Clifford in Wellington County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Mansion House
1876
Photographed by Tim Boyd, July 4, 2025
1. Mansion House Marker
Inscription.
Mansion House. George A. McDonald opened the first general store in the village in 1858, then a Grist Mill in 1867 followed by the American Hotel in 1872. The hotel was destroyed in the great fire of 1876 and rebuilt the same year calling it the Mansion House. The hotel was a three storey, brick structure with thirty rooms and merchant shops. The four sided gambrel style mansard roof was an early green roof design. Mr. McDonald was elected Clifford Reeve in 1877. Over the years, the Mansion was an entertainment, social and refreshment centre for locals and travellers. In 1982, the Mansion was sold to the Thurston family who began restoring the building In 1993, the home and business was destroyed by fire. All that is left of the grand building is on picture postcards, photos and in the memories of its patrons.
George A. McDonald opened the first general store in the village in 1858, then a Grist Mill in 1867 followed by the American Hotel in 1872. The hotel was destroyed in the great fire of 1876 and rebuilt the same year calling it the Mansion House. The hotel was a three storey, brick structure with thirty rooms and merchant shops. The four sided gambrel style mansard roof was an early green roof design. Mr. McDonald was elected Clifford Reeve in 1877.
Over the years, the Mansion was an entertainment, social and refreshment centre for locals and travellers. In 1982, the Mansion was sold to the Thurston family who began restoring the building In 1993, the home and business was destroyed by fire. All that is left of the grand building is on picture postcards, photos and in the memories of its patrons.
Erected by Town of Minto.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1876.
Location. 43° 58.152′ N, 80° 58.696′ W. Marker is in Clifford, Ontario, in Wellington County. It is at the intersection of Elora Street South
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and Allan Street East, on the right when traveling north on Elora Street South. The marker is in Clifford Rotary Celebration Square. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9 Elora Street S, Clifford ON N0G 1M0, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Huron-Perth-Waterloo-Wellington Area and in Southwestern Ontario. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Ruperts Land.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 11, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 105 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on July 11, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
