Lambton County

The Oil Museum of Canada, in the Village of Oil Springs, preserves the site of the first commercial oil well in North America. Learn the story of Canada’s oil pioneers — a unique and captivating era of our shared history! The 4-hectare (10-acre) site features four historical buildings with reconstructed spring-pole and three-pole derricks dominating the property.

Nemo Hall was built for John J. Kerr, a prominent builder, lumber mill owner and oil man. The home is an excellent example of the Second Empire style, and the only remaining building of this architectural type in Petrolia. The original property was three acres and included the house, a coach house, an orchard, exotic gardens and five oil wells.

The Lambton County Archives supports local genealogical and history research — with highlights that include local newspapers, land records and census records. Explore unique documents and photographs from the collection. Take a rare behind-the-scenes tour of the collection's storage vault (not normally accessible to the public). Learn about the history of Lambton County through this fascinating collection.

The original structure on this site, known as the Thom Building, was built by local photographer John Strathearn Thom to accommodate his photography studio. This purpose-built gallery, which opened in 2012, includes equipment that uses strict environmental controls to display art. Today, the collection comprises primarily Canadian historical and contemporary works of both local and national significance.

Jacob Englehart, one of Imperial Oil’s founding fathers, built this home for his wife as a wedding present. Following her death, Englehart had the home converted into a hospital, which opened in 1911. Visitors can view the ornate wood carvings of the board room (now the Corey Room), which once served as Englehart's study and library. Entry from Dufferin Avenue.