Built in 1844 as a defensible Rideau Canal blockhouse substitute, the Chaffey’s Lockmaster’s House was originally a one-storey limestone building. Renovations in 1894 included a second storey and kitchen. The house was occupied by lockmaster’s families continuously until 1967 and was always bustling with the only local phone and the post office. The museum opened in 1982 after community organizations rallied together to save the house.