Driving Tour - Morton to Crosby Heritage Route Along the Shores of the Rideau (Print this page and use it as your guide)
Introduction
This area in what was the former Township of South Crosby was settled in two distinctly different periods. The fertile St Lawrence Lowlands were settled, by Americans loyal to the British Crown, after 1800 and some British Immigrants. The rocky land of the Canadian Shield was settled in the late 1840s by Irish fleeing the Potato Famine in Ireland. This driving tour crosses that divide several times and the geological change can be readily seen. The dotted line in the map indicates where this physical change takes place. The Rideau Canal was constructed through the rugged Precambrian shield taking advantage of the many lakes and rivers. The broken line through the lakes is the route of the Canal. The tour is numbered from Morton to Crosby with numbers on the map (see bottom of page) relating to the description of that building.
The tour starts at the south end of the village of Morton, on Highway 15. (see map at the bottom of this page)
Stop #1 - James Manuel House, Main Street, Morton, Built 1858. The bricks under the covering of stucco are the same brick as those of the, "Pimple", Morton School and the former General Store. The wide front gables on this house are similar to those on other area houses.
Stop #2 - Frederick Tabor House, Main Street, Morton, Built 1886. The house is framed by the white brick quoins and highlighted by the same in the window detail. This is one of the earliest building in the area using an Italian Villa design.
Morton General Store
Stop # 3 - Morton General Store, 702 Main Street, Morton, Built c.1855. George Morton's plan for the village included a facility to manufacture bricks which were used in this building and in the construction of many other buildings in Morton.
Stop #4 - Morton School, "The Pimple", 24 Pearl Street, Morton, Built 1852 / 53. Morton's plans for his Model Village included this innovative octagonal design and was built of manufactured brick forming the 135 degree comers. Only one other octagonal school exists in the Province.
Leaving Morton, head north on Highway 15, turn left on County Road 11 (Jones Falls Road). Take County Road 11 for 4 km. To Kenney Road and turn left. There is a parking lot here and you can walk to the hotel.
Hotel Kenney
Stop #5 - Hotel Kenney, Jones Falls, Built 1888. The original hotel built in 1849 by Bernard O'Neal burnt and Thomas Kenney constructed the present hotel in 1888. The style is reminiscent of many turn of the century resorts with its 3 floors of balconies with open design railings. Cottage styling and trim are still evident today from the 1910 renovations when a third story was added.
Walk across the bridge and turn right up the hill.
Stop #6 - The Parks Canada Interpretation Centre will provide brochures on the locks and directions to the Lockmaster's House and Blacksmith Shop.
Stop #7 - Jones Falls Blacksmith Shop. Between 1841 and 1843, blacksmith shops were constructed at many of the Rideau Canal Lock Stations.
Stop #8 - Jones Falls Lockmaster's House. The British Ordinance Department constructed this defensible Lockmaster's House in 1841. The colour of the stone suggests that it could have been quarried locally.
Drive back to County Road 11, turn left and proceed less than a km. And turn left into parking lot for Horse Shoe Dam.
Stop #9 - Jones Falls Dam. The 62-foot-high stone arch dam was the largest in North America when constructed in 1829/30.
Leaving the parking lot, turn left on County Road 11, proceed to Sand Lake Road, turn right, 5.5 km.
Stop #10 - Porkrage Dancy Farm, 87 Sand Lake Road, Built 1858. The lower floor bricks are a light brown colour and the upper floor bricks are red. The red bricks on the second floor were likely purchased from the Morton Brick Works.
William Morris House
Turn right on the Bush Road, 9.2 km.
Stop #11 - William Morris House, 484 Bush Road, Built c. 1850. This one and a half story farm house with 6 on 6 pain windows and original side-lights and front door has been restored to its original elegance.
Proceed to junction of Highway 15 and turn left, 10.9km.
Stop #12 - Henry Sly House, 1831 Kingston Road, Built 1852. This one and a half story sandstone has brick chimneys at both gable ends. This style is consistent with other Sly and Morris houses.
Stop #13 - William Sly House, 1903 Kingston Road, Built 1846. Cut stone arches over the windows and doors add to this house's elegant appearance. In this area, within 4 square kilometers there are 7 one and a half story stone houses that ail have very similar characteristics.
Turn left at Franks Road, 13.2 km.
Stop #14 - Luther Coon House, 190 Frank Road, Built 1850s. The original portion of this brick house sits on an 18 inch foundation of limestone which helps to separate the later addition. The double chimneys at each gable and the limestone sills and brick arches give the house a similar appearance as the stone houses in the area.
Justus Coon House
Stop #15 - Justus Coon House, 212 Frank Road, Built in 1855. The Neo-classical appearing section on the right is the older portion. The style of this section takes on many of the characteristics of the Colonial Revival homes of Virginia and Maryland.
Proceed to the Bush Road and turn right, 14.6 km.
Stop #16 - Jonathon Henderson House, 158 Bush Road, Built c. 1860. The two story brick, with hip roof and fenced flat top has design features of many of the 1860s two story brick homes in the region.
Stop #17 - Samuel Newman House, 122 Bush Road, Built c. 1830. This fine old log home seems to have been moved to its present location and preserved with the original windows, door and sleeping loft in tact.
Turn left on Davis Lock Road, 16.1 km.
Stop #18 - Michael Freeman House, 676 Davis Lock Road. Built c. 1860. This building is not lived in and remains much as it was when Michael Freeman moved to the new house next door over 100 years ago.
Patrick Murphy House
Stop #19 - Patrick Murphy House, 1026 Davis Locks Road, Built 1850. The log house has continuously been lived in by the Murphy's and the Watters' since it was built. Originally the house had inset chimneys on each gable between the first floor and second floor windows. The present owner is returning the exterior to the appearance of the period when it was constructed.
Davis Lock Public School
Stop #20 - Davis Lock Public School, 1172 Davis Lock Road. Built c. 1895. This one room frame school constructed on an elevated stone pier and heated with a wood stove.
Stop #21 - Walter Davis House, 20A Fox Run, Built pre 1817. The house had been constructed at the mill site prior to the building of the mill in 1818. It was used by the contractor, John Haggart and Col. John By before becoming the first lockmaster John Purcell's home. When the stone lockmaster's house was built in 1842, the building was moved across to the other side of the dam.
Parking lot at Davis Lock, 23.9 km.
Davis Lock Lockmaster's House
Stop #22 - Lockmaster's House Davis Lock, Built 1842. The defensible house has changed very little since it was constructed and the gun slits in the walls can still be seen. Casement windows were replaced by double hung windows in the 1870s. Although lived in by lockmasters until 1983, it is the best preserved defensible lock house on the Rideau Canal.
Proceed back on the Davis Lock Road turn left on the Cross Road, 28.7 km. Continue on this road to the Chaffey's Lock Road, 30.5 km. and turn left.
Stop #23 - George Randall House, 1495 Chaffey's Lock Rd, Built 1874. Known at the time of its construction as, "The Wayside Inn and Dance Hall". The building became a farm house by 5881. The gingerbread trim, gothic windows and classic doorway are indicative of the popular Gothic Revival style that flourished during the later part of the 19th Century.
Thomas Simmons House
Stop #24 - Thomas Simmons House, 1603 Chaffey's Lock Rd, Built 1885. Lockmaster James W. Simmons son Thomas built this home which incorporated two earlier buildings moved to the site. The section seen from the road was constructed from a popular design in the area, however the rear sections have totally different construction features. Even the hardware and window style vary in each section.
Park in the parking lot just before the locks, 34.4 km. From here walk along the dock to the locks.
Stop #25 - Chaffey's Lock Lockmaster's House, Built 1844. The building was originally constructed as a single story residence with thick stone walls containing rifle slits to be used in defense of the lock. The frame second floor was added in 1895 complete with a balcony. In 1982, the 150th anniversary of the canals opening, the house became a museum, open during July and August only.
Opinicon Hotel
Stop #26 - The Opinicon Hotel, 1697 Chaffey's Lock Rd. In 1899, William Henry Fleming purchased the property from the Government. He constructed the center portion as a 2 story house. Two years later William Laishley purchased the house and added the first wing and called it the Idlewylde Hotel. In 1904, Randall Montgomery purchased the hotel on behalf of a Youngstown, Ohio Fishing Club. The Hotel became a Private Club, called the Opinicon Club and they added the second wing to the right. In 1921, William Phillips and David Anderson acquired the club and turned it back into a hotel and tourist resort. The style, with its first and second floor balconies, open railings and wide steps is consistent with many of Ontario's early 19th Century resort hotels.
Drive back east on the Chaffey's Lock Road to the Clear Lake Road and turn left, 36.3 km.
Stop #27 - James Stanton House, 538 Clear Lake Road, Built in 1850. Although concealed by a recently added porch, the house is 5 bays with a marvelous inset front door with leaded glass sidelights. When Allan Burt restored the home in the 1950s, many of the details were carefully preserved.
Stop #28 - William Leggett House, 939 Clear Lake Rd., Built c. 1860. This beautiful 5 bay red brick structure has white limestone quoins and arch window heads. The front door has side and top lights framed overhead by the same cut stone arch as the windows and all are lined with the quoins. Red brick chimneys at both gable ends give the house a symmetry.
Clear Lake Cheese Factory
Stop #29 - Clear Lake Cheese Factory, 212 Garrett Road. Originally constructed in 1878. In 1899 it was moved to the present location.
Stop #30 - William Leggett House, 3233 Clear Lake Rd, Built pre-1840. The returning eaves styling is similar to many nineteenth century houses in the Township.
Turn left on Crosby Road at the junction, 43.7 km.
Stop #31 - William Rowswell Home, 412 Crosby Road, Built in 1855. There are 3 Rowswell frame houses between this location and Clear Lake. They are all very similar and all constructed in 1855. The owners are three sons of John Rowswell Sr., who was one of the first settler in the area in 1818.
Stop #32 - Robert Leggett House, 637 Crosby Road. Frame house built 1860 Brick house built 1907. The impressive two and a half story brick house with its Ionic style classic revival appearance is actually the third house on the site. An original 1830s log cabin first occupied the site
Turn left on Highway 15, 45.9 km., in Crosby turn left on County Road 42, 46.4 km.
Stop #33 - William Singleton Store, Cosby, Built in c. 1900. The construction is very much in the style of the Dargavel General Store in Elgin, open eight years earlier.
Crosby Public School
Stop #34 - William Singleton House, Crosby, Built in 1850. The 5 bay front, lacking any outstanding characteristics, is very similar to other stone homes in the Crosby area. The 3 window dormer on the building is a much later addition. The original townsite was named Singleton Comers after William, but changed to Crosby about the same time as his son opened the General Store.
Stop #35 - Crosby Public School, Built in 1907. A frame school served the area for over 25 years before the two room brick school was constructed.
This page has been adapted from a brochure published by the Local Architectural and Conservation Advisory Committee of the Township of Rideau Lakes, Doug Bond, Chairman
Art work by Jill Bond
Written and designed by Neil A. Patterson
Township of Rideau Lakes, 1439 County Road 8, Delta, Ontario K0E 1G0
email: info@twprideaulakes.on.ca
For general inquiries, administration, planning, public works, parks & rec, and fire department: Tel: 613-928-2251 or 1-800-928-2250 - Fax: 613-928-3097
For the tax office: Tel: 613-928-2896 or 1-866-677-4577
Chaffeys Lock Tour 
