Historic Locations

Township of Champlain 

L'Orignal

58 - Duldraeggan Hall
c. 1805

129, chemin Front Road, L’Orignal, Ontario

This beautiful stone residence was constructed in 1805 by Alexander Grant, a pioneer of the Seigniory of L’Orignal. Grant, a native of Scotland, came to America in 1785. He worked for the North West Company before becoming a wealthy independent fur trader. Grant’s influence and generosity encouraged the construction of the first local churches. Grant, captain of the first regiment of Prescott, discovered the sources of Caledonia Springs while on a hunting expedition. In 1910, the residence was purchased by John F. Raphael, then by Dr. Walter Smith in 1915. It finally passed into the possession of his son, Dr. Henry Drummond Smith, a man who valued horsemanship and thoroughbred horses. Designed in the neoclassic style, the dwelling has beautiful small-paned windows and is decorated with a porch topped by a covered balcony, a pitched roof and 5 chimney stacks.

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59 - Church of the Nativity
- Église de la Nativité
c. 1860

903, chemin Front Road, L’Orignal, Ontario

Built in 1891, the Church of the Nativity was so named because its first religious ceremony was celebrated on December 25, the birthday of Christ. Before its construction, the Anglican community of L’Orignal met at Watson Little’s place. Little was the editor of The Advertiser newspaper. Services were next held at the village courthouse for a few years. The only wooden church in the village, this building has a pitched roof and pointed windows with stained glass. The small vestibule in front is also topped with a gable roof. Inside the church, there is a baptismal font originating in1894.

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60 - Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church
- Église Saint-Jean Baptiste
c. 1851 - 1852

1057, rue Queen Street, L’Orignal, Ontario

The first Catholic church of L’Orignal was constructed in 1830 and 1831.  It was of poor construction and only served for a few years before being demolished. The new church, named after Saint-John the Baptist, the patron saint of the French Canadians, was constructed between 1851 and 1854. Father Bourassa, parish priest at the time, took an active part in the construction of the church. In fact, he became both worker and carpenter and it is believed that he drew the plans for the edifice and helped make the altars. The church, built of grey stone, was enlarged in 1885 and 1886. Designed in 1936 to commemorate the centennial of the parish, the grotto of Lourdes, beside the church, marks the site of the first cemetery of the parish. The actual cemetery is on Sandy Hill Road.

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61 - Former Convent Notre-Dame-des-Anges
- Ancien couvent Notre-Dame-des-Anges
c. 1876

1069, rue Queen Street L’Orignal, Ontario

This former residence with its mansard roof and dormer windows was constructed in 1876 for John and Annie Fraser. In 1902, it was acquired by William S. Hall and then by the congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa in 1913. The latter played an important part in the community by taking care of the sick and teaching in the schools. Today, this beautiful red brick building, with its moulding-decorated veranda, is a residence for women and the head office of Centre Marguerite.

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62 - Former Land Registry Office
- Ancien bureau d’enregistrement de terrains
c. 1874

36, rue Court Street, L’Orignal, Ontario

Located near L’Orignal Jail, this charming edifice was built in 1874 on a piece of land which the Untied Counties of Prescott and Russell bought from John W. Marston. For over 100 years, the building sheltered the County Registry Office, first administered by the United Counties then by the provincial government from 1969 onwards. The red brick structure has a vault where the documents were kept safely. In 1981, the registry office relocated to the basement of the United Counties of Prescott-Russell building. The location was empty for a time before serving as L’Orignal Town Hall. Soon after municipal mergers in 1998, the building became quarters for the L’Orignal Food Bank.

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63 - Former Manse of Saint Andrew’s Church
- Ancien presbytère de l'église Saint Andrews
c. 1860

996, rue King Street, L’Orignal, Ontario

This splendid grey stone house was constructed in 1860 by John W. Higginson to serve as a manse for St. Andrew’s Church. In 1958, the edifice was turned into a residence, purchased by Lewis O’Brian. With its gable decorated with mouldings and its small-paned windows, the House went through many transformations through the years but remains one of the most beautiful buildings in the village. The historic value of the former manse of St. Andrew’s church was recognized in 1983 when the province of Ontario designated it as a heritage building.

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64 - Former Saint Andrew’s Church
- Ancienne Église Saint Andrews
c. 1832-1836

998, rue King Street, L’Orignal. Ontario

Construction of the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church began in 1832 and took until 1836 to complete due to lack of funds. Before this, the congregation met at the school or at the courthouse. The piece of land on which this superb stone building stands was a gift from Charles Platt Treadwell. An impressive steeple dominated the facade of the edifice until a fire destroyed it in 1920. An interesting characteristic of the construction is that the windows show a fleur-de-lys design. Inside, the church is divided into two parts: the church proper and a Sunday school room. Before an adequate heating system was installed in 1983, the building was used only during the summer.

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65 - Courthouse and L’Orignal Old Jail
- La cour et l’ancienne prison de L’Orignal
c. 1825

1023, rue Queen Street, L’Orignal, Ontario

When the Ottawa District was established in 1816, the Courts of Quarter Session were held in the Township of Longueuil. Until the construction of the courthouse and jail in 1825, the sessions took place in the school premises and the prisoners were detained at the sheriff’s house. The construction of the courthouse began in 1824 on a plot of land donated by Jacob Marston and the central portion of the present building, designed in the neoclassic style, was completed in 1825. The building was enlarged for the first time in 1861. In 1998, the provincial government closed the prison in L’Orignal, the oldest jail in Ontario. This site, open to visitors, is still of great historic value as the oldest remaining courthouse in the province.

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66 - Seigniory of L’Orignal Historical Plaque
- Plaque historique de la Seigneurie de L’Orignal
c. 1674

772, chemin Front Road, L’Orignal, Ontario

France gave the 23,000-acre seigniory of Pointe-a-L’Orignal to the West Indies Company. In 1674, this company sold the seigniory to the adjutant François Provost from Québec. The Soulanges family then acquired the domain which was handed down to Seigneur Joseph de Longueuil. When the proclamation of the Constitutional Act (1791) divided the province of Québec into Upper Canada and Lower Canada, the seigniory remained on the Upper Canada side of the boundary. In 1796, the seigneur de Longueuil sold it to Nathaniel Hazard Treadwell, an American. Because Treadwell refused to swear allegiance to the English crown, the government seized Treadwell’s land during the War of 1812.

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67 - Former Poulin-Clément Store
- Ancien magasin Poulin-Clément
c. 1821

1023, rue King Street L’Orignal, Ontario

This beautiful grey stone building was constructed circa 1821 by John W. Marston who apparently ran a hotel there. At that time, the building, made out of stone but covered with stucco, housed a general store similar to those found in every village during that period. The store served many generations of citizens and changed hands repeatedly. B.R. Poulin and Henri Clément were owners. The stucco covering the stone was removed during recent restoration, returning the building to its former style and charm. It now houses the offices of the Provincial Court of Ontario.

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68 - Poulin House
- Maison Poulin
c. 1913

1038, rue King Street, L’Orignal, Ontario

This residence was built in the Queen Anne style for general merchant Basile Roch Poulin, who also owned the Prescott and Russell Advocate, a daily newspaper published for more than 50 years. This businessman played a crucial role in the development of the Village. The striking dome is topped by a beautifully designed fleur-de-Iys. For many decades, the House was the home of Germaine Landriault, talented organist of the parish.

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69 - Riverest
c. 1833

L’Orignal, Ontario

This beautiful stone house was built for John Marston in 1833 on a choice piece of land. It remains one of Ontario’s best existing examples of Regency architecture, a style between Georgian and Victorian. The House is remarkable for its large chequered windows crowned by arches, two large chimneys and a long front porch lined by fine pillars. There is elegant lattice work on the sides of the porch and in arches between pillars creating great overall harmony.

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