The house, built by William in the 1860s, now sits proudly on the east bank of the Gatineau River, a short walk from the centre of Wakefield village and not far from William Fairbairn’s original farm location.
We’re located in the seven-acre Hendrick Park, near the Gendron covered bridge just across from Wakefield, Quebec. The beautifully restored Fairbairn House features various displays and artefacts from the region.
William Fairbairn and his wife Jean Wanless were married in 1813, and emigrated to Canada from Roxburghshire, Scotland, in 1817. William was trained as a stone mason and his wife was a nurse.
The Fairbairns arrived in Wakefield in 1834. In 1838, William erected the area’s first grist mill beside the La Pêche River. Its original thick stone walls are still an attraction in today’s Wakefield Mill.
William and his wife had four sons — Archibald, William, John and George — and four daughters — Helen, Mary, Elsie and Frances. In 1861, their sons went west to prospect in the gold fields of British Columbia. Members of the Fairbairn family lived in this house until 1906. William died on February 6, 1872, and his wife predeceased him in 1868.
The house has an adventure-filled past, having been relocated twice. Threatened with demolition in 1993 to make way for a road approach to the new bridge over the Gatineau River, it was moved across Route 105 from its farm location by Andy Tommy.
In 2005, about to be torn down to provide space for condo housing, the house was rescued again with the assistance of the Municipality of La Pêche.
On September 1, 2012, following the tireless efforts of a dedicated team of volunteers led by Michael Cooper,the new Fairbairn House Heritage Centre first opened its doors to visitors.
With exhibits, programmes and an ongoing roster of special events, Fairbairn House has a renewed purpose, focussing on our unique history and enhancing the area’s potential as a recreo-touristic destination.
Opened in June, 2018, our barn was built with wood saved from barns from yesteryear. The barn offers a welcome new display space and community venue.
The posts of the barn display the names of various supporters who have contributed to help us ‘keep the lights on’ at Fairbairn House.
This 1920s round-log cabin was donated to the Centre by the National Capital Commission (NCC) in 2012. It was taken down at Meech Lake, Chelsea, moved and then re-built as it was originally constructed, thanks to the craftsmanship of Daniel Régimbald, Derrick Oliver, and a group of Fairbairn House volunteers.
The 22′ x 20′ structure is an excellent example of round-log construction. As the earliest one-room schools in the Gatineau Valley were also log buildings, the cabin is furnished as a simple early school-room, to re-create the era for both adult visitors and student groups;
The cabin provides an ideal setting for workshops on traditional skills and activities. In addition, the Fairbairn House staff look forward to launching an “Escape Cabin” in the summer of 2023.
Located behind Fairbairn House, our stage sits at the bottom of a small hill creating a natural amphitheatre. Newly renovated in 2022, the stage has hosted countless concerts, weddings, a few retreats, graduation ceremonies and workshops.
