Cramahe Township

Joseph Keeler’s (1763-1839) ancestors date back to 1560 in Scotland. In 1795, Keeler left the American colonies and landed on Lake Ontario shores, with 40 United Empire Loyalist families in tow, at Cat Hollow, now Lakeport. He built a sawmill and grist mill and established the economic foundations of the area. Keeler built significant homes, including this one, and ran the local tavern. The Keeler dynasty was carried on by Joseph II and Joseph III and via judicial land grants. These pioneers were the first developers of Lakeport, Colborne, Castleton and Norwood. As part of Digital Doors Open, learn more about this site in the video below.

John Henry Reycraft owned this property from 1854-99. The house was built during this period, probably in the 1860s. In 1899, John Alexander Anderson bought the house. At the time, Anderson was the proprietor of the adjacent general store. Vintage photos show the house, the store and the absence of the Methodist church, which was built in 1910. The photo shows a woman in Chinese garb, an intriguing image in the era. It also appears that there is another building to the north of the store where Morganston Road is now. As part of Digital Doors Open, learn more about this site in the video below.

Doyle House has a fascinating history. Michael John Doyle is listed in the 1878 Atlas of Northumberland and Durham as an agent and assessor. Conservative Party members often gathered here, and their vigorous political discussions influenced the Doyles’ daughter, Iva. She came to believe strongly in the idea that every Canadian citizen should endeavour to render some form of public service. Her work led to her appointment to the Senate in 1935, under Prime Minister R.B. Bennett, as Canada’s first female Conservative senator. As part of Digital Doors Open, learn more about this house in the video below.

In 1820, this fine neoclassical gem was built by Joseph Abbott Keeler, founder of Colborne, Castleton and Norwood, and the son of Joseph Keeler, the original American settler. Joseph Jr. established several mills, a newspaper, and a store with a post office, and he oversaw the incorporation of Colborne village in 1859. As part of Digital Doors Open, learn more about this site in the video below.

Reputed to be among the oldest dwellings in Colborne, this was the home of Scottish immigrant John Steele and his wife Mary Spalding from 1831-43. Some feel that the house pre-dates 1820 because of a letter from Mary Spalding arranging for a housemaid. Steele, a founder of Queen’s University, held many other posts — including a magistrate, a newspaper man, a member of the local Board of Education, and with various agricultural societies. In 1843, the Steeles moved to Grafton and sold their house to Cuthbert Cumming. Cumming in turn sold it in 1858 to the Scougale family, who lived there for over 100 years, next door to their haberdashery business. As part of Digital Doors Open, learn more about this house in the video below.

Here stands the eight-sided house constructed by Reuben Bartlett Scott on the occasion of his marriage to Maria Huyck in 1850. Scott was an industrious young man who operated a grist mill, a soap factory, an iron foundry and an evaporator. He clearly espoused the theories of Ogden Squire Fowler — the American eccentric who touted the virtues of an eight-sided house versus a square house, which had corners that were thought to be “intrinsically evil.” Scott and his wife had 12 children and their descendants still live in the area. As part of Digital Doors Open, learn more about this house in the video below.

The earliest mention of Castleton occurs when Joseph A. Keeler (1788-1855), the founder of Colborne and son of the original settler of the township, built a mill there around 1806. In that year, Keeler would have been 18 — young to be in the building business. But this goes to show his ingenuity and pioneer spirit. At first, the settlement was known as Piper’s Corners, given its location on Piper’s Creek, then Centreville and later the British-sounding name of Castleton was adopted. In 1875, Samuel L. Purdy purchased the mill, built the adjacent Gothic farmhouse in 1880, and his family lived there and operated the mill until 1948. As part of Digital Doors Open, learn more about this site through the video below.

The Oriental Hotel was built in the 1890s to serve the village of Castleton, which was the township seat and a principal crossroads of agriculture. As well as the usual hotel services, it has housed a doctor’s office, the library and a branch of the Imperial Bank of Commerce. A family called Wolfraim owned and managed the hotel from 1903 to 1986, while another member of the same family owned the Brunswick Hotel on King Street in Colborne. As part of Digital Doors Open, learn more about this site through the video below.

In 1846, Cuthbert Cumming and his wife Jane McMurray acquired a portion of this property, and they bought the balance in 1852. Cumming was born in Scotland and, after working in the Canadian west and Québec, he retired as a Chief Trader for the Hudson Bay Company. He remained in Colborne for many years, listed in the census records as “a gentleman” until his demise in 1870. He is buried in the Trinity Anglican Church cemetery where headstones tell a tale of Cumming family tragedy with the deaths of multiple children. As part of Digital Doors Open, learn more about this house in the video below.