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The Backus-Page House Museum is a living history museum located in the heart of the Talbot Settlement in Wallacetown, Ontario Canada. The Georgian style house has been restored as closely as possible to its state in 1850. The museum is maintained and run by the Tyrconnell Heritage Society which is a local independent organization that is dedicated to restoration and preservation of Backus-Page House and surrounding estate. == About the Backus-Page House == The Backus-Page House Museum is located within the grounds of the John E. Pearce Provincial Park in the heart of what was once known as the Talbot Settlement. The museum is situated within a restored Georgian style house that was constructed in 1850 by Robert Morris. Mr. Morris would be responsible for building a number of homes in the area but this one would have particular significance as it would be one of the first brick homes built in Dunwich Township. The house was commissioned by Andrew and Mary Jane Backus. The Backus family was one of several families that had obtained land from Colonel Thomas Talbot and settled in the area that quickly came to be known at Little Tyrconnell (a namesake carried over from Ireland).The property that Andrew built his house on was given to him by his grandmother, Mary Storey, who received her original land grant in 1809. That the Backus’s prospered can be attested to by the quality of the house built (as well as surviving business records) but that did not translate to an opulent lifestyle. Written correspondence from that time period seems to indicate that though the house was handsomely built it was plainly appointed. During the time the Backus Family lived within the house it was referred to as Lakeview. The Ministry of Natural Resources has since reforested the area between the house and Lake Erie but during the Backus era that land was cleared and afforded an excellent view of the shoreline and lake. The two story red brick Georgian style home was constructed using approximately 72,000 bricks. The bricks were made from clay dug from the field directly behind the house and fired right on the farm property. The bricks were used to build both interior and exterior walls of the house. The walls were built to last having a width of either 4 or 5 bricks. Oak and black ash beams and joists were used in the framing. Much of the lumber, such as pine, ash, and tulip which went into the finishing of the house was harvested from the adjacent woodlands. The house was heated by three main level fireplaces, each with a black walnut mantel and paneling. The fireplaces are no longer operational however the cooking crane hardware that presently remains within one indicates it would have done double duty as the original family cooking fire. The Backus-Page House and property was obtained by Jonas A. Page in 1925 and sold to his son Morley. The Page family had settled in the area in the early 19th century and the family homestead further up Lakeview Line remains in the family to this day. Morley and Grace Page resided on the estate and farmed the property for over 50 years - managing a small dairy herd, producing eggs, pork, beef, cash crops and maple syrup. The house underwent a number of physical changes as it aged moving it away from its original 1850s state. Neither Morley and Grace's son Bill, nor daughter Iris were involved with farming, so they were the last of the Pages to live on the farm. They sold it to the Ministry of Natural Resources in 1968, but continued to live on the farm until the summer of 1976. The Ministry of Natural Resources currently retains ownership of the Backus Page-House. The Ministry has entered into a lease agreement with the Tyrconnell Heritage Society. The society was incorporated in 1994 with the express purpose of restoring the house and property to its 1850’s condition. In 1998 the society undertook a restoration of the property, renamed the house in tribute to both its longtime owners and undertook a mandate of preservation and historical education regarding the estate and the Talbot Settlement in general. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Backus-Page House Museum」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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