In this page will be listed the "history" such as is known of the last remaining structure of the once thriving community of Partridge Island: The Ottawa House By The Sea

Speculated Dates of construction: ????
From the remaining records of James Ratchford there have been found very few descriptive references to his home. For many years there has been no clear idea of when the original building was erected, or by whom.   Although it is known that the building eventually came into ownership of the Ratchford family, at present there is no definitive evidence that James Ratchford Sr. ever lived there.

It is known though that James had a home on a lot next to the building which was still in existence in the late 1890's.  Presently it seems plausible that either Silas Crane or James Noble Shannon built the original section of the building to be used as their store, with living accommodations above it.   The unusual vertical log structure, which is the central portion of the contemporary Ottawa House, and the internal layout of the building, strongly suggests that the original structure pre-dates the arrival of James Ratchford.   It could have been constructed by Silas Crane after his arrival in 1778, yet there is reference to two hotels being in existence at Partridge Island in 1774.   Perhaps Ottawa House was one of these.

The strongest evidence however, dates the central structure even earlier.  The unique building properties of the central portion of the building, reflecting the Acadian style of building, has recently been confirmed with tree ring analysis and dating. This analysis places the age of the wood used, to be between 1765 to 1775, with the majority of wood, dating 1773.   It also appears in this tree ring analysis, that the spruce trees used in construction match closely the rings of those growing in the Horton area on the opposite side of the bay.

Thus the building could have been dismantled and moved to Partiridge Island at a later date .  As well, it could possibly have been assembled from wood brought over from the Horton area by one of the earlier traders: Crane or Ratchford. They owned vessels and were obviously well enough off to have it shipped over.

1836 It is known that:  The building was inherited by Thomas Ratchford from his father, James.

1838 The building was inherited by Sarah Jane Ratchford, daughter and only heir of Thomas Ratchford.

1839 The building was purchased by James Ratchford Jr. and his wife Eliza Mary for $800.

1855 - 1871   In 1871, Dr. Charles Tupper bought two adjacent lots of land, on one of which stood the present day Ottawa House. There is no specific reference to the building, only that it was the property formerly occupied by James Ratchford. This may indicate that Tupper had already informally owned or rented the building and now had just bought the surrounding land. Several references exist which indicate he had occupied the building as early as 1856. These same references also state he had carried out major renovations and expansion of the original building. A Parks Canada survey of the building conducted in 1975 expressed the belief that a major renovation was done sometime in the 1850's and then later in 1871, when the East wing was added.

1884 - 1910 The building was purchased by the Cumberland Railway and Coal Company. The company General Manager, R. G. Leckie, occupied the residence each summer until 1889 when he was replaced by the new General Manager, J. R. Cowans. He continued to maintain it as a summer residence until 1910. It is during the company's period of ownership that indoor plumbing and bathrooms were installed. When the building was wired for electricity is subject to some speculation and it could be that oil lamps were in use until as late as 1916.
There are also reports that J. R. Cowans constructed outdoor tennis courts and built a large stable for his race horses.
It was widely reported that when he and his family moved into residence each spring, it took the entire rolling stock of the railway to move the family, servants, horses, wagons, and baggage. Recorded memories of senior residents of Parrsboro exist noting the carnival atmosphere of the arrival of the Cowans family each spring and of how children would follow the procession from the railway station to Ottawa House. It was said that Spring had not officially arrived until the Cowans did.

1910 - 1923 Owned by the Dominion Steel Company The most noteworthy 'event' of their occupancy was the erection of No Trespassing signs, denying access to Partridge Island itself. The Town Council eventually convinced the Department of Transport to lease the right of way across the bar and over to the island's Western Point where a lighthouse had once been intended to be built. The town thus was able to open access once again to the beaches and island.

1923 - 1926 The building was purchased by Captain Carl Merriam who operated the Ottawa House as an Inn. Few changes or renovations were made by him to the structure except for a small barred storeroom in the basement which was allegedly for the stockpiling of smuggled rum. He did however build a large Dance Pavilion to the east of the Ottawa House on the opposite side of the road. Apparently during the Roaring 20's this was the action spot of the area.

It is rumoured that the Prohibiiton Laws of the day were often circumvented at Partridge Island, conjuring up images of darkened ships, hooded lanterns, muffled oars and clandestine passing of cases. Captain Merriam was in fact charged in 1926 for involvment in rum running. He was found guilty but on the day he was to be sentenced, it is said that he suffered a fatal heart attack while driving his car to court. There followed a suspiciously closed casket service, which quite naturally bred rumours casting suspicion on the entire affair.

1926 - 1948 The Seaman family purchased the building; they too operated an Inn in the House. It is not known precisely what, if any, renovations were made to the building. It is known that they ran a thriving business and Mrs. Seaman had the reputation of being a hard worker and a fine cook. It was during their tenure that the hardwood floors were laid on the second floor bedrooms and perhaps the dining room area. The hardwood was salvaged from the former Dance Pavilion. It was also during the Seaman ownership, sometime early in World War II, that Queen Juliana of the Netherlands made a brief stop during her tour of Nova Scotia at the invitation of the Provincial Government.Â

1948 - 1962 James (Jim) and Lottie Wheaton purchased the building.   This family carried on the tradition of maintaining a well-run and popular summer inn.  Lottie was very interested in local history and was proud to promote and save the character of the building.   Later she became an active member in the Parrsborough Shore Historical Society, as did her daughter Marie and son Bill.  The initial of the Ottawa House is now dedicated to the memory of Marie.


This newspaper article was published October 13, 1951



1962 - 1974 The building was purchased by Mr. Kitchener Tracy. He too operated an Inn and dining room. Few alterations were made under his management other than general maintenance. He did completely re-roof the building and in the process found that the roof was completely sheathed with birch bark.

1974 - 1980 Peter and Winnie McCaig bought the building and operated a seasonal summer hotel and dining room. They made few alterations to the building other than general maintenance work. They did have a new well drilled, which is the buildings' present source of water. They also built a breakwater on the immediate beach front, the remains of which can be seen there today.
Under McCaig's management many thousands of visitors patronized the Inn and especially their fine cuisine. In their last year of operation they were listed in MacLeans' Canadian Top Ten Eating Inns.

1980 The Parrsborough Shore Historical Society initiated and supported the purchase of the Ottawa House by the Department of Lands and Forests. The house since that time has been maintained by the Society under a lease arrangement with the Provincial Government. The Society has operated the seasonal museum since 1981 and hosted many local events and celebrations.

For the past 26 years the Society has attempted to maintain and restore the building to its' original charm and glory, while showcasing its' age and heritage. Removal of the plaster in one of the upper rooms of the original structure, while not precisely a 'renovation' in the classic sense, permits visitors to the Ottawa House the opportunity of viewing directly an Acadian style structure, complete with hand hewn vertical log construction techniques. This is something rare in the Province and unique to the nation. In additon the Society has attempted to showcase the original brick hearth in the kitchen after removing the wood which had been covering it for many years. Hhighlighted now are the hand made bricks and mortar which had to have been made locally at the time of construction.

And now, this year, the Society is embarking on its' most ambitious project yet. To raise suffiicient funds to save and restore the Ottawa House By The Sea. This is a huge and sometimes daunting task but will be spread over a period of eight years by which time the building will be safe and secure for future generations.