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  • Our theme for 2013
  • BECOME A VOLUNTEER

September 21, 2013

Fuel your passion for Brant at Doors Open Brant’s 2013 heritage celebration.

Now in its 11th year, Doors Open Brant showcases the community’s culture, environment and architecture at a variety of locations across the County of Brant, the City of Brantford, Six Nations and New Credit communities. This year, 28 inspiring sites – eight of them new to our event – will give you an opportunity to explore Brant’s past and present.

For a complete list of participating sites and local maps, visit Doors Open Brant.

Realize your passion for Brant

Doors Open Brant is looking for volunteers …

Contact us to learn more about joining our volunteer team to make Doors Open Brant a success!

Contact: The Brant Historical Society
Telephone: 519-752-2483
Email: information@brantmuseums.ca

Parking
Kid-friendly
Self-guided tours available

123 Brant Avenue - Historical restoration in progress

CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
123 Brant Avenue
Brantford, Ontario
Telephone: 519-756-6333
Year built: 1855
Building type: Private residence
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This one-storey cottage was constructed in 1855 and enlarged with a Victorian-style addition in 1870. MMMC Architects is restoring and renovating the building, which will become two quality residential units. The objective is to make the façade appear as it was in 1888. Visitors should use caution as the restoration is underway.
Parking
Full wheelchair access
Washrooms
Kid-friendly
Self-guided tours available

Bethel Stone United Church

www.bethelstonechurch.ca
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
154 Bethel Road
Paris, Ontario
Telephone: 519-442-3018
Year built: 1864
Building type: Place of worship
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The congregation of this beautiful country church, built with stones gathered from neighbouring land, provided so much labour that the cost of construction was only $1,200. The original frame entryway, replaced in 1964, now houses a lift. A kitchen and classroom were added in 1984. This church continues its Christian ministry and outreach.
Parking
Full wheelchair access
Washrooms
Guided tours available

Bodega Inn, The

www.thebodegainn.com
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
75 Dalhousie Street
Brantford, Ontario
Telephone: 519-753-0327
Year built: 2007
Building type: Commercial
Saturday: 10 a.m. 4 p.m.
The Bodega Inn is the first and only quality extended-stay accommodations in the Brantford area to offer its guests a new cultural experience with every visit. View the lobby display to learn about the original hotel and the history of the land The Bodega now occupies. Then, tour a suite and see for yourself.
Parking
Self-guided tours available

Bosworth Cobblestone House

CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
22 Church Street
Paris, Ontario
Year built: 1850
Building type: Private residence
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This Regency-style cottage, originally built for Newton Alfred Bosworth, is one of
the iconic cobblestone homes of Paris, having been designated. The Eastlake
porch was added about 1870, and restored in 2012. Rev. Thomas Henderson
hosted Prof. Alexander Melville Bell and his family here on arriving in Canada. Note: Exterior tours of the house only.
Parking
Full wheelchair access
Washrooms
Self-guided tours available
Site has blue and gold provincial plaque

Brant Museum and Archives

www.brantmuseums.ca
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
57 Charlotte Street
Brantford, Ontario
Telephone: 519-752-2483
Year built: 1872
Building type: Museum
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Learn the stories of the people, places and events that shaped Brantford and the County of Brant. Operated by the Brant Historical Society since 1908, the museum collects, preserves and shares the history and heritage of the community. For Doors Open Brant, demonstrations will be offered and several seldom-seen archival pieces will be on display.
Parking
Full wheelchair access
Washrooms
Kid-friendly
Self-guided tours available
Cultural expressions

Brantford Arts Block

www.brantfordartsblock.ca
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
111 Sherwood Drive
Brantford, Ontario
Telephone: 519-753-9400
Building type: Attraction
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Brantford Arts Block, part of the old Brantford Cordage Co. Buildings, is a community organization with a vision to nurture the artistic and creative potential of Brantford, covering all media and skill levels. The Brantford Arts Block believes in learning about and preserving the community’s heritage while continuing to create it.
Parking
Trails Open Ontario

Brantford Trail Bicycle Ride

CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
Meet at 20 Ava Road (start at the Glenhyrst Gardens-Lower Trail access point)
Brantford, Ontario
Building type: Museum
Saturday: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This 17-kilometre (10.5-mile) cycling route will take you along the Gordon Glaves Pathway south to downtown Brantford, across the Grand River and north to the town’s scenic high-level bridge and the natural area in the northwest. Light refreshments will be available at the starting point.
Parking
Kid-friendly
Trails Open Ontario

Brantford Trail Hike

CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
Meet at 20 Ava Road (start at the Glenhyrst Gardens-Lower Trail access point)
Brantford, Ontario
Building type: Museum
Saturday: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This family-friendly 5-kilometer (3-mile) hike starts and finishes at the lower trail access point at Glenhyrst Gardens. In addition to the outdoor sculpture garden, participants will enjoy scenic views of the Grand River along the Gordon Glaves Memorial Pathway, as well as natural heritage features, including tall-grass prairie and Carolinian forest. Light refreshments will be available at the starting point.
Parking
Washrooms
Self-guided tours available

Burford Tree Nursery and Chestnut Museum

www.grandriver.ca/forestry/burfordtree.cfm
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
25 Wight Road, RR 3
Burford, Ontario
Telephone: 519-449-2265
Year built: 1984
Building type: Attraction, Commercial, Museum
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Miracles are happening on 40 hectares (100 acres) of land owned by the Grand River Conservation Authority. This innovative nursery is not only growing a wide variety of native trees, but also playing a major role in the recovery of the American chestnut, an endangered tree species once common in this area.
Parking
Full wheelchair access
Washrooms
Guided tours available
Cultural expressions

Farringdon Independent Church and Burial Ground

www.farringdonchurch.ca
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
287 Mount Pleasant Road
Brantford, Ontario
Telephone: 519-759-2495
Year built: 1948
Building type: Place of worship
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Established in 1833, the still-active Farringdon congregation is the only North American offshoot of a group of churches Reverend Benjamin Ingham (1712-72) founded in England. The present sanctuary, with its Casavant organ, is the congregation’s third. In the burial ground are gravesites of two Ontario lieutenant governors, a provincial premier, several Brantford mayors and Canadian author Thomas B. Costain.
Parking
Full wheelchair access
Washrooms
Self-guided tours available

First Baptist Church

www.firstbaptistbrantford.com
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
17 West Street
Brantford, Ontario
Telephone: 519-753-2406
Year built: 1857
Architect: John Turner
Building type: Place of worship
Saturday: 10 a.m. 4 p.m.
A congregation since 1833, the First Baptist Church is built in the Italianate style with beautiful features, including the attractive windows over the front doors, and four manuals in the massive organ with visible organ pipes. In the sanctuary, the illuminated stained-glass window, “The Light of the World,” painted by William Holman Hunt, is the focus.
Parking
Full wheelchair access
Washrooms
Kid-friendly
Self-guided tours available

Glen Morris United Church

CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
453 East River Road
Glen Morris, Ontario
Telephone: 519-740-3933
Year built: 1849
Building type: Place of worship
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Presbyterian settlers built this charming stone church overlooking the picturesque Grand River. The church has been an active place of worship for nearly 165 years. See the beautiful stained-glass windows, refurbished Canadian-made Warren pipe organ (c. 1880, originally installed in St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Orangeville), the 1856 stone manse and pioneer cemetery.
Parking
Full wheelchair access
Washrooms
Self-guided tours available
Site has blue and gold provincial plaque
Cultural expressions

Glenhyrst Art Gallery of Brant

www.glenhyrst.ca
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
20 Ava Road
Brantford, Ontario
Telephone: 519-756-5932
Year built: 1922
Architect: F.C. Bodley
Building type: Museum
Saturday: 10 a.m. 4 p.m.
In 1914, Edmund L. Cockshutt purchased Glenhyrst, named after the Stratford family home in Scotland. The elegant house features rug brick set in an unusual tile pattern, slate roof, leaded-glass windows and beveled-glass entrance doors. In 1956, the estate was bequeathed to the city as a cultural centre and gardens. In 1986, Glenhyrst also became a public arts centre.
Parking
Kid-friendly
Guided tours available
Self-guided tours available

LUNA Project, The

www.lunaproject.ca
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
Across from 632 Sager Road, near Concession 4 West (between Howell and 4th Concession)
St. George, Ontario
Telephone: 519-448-1488
Year built: 2005
Building type: Attraction, Green building
Saturday: 10 a.m. 4 p.m.
In 2005, the quest for a more simplistic life led David Masters to build a yurt in the forest to call his home. Now operating as The LUNA Project, three modern yurts, solar and wind energy systems, rainwater harvesting, organic farming and habitat restoration all await your personal discovery.
Parking
Full wheelchair access
Washrooms
Kid-friendly
Self-guided tours available

MMMC Inc. Architects

www.mmmc.on.ca
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
127 Brant Avenue
Brantford, Ontario
Telephone: 519-756-6331
Year built: 1877
Building type: Commercial
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This two-storey home is an excellent example of the residential architecture that makes the Brant Avenue streetscape so charming. A renovation in 1967 repurposed the private residence, which is now the main office of MMMC Inc. Architects. Tour the fine interior and view archival and current drawings and models of Brantford’s rich architectural heritage.
Parking
Full wheelchair access
Washrooms
Guided tours available
Site has blue and gold provincial plaque

Myrtleville House Museum

www.brantmuseums.ca
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
34 Myrtleville Drive
Brantford, Ontario
Telephone: 519-752-3216
Year built: 1837
Architect: F. Pickle and R.S. Stevens
Building type: Historic landmark, Museum
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Explore the agricultural heritage of Brant County through four generations of the Good family. This Doors Open event, which includes talks and demonstrations, will focus on William Charles Good, a leading spokesperson for agrarian and co-operative movements. Representing Brant in the House of Commons (1921-25), he was elected on the “Farmers’ Platform,” which led to the Progressive Party.
Parking
Self-guided tours available
Site has blue and gold provincial plaque

New Credit Council House

CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
2789 Mississauga Road (First Line)
Hagersville, Ontario
Year built: 1882
Architect: Van Loon
Building type: Historic landmark
Saturday: 10 a.m. 4 p.m.
The Council House was the place where the business of the New Credit First Nation was transacted. The contractor’s son, William C. Van Loon, later became Indian Agent for the First Nation. Today, the old Council House is used as headquarters, and for historical events and presentations. Three commemorative plaques stand outside the building.
Parking
Full wheelchair access
Self-guided tours available

New Credit United Church

CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
2691 Mississauga Road (First Line)
Hagersville, Ontario
Telephone: 519-768-5810
Year built: 1852
Architect: Van Loon
Building type: Place of worship
Saturday: 10 a.m. 4 p.m.
Dedication of this Methodist Church occurred on June 27, 1852. The original 111.5-square-metre building (1,200-square-foot) boasted a gallery at one end and was of a clapboard construction. The upper part of the steeple is tinned; it was bricked in 1872. The interior of the church remains close to its original state.
Parking
Full wheelchair access
Washrooms
Kid-friendly
Guided tours available

Nipissing University, Schulich School of Education

www.nipissingu.ca/brantford
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
50 Wellington Street
Brantford, Ontario
Telephone: 519-752-1524
Year built: 1957
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This 1957 building at Nipissing University, established in Brantford in 2009, now houses a state-of-the-art educational facility, providing present and future teachers with quality programming. Original design features, including marble staircases and glass-block windows, were retained when lecture theatres, classrooms and offices were added. The marble façade was replaced with Canadian Shield black granite.
Parking
Full wheelchair access
Washrooms
Self-guided tours available
Cultural expressions

Paris Museum & Historical Society

http://parishistoricalsociety.com
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
51 William Street (Syl Apps Community Centre)
Paris, Ontario
Telephone: 519-442-9295
Year built: 1972
Building type: Museum
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Paris is known as the "Cobblestone Capital of Canada," and the Paris Museum & Historical Society is celebrating this unique heritage. Come and view the amazing miniature cobblestone buildings, make a cobblestone keepsake and then visit the 15 cobblestone buildings located in and near Paris. Maps will be available.
Parking
Full wheelchair access
Washrooms
Self-guided tours available

Personal Computer Museum

www.pcmuseum.ca
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
13 Alma Street
Brantford, Ontario
Telephone: 519-753-8825
Year built: Established 2005
Building type: Attraction, Museum
Saturday: 10 a.m. 4 p.m.
Play with interactive computers from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s and relive your favourite memories from Atari, Commodore, Apple and more. Touch part of history through a selection of 25,000+ artifacts. The Personal Computer Museum is an award-winning organization known throughout the technology world – and yours to explore right here in Brantford.
Parking
Full wheelchair access
Washrooms
Kid-friendly
Guided tours available
Cultural expressions

Robert Hall Originals - An ancient art

www.roberthalloriginals.com
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
138 Sugar Maple Road
St. George, Ontario
Telephone: 519-448-1236
Building type: Commercial
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
See demonstrations of the ancient art of pewter-smithing in the largest pewter studio in Ontario. Learn how pewter items are designed and created. The unique 242-square-metre (2,600-square-foot) showroom and studio, with more than 3,000 items on display, brings together Canadian-made treasurers and the awesome beauty of Mother Nature.
Parking
Washrooms
Self-guided tours available

S.R. Drake Memorial British Methodist Episcopal Church

CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
165 Murray Street
Brantford, Ontario
Telephone: 519-756-2051
Year built: 1896
Architect: A.J. Cromar (builder)
Building type: Place of worship
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Established in 1856, the congregation is part of the British Methodist Episcopal Church of Canada, created under the leadership of Bishop Willis Nazrey. In 1956, the church was named to honour S.R. Drake, its pastor from 1902-09, who served as General Superintendent of the church for 18 years. The Underground Railway figures in the congregation’s history. View displays.
Parking
Full wheelchair access
Washrooms
Guided tours available

St. Andrew's United Church

http://comdir.bfree.on.ca/ucstandrews
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
95 Darling Street
Brantford, Ontario
Telephone: 519-752-5823
Year built: 1859
Architect: John Turner
Building type: Place of worship
Saturday: 10 a.m. 4 p.m.
This church’s congregation traces its roots at the Darling Street location back over 150 years. In 2006, fire destroyed the original 1859 building. Soon after, plans were developed to rebuild the church on the site incorporating the remaining portions of the original façade. A new archive room tells the church’s many stories.
Parking
Full wheelchair access
Washrooms
Guided tours available

St. James Anglican Church, Paris

www.stjamesparis.org
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
8 Burwell Street
Paris, Ontario
Telephone: 519-442-4334
Year built: 1839
Architect: Levi Boughton
Building type: Place of worship
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This charming little church was built in 1839 on land given by Hiram Capron, founder of Paris, using cobblestones from the Grand River valley hills overlooking Willow Street. With the exception of the Mohawk Chapel, St. James is possibly the oldest surviving ecclesiastical building in Brant County.
Parking
Washrooms
Self-guided tours available

St. James'-on-the-Hill Anglican Church

www.stjames.brantanglicans.net
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
28 Dublin Street (at Grand Street)
Brantford, Ontario
Telephone: 519-752-4770
Building type: Place of worship
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
St. James’-on-the-Hill Anglican Church is an early 20th-century cruciform structure with a Franklin Legge organ and exquisite stained-glass windows. St. James’ original building (1885) was on a corner of the Marsh farm in what became known as Terrace Hill. It served as a school before Grandview opened in 1912.
Parking
Full wheelchair access
Washrooms
National Historic Site (Canada)
Guided tours available

St. Jude's Anglican Church

www.stjudesbrantford.com
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
81 Peel Street
Brantford, Ontario
Telephone: 519-752-0562
Year built: 1871
Building type: Place of worship, Historic landmark
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Originally simply adorned, St. Jude’s Church had painted murals added to the sanctuary by the artistic Browne family. Interior woodwork and paintings represent rare examples of the arts and crafts movement that reacted against architectural industrialization by integrating natural settings, colours and themes into building design and construction.
Parking
Full wheelchair access
Self-guided tours available

St. Paul's Kanyengeh Anglican Church

www2.ministries-online.org/brantford/sixnations.htm
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
1187 Sour Springs Road (2nd Line Six Nations)
Brant, Ontario
Year built: 1865
Building type: Place of worship
Saturday: 10 a.m. 4 p.m.
Before this church was built, the congregation was a mission of the New England Company, founded in 1649 “to propagate the Gospel ... to those Native Peoples living in Canada” (after 1783). The church has a long history, with associations to other churches in the area. All the stained-glass windows in the church and entryway are dedicated to past members.
Parking
Full wheelchair access
Washrooms
Self-guided tours available

Town of Burford Walking Tour

CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
Meet at the Burford Public Library, 24 Park Avenue
Burford, Ontario
Telephone: 519-449-5371
Building type: Library
Saturday: tours at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. only
Founded in 1793, Burford is one of the earliest settlements of American settlers to this area. The history of the town describes how it started further west and developed eastward along the Detroit Trail, while nearby towns like Bishop’s Gate and Mount Vernon were also established. Learn about the town’s history and then take a short tour of local landmarks.
Parking
Partial wheelchair access
Washrooms
Guided tours available
Site has blue and gold provincial plaque

Woodland Cultural Centre

www.woodland-centre.com
CONTACT INFO ARCHITECTURE DATES/HOURS OPEN
184 Mohawk Street
Brantford, Ontario
Telephone: 519-759-2650
Year built: Established 1972
Building type: Attraction, Museum
Saturday: 10 a.m. 4 p.m.
For Doors Open, the Woodland Cultural Centre will conduct tours of the old Mohawk Institute Residential School for the first time. The Institute was established in 1831 for children of the Six Nations and other First Nations communities. In 1970, the Institute reverted to the Six Nations and became a centre to revive First Nations’ culture.