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Douglas Heritage House
The Douglas Heritage house was the home to several families before the Town of Foam Lake Museum bought it in 1991 and moved the house to its current location behind the Foam Lake Visitor Information Centre. The 1915 is furnished with artifacts donated to the museum and some of which date as far back as the 17th century.
Robert Kirsch, who was a Security Lumber Yard Agent at the corner of 402 Bray Ave & Royal St. (directly south of the present day Legion Hall), built his home at 308 Royal St in 1915, where he and his wife lived until the 1940's. He became a superintendent of lumber yards and began traveling out of town in the late 1930's.
The two story home contained three bedrooms, a storage room and bathroom upstairs. The main floor featured a dining room, front room parlor with stained glass windows, front hallway, beautiful oak railed staircase leading up stairs, a veranda on the front and a kitchen at the back. A dumb waiter, (encased in a cupboard) was lifted and lowered to the basement where a generous size cement cistern held soft water. A hand pump brought the water to the kitchen sink. The entire house was heated using the hot water steam pipe method. Oak hardwood floors were placed in the two front rooms and hallway. A coal chute from the outside fed to the coal storage bin not far from the basement furnace.
When Robert Kirsch moved from Foam Lake during W.W.II, a Beaver R.M. #276 secretary, John Kreptual, and his wife moved into the house. They resided there until 1948 and then Don & Ann Hrynewich and their two daughters took up residence until June 30th, 1950.
The house was converted into the United Church Manse when Rev Harold E. and Sadie Fennel and family (Austin, Kathleen, and Brian) moved there in July of 1950. They were residents of the house until June of 1956. The front parlor became the minister study. People were counseled and some were married there.
Robert Kirsch, who was a Security Lumber Yard Agent at the corner of 402 Bray Ave & Royal St. (directly south of the present day Legion Hall), built his home at 308 Royal St in 1915, where he and his wife lived until the 1940's. He became a superintendent of lumber yards and began traveling out of town in the late 1930's.
The two story home contained three bedrooms, a storage room and bathroom upstairs. The main floor featured a dining room, front room parlor with stained glass windows, front hallway, beautiful oak railed staircase leading up stairs, a veranda on the front and a kitchen at the back. A dumb waiter, (encased in a cupboard) was lifted and lowered to the basement where a generous size cement cistern held soft water. A hand pump brought the water to the kitchen sink. The entire house was heated using the hot water steam pipe method. Oak hardwood floors were placed in the two front rooms and hallway. A coal chute from the outside fed to the coal storage bin not far from the basement furnace.
When Robert Kirsch moved from Foam Lake during W.W.II, a Beaver R.M. #276 secretary, John Kreptual, and his wife moved into the house. They resided there until 1948 and then Don & Ann Hrynewich and their two daughters took up residence until June 30th, 1950.
The house was converted into the United Church Manse when Rev Harold E. and Sadie Fennel and family (Austin, Kathleen, and Brian) moved there in July of 1950. They were residents of the house until June of 1956. The front parlor became the minister study. People were counseled and some were married there.
Rev. Walter Cowan of Thamesville, Ont. batched there in 1956, then he brought his new bride June (Bashford) of Winnipeg to join him in 1957. The couple resided there until 1960, before moving to a new manse at 303 Royal, which was across the street. They traded building sites with Carman and Lila Douglas.
The Douglas Family moved to Foam Lake in 1936 to operate a Hardware Store North of the present Royal Bank building, until 1957 when Carman retired. Following Carman's death, Lila's brother Carl Doulas, moved into to the home in 1971. He replaced the screens in the Veranda with sturdy storm glass windows to cut out snow and summer rainfall at the front of the house. He died January 28th, 1989 at the age of 92, and then Lila moved into the former Lorne & Margaret Osbourne home at 309 Royal Steet in July of 1990.
The Foam Lake United Church bought the Douglas House and lot, then sold the house to the Town of Foam Lake Museum. It was moved from its location in the summer of 1991 by J & D Building Movers to its current location directly behind the Visitor Information Centre.
Once a moth in June, July and August, fresh bread is baked in a clay oven situated beside the house and served to the public. The house is open year round upon request.
The Douglas Family moved to Foam Lake in 1936 to operate a Hardware Store North of the present Royal Bank building, until 1957 when Carman retired. Following Carman's death, Lila's brother Carl Doulas, moved into to the home in 1971. He replaced the screens in the Veranda with sturdy storm glass windows to cut out snow and summer rainfall at the front of the house. He died January 28th, 1989 at the age of 92, and then Lila moved into the former Lorne & Margaret Osbourne home at 309 Royal Steet in July of 1990.
The Foam Lake United Church bought the Douglas House and lot, then sold the house to the Town of Foam Lake Museum. It was moved from its location in the summer of 1991 by J & D Building Movers to its current location directly behind the Visitor Information Centre.
Once a moth in June, July and August, fresh bread is baked in a clay oven situated beside the house and served to the public. The house is open year round upon request.
