McCrae House, located in
Guelph,
Ontario, is the birthplace of
John McCrae (b. 1872 – d. 1918), doctor, soldier and author of the famous
First World War poem "
In Flanders Fields". The house is a
National Historic Site of Canada.
History
This small limestone cottage, built in 1858, was owned by the McCrae family from 1870 to 1873. Other families occupied the house until 1966, when a group of Guelph citizens purchased the building with the intention of preserving it as a museum. This group formed the Lt. Col. John McCrae Birthplace Society and began to raise money for its restoration.
The federal government through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board designated both John McCrae as a person of national significance, and the house as a place of national significance. McCrae House is designated under the ''
Ontario Heritage Act
The ''Ontario Heritage Act'', (the ''Act'') first enacted on March 5, 1975, allows municipalities and the provincial government to designate individual properties and districts in the Province of Ontario, Canada, as being of cultural heritage ...
''. The operation of the museum was transferred to the City of Guelph in 1983 and, along with Guelph Civic Museum, was merged under the name ''Guelph Museums''. The Guelph Civic Museum (c. 1847) is also designated under the ''Ontario Heritage Act''.
The Colonel John McCrae Memorial, was opened on 5 October 1963, by his friend:
Colonel Lawrence Moore Cosgrave
Colonel Lawrence Vincent Moore Cosgrave, (August 28, 1890 – July 28, 1971) was a Canadian soldier and diplomat. He was the Canadian signatory to the Japanese Instrument of Surrender at the end of World War II.
Early life
Cosgrave was born ...
.
McCrae House contains both permanent and temporary exhibition space that interprets the life and times of John McCrae. Yearly themes are offered. Summer activities include Poppy Push, Canada Day, Teddy Bear Picnic, History Camp and special teas in the garden. The gardening volunteers have worked to create an award-winning garden reflecting the time period of the mid-to-late 19th century.
In 2019, Guelph Museums announced that the House would again host a Backyard Theatre in July 2020, with a show that would not be a "literal telling of McCrae's story" but would contain a "significant amount of McCrae-specific content." Revenue from ticket sales would cover at least part of the cost of the production. A one-person show was presented in summer 2019 dramatizing the life of McCrae and the 2018 show was a love story set during WW I.
External links
Guelph Museums - McCrae House
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mccrae House
Historic house museums in Ontario
Culture of Guelph
Houses in Ontario
National Historic Sites in Ontario
Buildings and structures in Guelph
Biographical museums in Canada
Houses completed in 1858
Museums established in 1966
1966 establishments in Ontario
Museums in Wellington County, Ontario
History of Guelph
Tourist attractions in Guelph
Designated heritage properties in Ontario
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