Fairfield House stands west of Kingston, Ontario, on the lakefront of land granted to William Fairfield as a Loyalist in 1784. This timber-framed farmhouse was built in 1793 as the family’s second dwelling on the farm being cleared and established for their support.
Fairfield House was built by hand from local timber and limestone by men using skills learned before war disrupted their lives in the mid-1770s. When visitors enter Fairfield House, they are within the artifact that is the focus of their guided tour from limestone cellar to high-raftered attic. The house is being preserved to have visible its original building material and techniques, as well as changes the family made during the 1800s.
Fairfield House is at Amherstview in Fairfield Park, where there is parking just west of the Gateway of the Loyalist Parkway. Visitors to Fairfield Park can enjoy a walk that connects to local history.
The walk to the house follows the first road joining Kingston and settlement to the west. Views across the lake connect with the essential transportation link that preceded the road. The picket fence opens for access to the limestone front yard and the 1793 homestead with verandahs added about 1860.
Enjoy the video “A Summer Walk in Fairfield Park” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbkf_VRFDd4.
Fairfield House preserves original building features and has not been reworked as “restored” interior. There is a collection of furniture original to the Fairfield family. The virtual tour “Focus: Furniture” uses pictures and text to introduce the Fairfield family and twenty pieces of furniture that were part of life in the house before 1875. Its link is https://youtu.be/B9hzg_mukWQ.
Tours available for 2022.
