May 28, 2023

Bovaird House is the only historic residence in Brampton which is open to the public. The property was originally granted to John Silverthorne Jr. in 1819 under the condition that he clear, fence and cultivate 5 acres. He was also required to build a log home and open up the public roadways along the edges of his property. This was to be done within 18 months of the grant so that he could receive the title to the property. In 1821 he sold the 100 acre property to Peter Chisholm for 16 pounds. Seven years later Peter moved his wife, mother-in-law and a small nephew and niece into the log cabin on the property. To accommodate them, he expanded the cabin to 4 rooms and added a sleeping loft above. This log cabin has since been demolished but as we will see later in this post a different historical log cabin has been moved onto the property.

The 1878 map below shows the property under the ownership of Peter Renwick Chisholm. It is located at the intersection of the modern roads of Bovaird Drive and Kennedy Road and is formally known as the west half of lot 10 in the second concession east of Chinguacousy township.

In 1845 Peter began work on the brick house which still stands on the property. The bricks were made on the farm and it took until 1852 to complete the building. It is a five-bay Georgian style home with an impressive front door flanked by side lights and a glass transom over the door. Peter died in 1872 and the home was inherited by Peter Renwick Chisholm who lived there with his wife, Margaret and their three children. They sold the house to James Bovaird for $8,250 in 1929.

The back portion of the house was likely added in the 1860s to give the home an expanded kitchen with living quarters for the hired hands above. The carriage shed and buttery (cold storage room) are located in the single story addition behind the home.

James and Fanny Bovaird had 11 children but never lived in the house. They used the farm to raise thoroughbred horses and when James died in 1938 the house was inherited by their second youngest son William. In 1941 William and his wife Mossie moved into the house where they lived until William died in 1983. Mossie and William had determined that they would donate the home to the City of Brampton as a museum and this was done in 1985. The “Friends of Bovaird House” was formed in 1992 and consisted of volunteers who raised money to restore the house and furnish it to represent life in the period of 1850-1900.

Behind the Bovaird house is an historic piece of farm equipment. It is known as a “brush breaker” and was one of the early implements built by Harvester International. It was used in the preliminary ploughing of fields to break up brush and shrubbery. They are built extra strong and designed for the hardest type of ploughing including cutting through hazel brush and blackberry bushes. A similar item appears in their 1927 catalogue. This implement was found on the Lundy Farm when it was being cleared for development and has been moved to Bovaird house to be part of the exhibit of early farming.

The Pendergast farm was located near the modern intersection of McVean Drive and Countryside Drive. Like many of the early farmers in the area they first built a log house using materials gained when the land was cleared. This home was built around 1845.

When the local farmlands were being developed the house became in danger of being demolished. The Friends of Bovaird House expressed interest in moving the log house to their property. The original home on the site of Bovaird house had been a log home and so having this asset would allow visitors to experience the two homes together.

The Pendergast Log house was clad in bricks during the 1920s and this has helped to preserve the logs. When it was moved to the Bovaird house site in 2015 the bricks were removed. The home has been lovingly restored to its original state and now is one of the last remaining log homes in the city of Brampton.

Both Bovaird House and the Pendergast log house are open to the public and are worth exploring for a glimpse into the lifestyle of a previous century.

Google Maps Link: Bovaird House

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