Halton Hills Newspapers

Acton Free Press (Acton, ON), December 19, 1973, p. 11

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Xv An early Canadian log home TRADING POSTS built by the North West Company were made of the post and sill construction as the home of Hugh MacMillan in The south side of the house shown at upper right faces out from a hilltop over some of the most beautiful country in the township Upper left photo shows the corner where the mortice and tenon idea isused A grooved log fits into the post on the side and held with long hardwood pins Lower left shows the early Canadian furniture in the home against the rough log interior The windows were made in replica of the type used during the 18th century Photos by J Beaton NINETY NINTH YEAR NO ACTON ONTARIO WEDNESDAY DECEMBER SECOND SECTION Historian uses barn materials for modern rustic house of logs EARLY CANADIAN pine table and wood box are shown in the living room of the MacMillan home The open type ceiling with side beams can be seen here Logs from four Ontario barns were used to construct the home built in post and sill construction Photo by J Beaton Tune In Christmas Day with RCA Sound Systems Model Vay I iti nunc AM It drum tun no la for both AM and nth nation TaNncopk I Ida volume ton con troll on both batlary and AC and handy II In cord compart Complan w Mod Accu looar ant or dial drum and chroma AM AC of batcwy cab nat comptata with operation SI Ida oh cord I MUM and i MANNING ELECTRIC by Joyce Beaton The lags from Tour Ontario barns that dated back as far as have been used to build the home or Hugh and Muriel MacMillan The hand hewn house sits high on a hill on 10 acres east of the Guelph Line on In Hugh a field liaison off ccr for the Ontario Government Archives has always felt that not enough people In Canada build In log He considers It no harder to build a log house than any other form of construction Considering the historical significance to the country as well as our abundance of timber more Canadians should try It he says To hear Hugh describe the building process Is a history lesson In itself Different from most log houses in Ontario It is built by post and sill construction For nostalgic reasons the first basic logs were dismantled and shipped 350 miles from two barns in Glengarry County His Scottish an one of whom was James MacMillan a partner in the North West Company settled in Glengarry County Local bants Two local barns one in Milton and one In were also used when Hugh realized he enough material Bach square log Is secured by and tenon into corner posts This is the style used by the North West Company for all its trading posts If a bottom log rots and starts to sag the whole wall t sag with It since each log is supported in dependency at each end Hardwood pins arc used to tie it together French Influence However It looks for all the world like an old fur trading post This method of building originated in Brittany France and was Introduced in New France by settlers from that province The French Influence in the fur trade spread the method still further to the building of trading posts Outside of the reconstruction of Fort Despite the fact the logs are old the architectural plan is not patterned after a historical building As a matter of fact Hugh borrowed the floor plan from friends of his William Hugh figures it Is one of the only build In Ontario built In that style The actual log construction was done by a local bam f ram or John Simpson and John Henry mode the authentic type windows With the exception of the plum blng heating and electrical work Hugh and his three teen sons worked weekends using broad axes to trim the logs down to the dimensions before them the walls Concealed between the logs as well as wooden stuffing arc of insulation which give added protection against Inclement weather Historical The house provides 3 square feet Of living space Upstairs is a living room with a big stone fireplace and log mantel The wde barn beams enhance the open type ceiling Living room kitchen three bedrooms and bathroom all look out on a glorious Mew of Nassagaweya countryside A wooden balcony runs along the whole of the south side of the house The lower level has a family room panelled in barn ding with a second large stone fireplace Also down stairs Is another bedroom a bathroom cold storage room workshop and Hughs office Hush is a fascinating man to talk to His Job as archivist takes all over the country tracking down historically documents pic and other material He and a group of friends have rechartered the North West Company They have made canoe trips retracing the routes and preserving their traditions Brigades of the have travelled In Interior British Columbia the length of the Great Lakes across the prairies and on many of the river routes of the Hudson Hay and St Lawrence watersheds Authentic The foot long canoes are replicas in birch cedar or fbre glass of the famed Montreal and North canoes The brigades arc self contained carrying all their own food and gear Even the clothing worn by brigade members Is as authentic as possible The routes them selves are living history lessons He and his friends are also interested in the reproduction of guns used traders ana formed a group called the Upper Canada Rifles Last January they gathered at the then partially constructed log house for a shoot costumed In the authentic dress of the fur trader Only muzzle loading rifles are used by the group Hugh is Intent Journal called the Nor Wester and is a speaker on subjects related to the fur- trade He no doubt receives much inspiration from living in his own log house and surrounded by early Canadian furniture and ar tifacts Say a Merry Christmas with YARD GOODS Price sale on one group of woollen suitings and coating SIMPLICITY STYLE AND PATTERNS Hintons 5 M MIL ST To th young and heart Our holiday wishes heartfelt appreciation FROM EVERYONE A C CARPETS ARCHIVIST HUGH MACMUXAN sits before a roaring fire burning in the stone fireplace of his log home in Mr MacMillan is an historian who thinks it a pity that more Canadians are not using log construction when building new homes He is surrounded in the living room by pieces of early Canadian furniture Photo by J Beaton

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