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Unearthing the past: Discoveries at Macdonell-Williamson House

Photo: Macdonell-Williamson House

By

Dena Doroszenko

Archaeology, Buildings and architecture

Published Date: Sep 08, 2005

Built in 1817, Macdonell-Williamson House in eastern Ontario reflects the ambitions and aspirations of retired fur trader, John Macdonell. His life was fraught with financial difficulties, inopportune business ventures and family tragedies. He was a proud man, protective of his family and strongly religious. He left an enduring record of his occupation on the property as revealed by the archaeological investigations that have taken place since 1978 by the Ontario Heritage Foundation.

Before any restoration or maintenance work commences on Foundation properties, the Foundation prepares an archaeological assessment of the restoration impacts and conducts detailed archaeological studies to ensure that sufficient documentation has been obtained. Over the years at Macdonell-Williamson House, large-scale excavations, small projects and monitoring construction work have occurred.

Macdonell’s improvements to his land between 1817 and 1850 were numerous. His holdings included almost 1,000 acres of land (405 hectares), grist and sawmills, an icehouse, smoke house, retail store, woodsheds, barns, forwarding shed and numerous other farm buildings. Archaeological work has revealed many of these structures as well as recovering artifacts that reflect the lifestyle of the Macdonell and Williamson families through time.

Prior to John Macdonell, there were at least four buildings on the property built by William Fortune. A stone foundation was uncovered and may represent one of the buildings noted on a 1797 plan. Its location is almost directly in front of the 1817 house built by Macdonell but on a diagonal to the house. A coin dating to 1797 was recovered within the crevices of this earlier foundation.

The house originally had window wells to provide natural light into the basement. One of the window wells contained numerous artifacts including a ceramic plate dating to the late 1830s. A total of five stone window wells have been investigated. A sixth window well had been removed during renovations by the Williamson family to the house exterior, which included a large late Victorian-era veranda.

Macdonell's home, known as Poplar Villa, is a graceful adaptation of the Palladian style. It served as a centre for his milling, general merchandising, warehousing and freight-forwarding business until his death in 1850. In 1882, the Williamson family bought the house. It remained in the Williamson family until the early 1960s. The Ontario Heritage Foundation acquired it in 1978 to save it from demolition, and conducted extensive architectural and archaeological investigations on the property. The site is now managed by the Friends of Macdonell-Williamson House under a custodial agreement with the Foundation.

Since 1978, there have been five seasons of archaeological work on the property resulting in over 90,000 artifacts being recovered. These artifacts included large quantities of ceramics, glass, and architectural hardware. In addition, smaller items – such as keys, coins, buttons, thimbles, gunflints, toys and clay smoking pipes – were recovered, providing archaeologists with a glimpse into the daily lives of the Macdonell family.

Photo: Archaeological dig at Macdonell-Williamson House

Photo: A stoneware bottle was recovered complete with its cork stopper.

Photo: This tea bowl in the Antoinette pattern was manufactured by Copeland & Garret between 1833 and 1847.

A selection of 400 buttons were also recovered – made from bone, shell, jet and glass. This copper button is marked CANADA MILITIA with embossed beaver and crown (post-1855).

Photo: A selection of 400 buttons were also recovered – made from bone, shell, jet and glass. This copper button is marked CANADA MILITIA with embossed beaver and crown (post-1855).

Over 1,700 clay tobacco pipe fragments have been recovered archaeologically from the property. This figural pipe, known as a “Turk’s head” was manufactured by Dixon’s in Montreal between 1867 and 1894.

Photo: Over 1,700 clay tobacco pipe fragments have been recovered archaeologically from the property. This figural pipe, known as a “Turk’s head” was manufactured by Dixon’s in Montreal between 1867 and 1894.

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