Last weekend the hubby and I took a drive to Barrie, Ontario to do some shopping at Costco, a popular warehouse store. Barrie is about an hour away from where we live, and we always take a scenic route through the countryside instead of the crowded highways. Most times scenic route equals photo ops, so my camera is always with me.
As we passed through Creemore, Ontario, I remembered that this little village claims to be the home of North America’s smallest jail and thought it might make for an interesting blog post. When we finally found it beside the local library, I realized that something was different from the last time we had been there – there was a lovely little log cabin standing beside the jail. It was just so incredibly photogenic that I immediately ran over and started snapping pictures. Here is the history of the cabin from the sign out front:
“The Creemore Log Cabin
Built in the early 1870’s, this log home stood at the southeast corner of George and Mary Streets, the land owned by Henry Mathers, a wagon maker who became one of Creemore’s most prominent citizens. Its builders used 10 different species of trees growing nearby. James and Abigail Scarrow and their ten children were the cabin’s first known residents (their son, Alma Scarrow, would later build some of the town’s finest houses). In 1909 it became the home of Joseph James Veitch and daughters Hazel and Ivy. Grandson, Marlyn Shaw, was still living in it when the property was sold nearly 90 years later. Slated for demolition, the cabin was carefully dismantled and in 2011 relocated here in the heart of Creemore’s heritage district. Thanks to the generosity of hundreds of contributors and the labour of dozens of volunteers, it stands today as a tribute to earlier generations of village citizens, a public venue for culture, education and recreation.”
Wow, I’m still freaking out over the Scarrows living in this little cabin with 10 kids!!!! And I thought two boys running around my house was bad enough LOL! Here are my photos of the little cabin in Creemore – I hope you enjoy them.
Stay tuned tomorrow (or maybe the next day) for photos of North America’s smallest jail.
photos from the loonybin 
it is adorable
I thought my blogging buddies might think so :).
we most certainly do!
🙂
The Library and the Village Organizations use the Log Cabin for different activities, like “Back in the Past, the Way We Were”, “Children’s’ Art Camp”, and along with many different fun events for all ages.
Thanks Kate :). That’s wonderful that they put it to such good use and teach kids about the past.
Thanks for the tip.. I now need to go see this place!
You’re welcome, but you might want to wait until the summer because apparently they lock the jail up during the winter. It’s fun to go inside and see how small the cells are :).
plus I hate to be outside in the winter!
I’m with you on that one my friend 🙂
Wow, it’s amazing!!! 😀 I love cute little houses, especially old fashioned looking ones.
Me too :). I’m really hoping that they will decorate it inside too to look like it did then.
Excellent post. I love the history behind this.
Thanks Edith. I seem to be getting more and more interested in history as I get older, and I am looking forward to searching for more places like this. Our province has an amazing history doesn’t it?
WOW! i could totally live in it. it looks something like the house i grew up in. it was a hand-me-down shack from my uncle when he came over after the war. it had 4 rooms, no bathroom and there was my mom, dad, and 4 kids at the time. i should post pics of it sometime. now there is some history, but it’s from the Soo.
Oh, you should definitely post the pictures – I would love to see them. Maybe you should start your own blog Irene??
How damn quaint… I would love to live in a little cabin like that… I do agree though that not with the ten children but just the wife and I…. I love it…
I know right? I can just imagine in the time before technology, when life was so much more simple, sitting in front of a roaring fire on a winter’s night in that little cabin talking over our day :). How peaceful that would be!
Very cute cabin, but it would be difficult to live there with the better half and Atticus and Miles. 10 kids–don’t know how they did it.
I’m still shaking my head over the 10 kids thing – living in that tiny cabin with 10 crazy little animals running around. Heck, I’m still shaking my head over the idea of HAVING 10 kids!!! LOL
This is so freaken adorable!!!! But….. 10 kids?? That is crazy!!! 😀 **
What?? You’re not going to have 10 kids Xandre?? LOL :). It is adorable though – I agree!
So nice and rustic, this cabin. Love the photos!
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed them :).
what a wonderful house !
It sure is! I would love to live in a beautiful log home, but I think I would need it to be just a wee bit bigger than this one :).
I would go nuts in that little house with 10 kids!
I would go nuts in any house with 10 kids LOL!!! Don’t get me wrong, I love kids but 10??? No way :).
A great little cabin but you wonder where they all slept! At least it would be cozy war inside with all those bodies. Can’t wait to see the little jail too! 🙂
Yes, I would imagine that there were quite a few bodies squished into the same bed at night LOL!! I’m having a relaxing day reading today, but I will probably post the jail pictures tomorrow. Thanks Dor :).
Note to self: take a leisurely drive to Creemore in the spring. Lovely photos! And yes … imagine that being home to a family of 12 …
If you do take that leisurely drive to Creemore, make sure you try out The Sovereign Restaurant for dinner. It’s amazing!!