Heritage Sites

Built as a summer home for the local Port Stanley Justice of the Peace in 1849, the main building first became an inn in 1918. The buildings was significantly restored in 1983 and 1990 by the present owners. English style gardens, a folksy gazebo, and the two cozy dining rooms all provide old
world charm.

Built in the 1870s, the building originally served as a livery stable, a boarding and care facility for horses and carriages used by travelers and villagers. Heritage records confirm the address in Port Stanley’s heritage by-law, emphasizing its historical role in transportation and commerce .

The building was constructed circa 1917 by the East Side Fish Company, although it was not completed until after the fishing industry began to decline. It was never used as a fishery but served for net mending and storage. The symmetrical design and the number of windows provide east, south and west exposure to both natural light and the sun's heat in a large structure that was originally heated only by small coal stoves.

Built circa 1915 during the boom of the fishing industry, the cork kiln was important for the drying of the cork used for floating fish nets. The kiln was built into the side of the hill as a natural way to maintain dry heat. Today, it stands as a rare reminder of early industrial ingenuity on the coast. It remains one of the few surviving structures of its kind in Ontario.

The Russell house was built in the early 1870s of locally made strawberry bricks by a newly arrived settler, John Sweeney. It was one of the first hotels in Port Stanley, and one of a number of similar inns required in the early days of lake, rail and stagecoach travel. Over the years it has served
as butcher and plumbing shops, and doctor's, lawyer's and insurance agent's offices. The building later became the Sterling Bank, and several staff members lived in rooms on the second floor. One of these staff included a young banker named Mitchell Hepburn, who later became Premier of Ontario.

The Payne House was built in 1873 by Manuel Payne on the site of Col. John Bostwick's residence, and encompasses its original foundation. Built of yellow brick in the early Victorian style, it mixes the gables of Gothic Revival and the bay windows and quoining of the Italianate style. Manual Payne was a railway agent, telegraph and telephone operator, customs officer, express agent, issuer of marriage licenses, and the first postmaster of the village.