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The Quarrie homestead in Wellington County


"Maple Ridge Farm" – the Quarrie homestead, located near Bellwood, Ontario, on SW ½ of Lots 1 & 2, Concession 8, township of West Garafraxa, Wellington County.

~date of photo unknown~


Maple Ridge Farm was the home of my Great-great-grandparents, James Quarrie & Margaret McDonald, and the birthplace of my Great-grandfather, James Hugh Quarrie. Within the family it was simply referred to as "Bellwood".

While not the original owners of this property, it seems fairly certain that James built the home pictured here. Patents were granted from the Crown for the above lots totaling 200 acres in 1824 to a Charles Anderson. The lots changed hands three more times before being bought by James Quarrie in April 1861. As the story goes, they didn't move there immediately, having to stay in Guelph township to settle an estate. (I'd love to know more about this!) They apparently moved to Garafraxa in 1873, and the facts I've been able to find support this.

The records in 1861 reference a total of 192 acres over the 2 lots. We don’t know what James paid, but he took out mortgages for $2000 and discharged them 5 years later. While there must have been a house and barn on the lot prior, family lore says James built the stone house pictured, and there was a date carved in stone over the barn that says either 1876 or 1879. James & Margaret's two younger sons were born there in 1875 and 1877. It must have been a busy time for a young family.

James Quarrie was born in 1834 in Guelph township to Scottish immigrant parents, Andrew Quarry & Christian Renton. In 1863 he married Margaret McDonald, who was born in nearby Eramosa township to Hugh McDonald and Catherine Kennedy. The McDonald-Kennedys and the Quarries must have gotten along very well as James’ brother Christopher married Margaret’s sister Isabella. And keeping it in the family even further, Andrew Quarry, James & Christopher’s father, married as his second wife - Mary Kennedy, who was Margaret & Isabelle McDonald’s aunt. Keeping these connections straight make my head spin, every single time!

Bellwood seems to have been very much a family home with plenty of room for all. James and Margaret had 4 children, and on each census, there were various of their children, children’s spouses and grandchildren living there as well.  In 1903, their son Kenneth Christopher Quarrie married Ellen (Nellie) Reed. Ken & Nellie bought the farm for $5000 from James following Margaret’s death from heart disease in 1904. James continued to live there until his death from old age at 82, in 1917. James & Margaret are buried at the Johnson-Eramosa Union Cemetery.

Kenneth C Quarrie willed the farm to his son Kenneth McDonald Quarrie in 1946 with conditions that may have allowed Nellie to continue to live there, but it’s unclear if, and for how long Ken Jr or Nellie did so. Ken died as a resident of Florida in 1964, and his mother Nellie died in 1965. It was sold following Nellie’s death by her estate and by Ken Jr’s widow, Ruby to Cecil Wylie and Wylie Investments in 1967 for $21,000. Kenneth Sr. and Nellie are also buried at the Johnson-Eramosa Union Cemetery. 

In a real estate listing for this farm from 2014, the home was described as abandoned when Wylie bought it. It was obviously well built, as it was noted that "in the intervening years, only a single squirrel has managed to make its way in". Well built James!  

As commonly happens, each consecutive owner added their stamp to the farm, adding additions, a coach house, horse barn, riding arena and drive shed. In the late 80's an institution bought it and proposed to add residences near the pond to create several halfway houses. The community objected, and the farm was preserved. 

In 1992 it became the hobby farm of a retiring telecom exec from Toronto. He began raising thoroughbred cattle, and added many amenities, including a small family golf course, and expanded the house again. The original bones of the house can still be seen in the photo below. The original bank barn remains, having been restored by Mennonite carpenters. it was considered one of the "finest, oldest working barns in the county". 

In the 2014 listing, it was featured as the "home of the week" in the Globe & Mail. It shows 83 acres, so somewhere along the way 100 acres must have been sold off. It was listed at $2.25 Million.

The link to the feature story was still be active at time of writing.  https://www.theglobeandmail.com/real-estate/home-of-the-week-retired-exec-revives-19th-century-farm/article21381291/ 





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