Oldest house in Nepean prepares for visitors
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Posted Mar 31, 2011
By Steph Willems
EMC Lifestyle - The oldest home in Nepean will open again for guided tours this spring and the Nepean Museum hopes to soon begin offering seasonal programming within its heritage walls.
The Bell family homestead (also knows as 'Fairfields'), located at 3080 Richmond Road, was opened to the public last year and gave residents a chance to walk through the carefully-preserved home of one of Ottawa's most prolific settlers, William Bell. The history of the surrounding area and the involvement of five generations of Bells fills the hallways and rooms of the stone farmhouse, offering an almost surreal contrast to the modern world right outside its windows.
The Nepean Museum, which took over the heritage aspect of the property following the acquisition of the property by the City of Nepean and the Community Foundation of Ottawa (CFO) in 2000, opened the house to the EMC last week before tours begin in May.
According to curator Rachel Perkins, the museum always planned for programming to take place at Fairfields.
"That was always our intention," said Perkins. "We (envision) programming for kids three days a week, while adult programming will be less frequent - that's something that will develop as time goes on."
This year Fairfields will be on display for Doors Open Ottawa the weekend of June 4-5, as well, events are planned for Father's Day and the Victoria Day weekend.
The house was quiet during the tour however, allowing this reporter to take as much time examining the many rooms of the home that dates from the dawn of Bytown.
In the early 1820's, as settlers were pushing into the Ottawa Valley to carve a new life out of the wilderness, William Bell purchased 660 acres in present-day Nepean on which to build a home and farming operation. The land stretched from the Ottawa River to where Baseline Road is today.
At the time, Richmond Road was the only link between Bytown and the village of Richmond (founded 1818) - a key transportation link between the two enclaves, which were both under military rule. As Kalle Boucher, education manager for the museum, explains, having a home in a key location in that era meant being able to provide travelers with lodgings, food, and - especially - drink.
"When William Bell built his log cabin in 1827, he operated a shanty tavern...He used grain from his farming operation to make ale, then sold the ale to buy more land - 660 acres by 1840. He only cultivated a small portion, though, and built a stone house to replace the log cabin."
The tavern operated until Bell's death in the mid-1860s, at which point he left the property to his second wife with the intent to pass it on to sons, Richard Albert Bell and William Nicholson Bell. Richard moved out west to find his fortune, while Nicholson stayed to tend the land, starting a lucrative dairy operation and eventually passing the property on to his son William Frederick Bell.
The devastating Carleton County fire of 1870 destroyed the original stone house, leaving just the exterior walls standing. The home was quickly rebuilt into the one that stands there today, with additions and modifications occurring in the following decades.
As Bytown grew into Ottawa, the Bell family was well-positioned to play a major role in its growth.
"The Bell family is seen as catalysts of the suburbanization of Nepean," said Boucher. "In the 1890s they sold a portion of their land to the Ottawa Electric Railway, who had built 'Britannia on the Bay' nearby as a resort destination for people living in Ottawa."
The Bell family built cottages to capitalize on Britannia's popularity as a weekend destination. Fairfields entered the modern age shortly after 1910 when it was wired for electricity, and had plumbing and forced-air heating installed.
As the 20th Century progressed, the Bells became known more for their political involvement than their farming. Nicholson served as deputy reeve on the Carleton County council, while his son later served as reeve. The most prolific politician in the family was undoubtedly Richard Albert (Dick) Bell, whose name graces many Nepean landmarks.
Dick Bell, who died in 1988, was instrumental in improving social and educational services in Nepean while serving as councillor for the City of Nepean. Dick, along with wife Ruth, were deeply involved in many social causes and hosted numerous events at Fairfields. Ruth, who received the Order of Canada in 1981, left the home in 1994, leaving it to daughter Judith, who passed away in 2000.
All of the Bell land, with the exception of 1.84 acres, was sold off over the years to build present-day Nepean.
Visitors to Fairfields can peruse Bell family photos, their book collection and - yes - their bell collection. The period furniture that fills the house all belonged to the family at one point or another, and original land deeds - dating from 1839 and 1844 - are mounted on the hallway wall.
The Nepean Museum is planning an event for opening day, May 22, and Fairfields can expect to once again have its rooms and halls filled with the community and political leaders of the day.
