Hiking for Health and History

Historic Locations

Municipality of Brownsburg-Chatam 

Cushing

24 - Bowron House - Maison Bowron c. 1816

818, route des Outaouais, Cushing, Québec

The Bowron house is one of the oldest residences in Argenteuil County.  It was built in 1816 by mason John Bowron from Yorkshire, England. He later sold the residence to Lemuel Cushing.  This beautiful grey stone building with small-paned windows is topped by a pitched roof and two chimney stacks made of stone.  Many stone walls surround the house.  One of these walls forms the front gallery, thus adding to the architectural value of the residence.

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25 - Second Presbytery - Second presbytère c. 1862

686, route des Outaouais, Cushing, Québec

The Rev. James Black was inducted on the 4th September, 1861. During his incumbency the present manse, a large house of true ecclesiastical design, was built. It is near the St. Mungo’s church and commands an extensive view both up and down the river. Mr. Black, after a short pastorate of three years, resigned the charge and returned to Scotland.

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26 - St. Mungo’s Church - Église St. Mungo’s c. 1836

661, route des Outaouais, Cushing, Québec

St. Mungo’s Presbyterian Church was built circa 1836 on a plot of land purchased by Reverend Mair in 1833.  The Neo-Gothic style of the stone building topped by a pitched roof reminds us of English churches.  A huge square tower, crowned with four stone ornaments and bearing a bull’s-eye window on each side, dominates the façade.  The pointed stained-glass windows and the unique door of the church are typical of Gothic architecture.  The placement of the gravestones, some of them standing in front of the church and alongside the road, adds to the charm of this site, located on the banks of the Ottawa River.  The small stone house across the road was the first presbytery.  The second presbytery, a red brick edifice (686 route des Outaouais) dating from 1862, was recently turned into a travellers’ inn.

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27 - First Presbytery - Premier presbytère

658, route des Outaouais, Cushing, Québec

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28 - Former Smith Hotel - Ancien hôtel Smith c. 1829

634, route des Outaouais, Cushing, Québec

This beautiful stone edifice with small-paned windows was built in the Québec style influenced by English architecture.  It was constructed at about the same time as the Grenville canal (circa 1829) and in all probability, by the same masons.  This building, which housed the Smith Hotel at the end of the 19th century, is similar to the former general store with its style and massiveness.  It was turned into a residence more than 100 years ago. As animal bones were found in a part of the stone annex, it is believed that this outbuilding at the east of the House once served as a smokehouse.

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29 - House of Lemuel Cushing - Maison de Lemuel Cushing c. 1829

597, route des Outaouais, Cushing, Québec

The stone of this dwelling, built circa 1829, is similar to the stone of the buildings constructed around that time in Chute-à-Blondeau.  Lemuel Cushing supposedly bought it from Mr. Reardon during a sheriff’s sale.  With its large stone chimney stacks, its irregular openings, its two front doors and high-pitched roof, the House resembles other homes built under the French regime. Through the years, a few modifications, namely the addition of the gallery and dormer window, changed the look of the House.

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30 - James Cushing’s first house - Première maison de James Cushing

589, route des Outaouais, Cushing, Québec

This beautiful brick house was built for James Cushing, son of pioneer Lemuel Cushing and his wife, Catherine Hutchins.  An elegant veranda and a brick porch enhance the beauty of the façade of the T-shaped house and a few dormer windows are found on its recently shingled roof.  Located near a small stream, the house of James Cushing is one of the most charming residences of the area with mouldings that decorate the porch, the gallery and the gables.

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31 - Former General Store - Ancien magasin général c. 1826

582, route des Outaouais Cushing, Québec

This rectangular building was built in 1826 by Lemuel Cushing.  It is made of large squared quarry-stones and ashlars (cut stone) taken from a stone pit on the banks of the Ottawa River.  Formerly, the building housed a general store, bank and post office.  Its façade bears seven small-paned windows.  Also, the very low handle of the front door reminds us of our ancestors’ shortness of height and suggests the authenticity of the door.  This imposing edifice dominates the many heritage buildings found along the main street.

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32 - James Cushing’s second house - Deuxième maison de James Cushing c. 1860

570, route des Outaouais, Cushing Québec

This well-preserved stone residence was constructed circa 1860 for James Cushing who first lived at 589 route des Outaouais.  The magnificent building has a high-pitched roof beautifully decorated with white mouldings.  The bay windows and the two projecting façades as well as the arrow-shaped mouldings topping the gables are characteristics of Neo-Gothic architecture. 

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33 - Former St. Giles Church - Ancienne église St. Giles c. 1830

562, route des Outaouais, Cushing, Québec

In 1830, the Presbyterian Reverend William Mair asked that this superb rectangular building be constructed to shelter St. Giles Church, the first church in Cushing.  It served as a place of worship for the Methodists and Presbyterians until they left for St. Mungo’s Church which was built in 1836.  At the end of the 19th century, the edifice was turned into a theatre, then into a residence in 1936 after having been purchased by Mildred Douglas.  As for the architecture, this well-preserved building is topped by a pitched roof and has two types of windows: rectangular windows with shutters and pointed windows which give a particular style to the former church.  The ancient pump standing behind the building still works today.

Map to this location