with his wife Lurenda and their children. Thomas was a farmer, Christian Minister and harbourmaster. Their youngest son, William, was the last family member to live in the home until 1913., The home was constructed in the style of a nineteenth-century Regency cottage, with rooms branching off from the large central entranceway. Limestone quarried in Kingston and used as ship ballast makes the exterior walls. The upper floor and summer kitchen were later additions to the home while the family resided there., Between 1917 and the early 1920s, Henry House was home to the Mackie family. During this time, the local Council of Women turned one of the front rooms into a restroom for mothers with small children. It also served as a shelter for people waiting to take the streetcar on Simcoe Street. Later, the park caretaker lived in the home until 1959, when the Oshawa Historical Society turned the home into a museum of local history., In 1960 the house was reopened as the Henry House Museum. During its first five months, the house had over a thousand visitors. The home underwent significant restoration between 1988 and 1989 to ensure the building was safe and could further stand the test of time. During this period, the second story addition was given added structural support that was not in place when the addition was added in the mid to late 1800s., Today it serves as the Oshawa Museum’s period home, with visitors touring through the study, parlour, dining room, kitchen, and main bedroom. Behind the house are herb and perennial gardens. It is a space to bring the community together for events such as Yoga in the Garden, Grandpa Henry's Picnic, and Victorian Teas during the summer.