Site 3  ATHENS PUBLIC LIBRARY

The Col. Edward Jessup Branch  hosted one of the interesting displays in the Athens Public Library during Doors Open 2005.

This display featured another project that has been undertaken by the Col. Edward Jessup Branch, the publication of a book, “100 Years – 100 Houses”.   The 100 years refers to the 1914 date of the Act of Parliament which formed the United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada.   The 100 houses refers to the houses that will find their way to the pages of this book in celebration of the rich architectural history of Leeds and Grenville.  

Click here for more on "100 Years-100 Houses".

It was in these counties where the newly settled soldiers of Jessup’s Corps would build their new homes.  It was here where the famous “Ontario Farm House” evolved and fine examples all of its evolutionary stages can still be found, some as old as 1790. 

The architectural feature known as the “Eye of Ontario” first peered out across the fertile land, here in Leeds and Grenville.

Athens was chosen as a location to display the work on this project to date as it has examples of a unique sub-style of the Ontario Farm House that is found nowhere else in the Province.

Also at this site, the Col. Jessup Branch has encouraged another display relating to Loyalist times, the “Mysterious Causeway of Athens”   This is a stone road of unknown origin that was present when the Loyalists first settled the Athens area in the late 1700’s.    One theory is that the “Incas” visited this area and among other ancient and mysterious local structures, built this causeway.   A friend of our branch, Mr. Mark Sedgwick has researched this causeway and will be manning a display along side our 100 Years display.

The Athens Public Library, is located at 5 Central Street , Athens , Ontario .

Nearby Doors Open 2005 events were The Joshua Bates Center and Museum, 1 Main Street Athens, The Athens Fire Department with the Most Heroic Deed mural and antique pumper, Main Street Athens, The Historic Christian     Reformed Church Building and its “Secret Room” with the hand writing on the wall, Henry Street , Athens .

Doors Open Day

May 28, 2005

Left click on the thumbnail prints.

Photos by Fraser Carr

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