Canada Company Headquarters

Canada Company Headquarters. . , The Park House, once known as the Harbour Park Inn, was built as the residence of Thomas Mercer Jones, Commissioner of the Canada Company from 1839 until 1859. In this period, Jones was effectively the lord and master of the Huron Tract. He first lived in a modest log cabin overlooking Lake Huron at the site of the existing lighthouse. His conservative social and economic standing brought him into William Lyon MacKenzie's celebrated list of Family Compact members., He oversaw the construction of this mansion in preparation for the arrival of his wife, Elizabeth Mary Jones, the daughter of the famed Bishop Strachan. In its early years, the lavish mansion was a centre for much social activity, including garden parties and balls to which special guests were always invited., After Jones' dismissal from the company in 1859, the offices were relocated to Toronto. The house then served as the Bank of Upper Canada for six years. It then became and remained a hotel and tavern for close to a hundred years. The original high-pitched roof with window dormers was destroyed by fire and replaced by the present flat roof many decades ago., The neighbourhood comprises many historic buildings, some recognized by Heritage Goderich and designated under the Ontario Heritage Act. As a matter of interest, Jones occupied the frame building directly across the road in the period he acted as manager for the local Bank of Montreal from 1852 until his wife's death in 1857, when he moved to Toronto where he lived in retirement until his death in 1868.