Restore Our Historic Pensioner's Cottage

Learn More About Our StoryThe Park House Museum is a non-profit national historic site and living history museum run by the Amherstburg Historic Sites Association. We are home to two very important buildings from Amherstburg's History, our beautiful Historic House, the eldest home in the town, and our Pensioner's Cottage.

The museum allows visitors to immerse themselves in our town's history through hands-on experiences such as fireplace cooking, tinsmithing, and other 19th century crafts. The Pensioner's Cottage is one of two left in existence in Amherstburg, the remains of the legacy of British soldiers. Upon retirement from the British Army, the Army provided pensioners with 4 room cottages for their residences. 88 cottages were built around the Amherstburg area and occupied by British Army Pensioners. In particular, Pensioner’s Cottage belonged to Matthew Pollard and originally sat on Lot 30 on Fort Street on the south side of the road. 87 of the cottages were built in the same fashion with the same housing layout, with the exception of one created for a prominent Sergeant Major.

Today, the cottage houses a hands-on artisan shop where the past comes to life through the lost art of tinsmithing. The cottage also houses the original printing press from the town's first newspaper, The Amherstburg Echo. This cottage is of vital historical significance, and is currently in need of restorative work in order for the museum to be able to continue to immerse visitors in its history.

Currently, the cottage is experiencing some significant rotting in one of the doorways as well as the siding of the building. The funds raised will go directly to restoration efforts to bring the cottage back to its original glory, as a cornerstone of our community's history.

We will specifically be putting all funds raised into the restorative work including: replacing the rotten siding, repainting, and taking measures to ensure that the rest of the building remains in tact. As this is a historic structure, we often face challenges with sourcing materials that fit our specific era. The funds will also be allocated to ensure the upmost historical accuracy.