Pinhey’s Point Historic Site – A Historic Stone Homestead on the Ottawa River
Just west of the city of Ottawa (then Bytown), on the shores of the river of the same name, you will find the remnants of a man’s dreams, the creation of a powerful settlement on a 1000 (4km2) acre land grant. Today Hamnett Kirkes Pinhey’s estate, the life’s work a forgotten man, lies in ruin not far from the quaint village of Dunrobin. The wild and untamed lands of the mighty Ottawa are in many ways unchanged, forest may have given way to farmland and damns may have conquered the river that tore up so many would be navigators, yet the pace of life here is eerily similar. Welcome to Horaceville!
Table of Contents
Welcome to Pihey’s Point (Horaceville)
The settlement ruins are built around a small bay, protected by a peninsular point. At the center of the site, just off the parking lot, you will find the old homestead. Don’t miss by any means the old Horaceville church tucked in off a private road to the south.
Exploring Horaceville
A Visit to the Manor House and Homestead
The first building of note that you will see is the old manor house. Around it lie several ruined structures as well as a log cabin.
The cabin itself was the first structure constructed here, completed in 1825 along with a gristmill. This cabin looks on on the bay where there was once a series of seven cannons facing the rivers. The settlement consisted of a mix of military gentlemen along the shore and Irish immigrants further inland where farmer plots where divided up among the settlers. The land was a reward for Pinhey for his service during the Napoleonic Wars and within a decade of his landing in Upper Canada, he had built up his estate. The of he settlement comes from his eldest son. Today a dock exists at Pinhey’s Landing, once again linking the historic estate to the waterway that gave it life.
Among the ruins you will find old stone fireplaces such as this one.
And this outlying building looking at the river.
The Georgian Manor house was built in three phases the main house in 1822-1825, and an addition in 1841 as well as a second wing to the south in 1848. A funny fact about the house is that Mr. Hamnett referred to his upper floor privy (toilet) as Hamnett Sanctum Sanctorum (Holiest of the Holies). The expansions indicated times of a growing household but late in its life some of the wings were boarded up as the household shrank.
As you continue south you will find a barn.
A Visit to the St. Mary’s (Horaceville) Church
As previously mentioned head south from the homestead to visit the stunning St. Mary’s Church. The first service here dates from 1827. The ruined structure strikes an imposing figure on the landscape.
In behind the building you will find the church cemetery, surrounded by a low stone wall, where members of the community where buried.
Important events to take place here include the Marriage of Mr. Horace to Kate Green. I found the rear window of the church to be particularly remarkable due to its strange pointed shape.
The interior of the church is rather simple and worth a walk through.
Conclusion
The property you see today remained in the Piney family’s hands until 1959, when it was purchased by the National Capital Commission. The great part about a regional open air museum such as this one is that it allows a more in depth view of the builders and players of our early community, who unfortunately often get passed over in our history books (there really is only so much you can teach!). Without sites such as this one, I fear that much of our tangible history will be lost. Enjoy and treasure these places for what they area, a direct glimpse of the past!
