Join Charlotte as she tells the story of her grandparents’ house and teaches us about the Red River Frame style of architecture.

Charlotte Taylor, the daughter of John Taylor and granddaughter of William Brown and Charlotte Omand, lives in Headingly in the year 1890, where she attends school and visits her grandparents to help them around the farm. Charlotte loves company and has many stories to share about her grandparents and life on the farm.

Historical Context from Charlotte’s Stories

Red River Frame House

Red River Frame houses, also known as post on sill, were common throughout Western Canada during the nineteenth century. The precise origin of the technique is unknown, but it was likely adapted by the Métis people from house designs along the Saint Lawrence River in eastern Canada.

Upright posts were erected along the sill, a log running horizontally along the foundation of the house. These upright posts included grooves into which square logs were fitted to form walls. Since the logs were fitted into place, there was little need to use nails in the construction. Walls were then chinked with mud and straw for insulation.

An advantage of the Red River Frame house was that it could be easily dismantled and re-assembled in a new location. Red River Frame houses were durable and eliminated the cost for expensive nails. One disadavantage was that as the wood expanded and contracted, cracks in the chinking could occur, making the building quite cold.

The Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia is home to a two-storey Red River Frame house, the original home of William Brown and Charlotte Omand (grandparents to Charlotte). The house was moved from Headingley, where it was built in 1856, to the museum at 3180 Portage Avenue in 1973.