The driveway is well hidden. At the time this was written, the site was closed with No Trespassing signs.
Commemoration
This house, built in 1816, is a fine early example of Regency architecture and its interior is a pleasing expression of Georgian symmetry with excellent detailing. In a wooded setting and commanding an impressive view, this was a fitting home for a country squire. It was built for retired fur trader John McDonald of Garth, an aggressive and successful North West Company wintering partner during the rivalry with the Hudson's Bay Company. In 1824 McDonald gave the house to a daughter, wife of retired fur trader John Duncan Campbell, and it remained in the Campbell family until 1965.
Background
The house is modelled on British country estates and reflects the wealth of its owner. It is a one and one-half storey, truncated hipped roof structure with flanking wings, set on a high basement. It was part of a 150 acre estate, some of it worked by tenants.
John McDonald was born at the family estate of Garth in Perthshire, Scotland in 1771. During the War of 1812, he led an expedition by ship to capture the American Fur Company’s headquarters in Fort Astoria on the Pacific, He arrived only to find that the North West Company had already seized the fort. He also tried to negotiate a peace between the NWC and the HBC in the Pemican War but was unsuccessful.
In 1823, he left his wife, Nancy, and their children at Inverarden House. They were never properly married. He then married Amelia McGillis in 1830. They moved to Williamstown in the home once owned by John Johnson. He died in January, 1866.
As you progress through this journey, you will find many houses which have historical meaning for their communities and have been commemorated with historical plaques. We value such architecture as a touchstone of our past.