1856 Red River Frame House
The two-storey 1856 Red River Frame House was built by William Brown. Originally built in St. John in 1852, Brown moved the home to Headingley in 1856 were it was completed. In 1973 the house became part of the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia and was transferred to its current location along Portage Avenue.
William Brown was a Scottish immigrant who left his home at the age of twenty-one to come to Canada. He immigrated with the hopes of improving his economic future by becoming a labourer for the Hudson Bay Company. William Brown was born into a society in Orkney, Scotland that emphasized perseverance, independence and conservatism. This made him a favourable candidate for the Hudson Bay Company. His work for the HBC began in 1830 and likely involved carting and shifting of freight goods from the distribution post at Fort Simpson to other small posts in the area. William worked for the HBC for many years and then settled to work as a farmer in the Red River Settlement (St. John’s Parish) at the forks of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers.
In 1852 William Brown began the construction of his home in the St. John area, with the help of family and friends in the area. The Red River Frame style of architecture used oak logs that slide in-between the vertical corner posts and fit together like a puzzle. In-between the logs chinking, a mixture of mud, hay, horsehair and horse manure and urine, was used to insulate the house.
Early settlers in the Red River region had to clear the land of trees and bush, and the land had to be broken by plows drawn by oxen and horses. As a consequence the area which each farmer cultivated tended to be small, and the chances of economic successes were poor.
The home was moved to Headingley in 1856. There is no record that specifically pertains to the reasons for this move, but one can speculate that it was likely because of the Red River flood of 1852. Headingley was a more secure environment, which was less susceptible to flooding. This is where he met his second wife Charlotte Omand, who was of Métis heritage. Charlotte’s mother was of Ojibway heritage and her father was of Scottish heritage. William and Charlotte married and raised four sons: John, Magnus, James, William Jr, and two daughters, Margaret and Francis.
The original house only included what is now the parlour. In 1890, after they had earned more money as farmers, they added the sitting room, kitchen and the three bedrooms upstairs.
William Brown died on June 8, 1891 at the age of 83.
The house was moved from its original location in Headingley to its current home at the museum in 1973.
The building was restored in 1973. A new concrete foundation was build. The inside was plastered and painted (oil-based). The original Brown house was not plastered. The logs would have been exposed. Exterior doors were replaced (pinewood). Exterior of the building was painted with acrylic and whitewash. Hinges, latches, doors, and other furnishings were copied from existing originals. The wooden floor is original with some boards replaced in the kitchen, sitting room and parlour. Shingles were replaced with cedar shakes (originals made of oak, pine, or cedar). The deterioration of the original logs in the Brown House was relatively minor considering the relative age of the structure. The window sill logs on the north and west sides were replaced using identical logs.
In the Fall of 2007 restoration on the outside of the house was done. Outside window frames were fixed. Walls were re-chinked with play sand, water, lime, and cement.
