Whitehern Historic House and Garden in Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, built shortly before 1850, is a Late Classical house that is now a historic house museum.

At one time, Whitehern was the home of Thomas McQuesten

Thomas McQuesten

Thomas Baker McQuesten was a Canadian athlete, militiaman, lawyer, politician and government appointee who lived in Hamilton, Ontario....

. His historic downtown family home was willed to the City of Hamilton, after the death of the last of his five unmarried siblings in 1968. It is situated on the corner of Jackson Street West

Jackson Street (Hamilton, Ontario)

Jackson Street, is a Lower City collector road in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It starts off West of Locke Street South at Jackson Playground as a one-way street up to Queen Street South where it then switches over to a two-way street and is interrupted at Bay Street South the site of the Hamilton...

 and MacNab Street South

MacNab Street (Hamilton, Ontario)

MacNab Street, is a Lower City collector road in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It starts in the Durand neighbourhood on Markland Street, as a one-way street going north to Bold Street, where it becomes two-way for one block until Hurst Place where it's cut off by a wall for the Hunter Street railway...

, just east of the Hamilton City Hall

Hamilton City Hall

Hamilton City Hall is located in downtown Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is an 8-storey building , located at the corner of Main Street West and Bay Street South, across the street from the Ronald V. Joyce Centre for the Performing Arts and the Hamilton Art Gallery. It was officially opened on...

 and behind the Canadian Football Hall of Fame

Canadian Football Hall of Fame

The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...

 museum. After its restoration was complete in 1971, Whitehern has been open as a civic museum

Museum

A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

 and has occasionally served as a period film location. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1962. An Ontario Historical Plaque was erected by the province to commemorate Whitehern's role in Ontario's heritage.

Among the many Hamilton civic leaders and boosters, McQuesten helped encourage McMaster University

McMaster University

McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...

 to relocate from downtown Toronto to west Hamilton in 1930.

Affiliations

The Museum is affiliated with: CMA

Canadian Museums Association

The Canadian Museums Association is a national organization for the promotion of museums in Canada.The Canadian Museums Association is the national organization for the advancement of the Canadian museum sector, representing Canadian museum professionals both within Canada and internationally. The...

, CHIN

Canadian Heritage Information Network

The Canadian Heritage Information Network is a Canadian government-supported organization that provides a networked interface to Canada's heritage, largely through the World Wide Web. It aims to give access to Canada's heritage for both Canadians and a worldwide audience, by supporting the...

, and Virtual Museum of Canada

Virtual Museum of Canada

The Virtual Museum of Canada is Canada's national virtual museum. With a directory of over 3,000 Canadian heritage institutions and a database of over 600 virtual exhibits, the VMC brings together Canada's museums regardless of size or geographical location.The VMC includes virtual exhibits,...

.

External links

• Whitehern Historic House and Garden - official site
• Whitehern historical information
• Whitehern Museum Archives