Nelles Manor, the building itself, has a long and colourful history in Grimsby. It was built in the late 18th century by Colonel Robert Nelles, a well-known businessman and political figure in Upper Canada during his time. The Colonel built this Manor when he married.
This home is architecturally beautiful and was significantly ahead of its time. The main walls of the house are an astonishing 3 ½ feet thick and built of local quarried limestone. The main structure, floors, ceilings, and stairs are all built primarily from wood, specifically from the local black walnut. Plaster and lathe were made from straw and horsehair for the finishing on the walls. Maple wood was used for flooring. Overall, the finest and rarest materials at the time were used in the construction of this house, which gives its pristine look today.
Later, Barry and Linda Coutts purchased the house in 1971. Eventually, donating the manor to a museum out of respect, creating the Nelles Manor Heritage House Foundation today.
An open house, with tours by dressed-in-time staff, is available. Get a first-hand feeling of the atmosphere and timeline of life back then. Old-fashioned music is played in the background, with available appetizers and wine and punch on the side.
Photo: By Nelles Manor – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=109038337
