ABOUT
Cottonwood Mansion
Built c. 1860-70
Maintained by: Cottonwood Mansion Preservation
Foundation, est. 1989
Photograph by Lauren
It All Started When…
Larry Hamilton (1940 - 2004), a relation and descendant of Cottonwood Mansion’s original owners, the Holmes family, purchased the property in 1988. At the time, the house was uninhabited and falling to ruin. Larry set about the difficult task of restoring the property back to its former glory, igniting a new purpose for the house as a living museum.
In February 1989, the Cottonwood Mansion Preservation Foundation was established with a purpose of preserving the Holmes and Hoover families’ histories along with showcasing the Victorian and Edwardian periods. In 1994 the bulk of the restoration was completed with considerable financial contributions from local residents, interested parties and an enormous amount of volunteer work. Dedicated volunteers and staff continue to make the mansion a thriving hub for cultural experiences, historic tours, special events, and rentals.
Our History
Cottonwood Mansion was the estate of William Holmes Jr. (1810 - 1892), built between 1860-70 on farmland north of Selkirk, Ontario. The property was inherited by his first wife, Mary Hoover (1802 - 1869). The couple originally lived in a small home north of the present-day mansion. They had five children, all of whom were adults by the time of their mother’s death. A year and a half after Mary’s passing in 1870, William married a widow of the name of Cynthia Anderson. In 1871, at age 42, Cynthia gave birth to a daughter whom they named Lillian. Through oral history, it is known that William provided for his five older children but most of his considerable assets were passed on to Lillian, including the mansion itself.
Despite there being a one-room public school known as Holmes School less than a half mile away, Lillian was tutored privately at Cottonwood. She was then sent to Alma College in St. Thomas, an exclusive boarding school for girls. It was at Alma College that Lillian met her future husband Henry Smiley, a widowed brother of her classmate. They married at Cottonwood and lived there with Cynthia for several years, eventually moving to St. Thomas and later to the United States. At first, the property was rented out then finally sold, where it eventually fell into despair. Cottonwood was lived in until 1911, afterwards becoming derelict for almost eighty years until its restoration was undertaken by the later Larry Hamilton beginning in 1988.
Cottonwood is a 6,000 square foot mansion in the Italianate style. It has fifteen rooms, some of which feature the original furniture donated by Holme’s family members. Now a living museum, the mansion is open for tours, educational programmes, weddings, and rentals. A number of scheduled events take place at Cottonwood annually. Please check out our upcoming events and programs to see what you can experience.
Land Acknowledgement
Cottonwood Mansion Museum would like to acknowledge the long history of the First Nations and Metis People in the Province of Ontario, and pay respect to the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the holder of the Treaty with the Crown for these lands. The land we steward is within the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe (Ah-nish-nah-bay), the Haudenosaunee (Ho-deh-no-show-nee) and the Attawandaron (At-ta-won-da-ron) nations and the Between-the-Lakes Purchase treaty. We strive to honour the Two Row Wampum Belt treaty as respectful neighbours on this land.
Land Acknowledgements are an act of reconciliation, an act of compassion, and an act of mindfulness. Recognizing the traditional territories, we stand on is a small but important step we can all take towards recognizing and honouring the Indigenous Peoples who have and continue to live on Turtle Island (North America).
Our Mission:
To preserve the site known as Cottonwood Mansion through collecting, preserving, and interpreting the building, its grounds, and artifacts as a living history museum which encourages the public to experience the Victorian and Edwardian eras so that the visiting public become lifetime learners, community supporters, and promoters of this local heritage.
Cottonwood Mansion Museum Spaces
Casey Monkelbaan - Interim Museum Manager
Casey is a graduate of Nipissing University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Specialist Degree and a Masters Degree of History. With several years of experience working at other museum sites, and being a previous volunteer, she has demonstrated her passion and love for Cottonwood.
Iona Whatford - Museum Manager (on leave)
A graduate from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Arts majoring in History and specializing in Material Culture and Victorian Garden History, Iona has worked in museum spaces for over 9 years. She has always felt passionate about historic house museums and was drawn to the splendour and heritage of Cottonwood, and since 2022 has worked hard to ensure that Cottonwood Mansion Museum is the perfect destination for beautiful events and rich educational experiences, while preserving and honouring its historic character and stories of the past.
Board of Directors
Laura Stinson - Interim Chair
Faye Whatford - Secretary
Andrew Spearin - Director
Kateryna Kolotylo - Director
Bob Gibson - Director
Sylvia Weaver - Director
Ann Baldwin - Director
We have had a recent change in our leadership, read about it here.