Commemoration

This fine limestone house, originally painted blue, was completed in 1834 by John David Smith. Born in New York City in 1786, he came here in 1797 with his father, Elias Smith, who had played a leading role in the founding of this community. The family received large grants of land in Hope Township, and John David Smith served during the War of 1812 as a captain in the 1st Durham Militia. A prosperous merchant, he served as a local justice of the peace and was elected to the legislature of Upper Canada in 1829. This house, built in the Greek Revival style, remains an outstanding example of its type in Ontario.