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This large family-style room was added to the historic home about 1960. It is constructed of beams and boards from a barn and features a large stone fireplace on the west end. Classic 1850s home is rich with history One of the most unique houses in Scugog is this Prince Albert nent and wealthy house which, over the years, came to be known as the MacBrien grain merchant in House or “The Orchards.” Today it is simply called Heartland. Port Perry, where This substantial clapboard covered home was built about 1858 by he owned and oper- S.E. Barber and sold to Aaron Ross and his wife Lucinda (Fitchett) in ated the local grain 1861. Mr. Ross started his local business career asamaker ofbootsand elevator which still shoes but later expanded his business interests and became a promi- _ stands near the lake today. When Ross joined the business migration to Port Perry prior to the arrival of the railroad in 1871, he sold this house to James MacBrien. Although the original section of the house was built on a conven- tional plan in the Georgian style, with a central staircase and hallway, the front exterior has many distinguishing features. On the ground level there are French doors on either side of the main entrance while the remainder of the windows at the ground level are casement win- dows. The upstairs rooms have conventional double hung windows. The unusual verandah has a roof of curved pine boards, and is embel- lished with delicate trellis work, also in white pine. James MacBrien became a public school inspector for the prov- ince of Ontario in 1871. As an inspector, MacBrien was responsible for all the schools in the northern half of Ontario County. James and his wife Julia Frances had nine children, all of whom attended Port 14 Focus On Scugog focus@observerpub.ca Gail Smith and Diane Matthew with the Heritage Plaque presented to them last year.