Home as History
Restoring the Ireland House
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Four Generations / 148 Years
The Ireland family lived in the Ireland House at Oakridge Farm from 1837 to 1985.
The house was Joseph and Ruth Ireland's second home on their Guelph Line property.
Joseph and Ruth Ireland were married in Nelson Township in 1823. For the first thirteen years of their marriage, they lived in a log cabin alongside their growing family (five children by 1832).
Construction on the new home began in 1835, the same year their sixth child was born. Thankfully the house was finished in 1837, and Ruth gave birth to her final two children in the relative comfort of their new home’s sick room.
Besides a single addition and minor upgrades, the house remained unchanged over the next four generations.
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From Homestead to Museum
Marie Ireland passed away in 1985. Two years later, the City of Burlington purchased the property from her estate.
In 1990, after three years of planning, organizing and fundraising, Phase I of the Ireland House Restoration Project began.
Spanning 1990-91, Phase I saw major restoration work completed on the interior of the House.
The following year, Phase II began with a focus on restoring the House’s exterior and outbuildings. This Phase also saw the construction of the Museum’s Interpretive Centre.
Following these major Phases in the early 90s, subsequent work has been regularly undertaken in order to maintain the House’s structural and aesthetic integrity. Additionally, work has also been undertaken in order to update how the House is interpreted for our visitors.
Take a look at some of the restoration projects that transformed the Ireland House from a homestead to a Museum!