History of the Dr. Parkin HouseIn the early part of the nineteenth century, in the period

immediately following the Napoleonic wars, there was a great scarcityof iron and other valuable metals in Britian and the colonies; so wheniron ore was discovered in and around Blairton, plans were at oncemade by those in authority to have it mined, smelted and put into use.Money for this object was advanced by monied interests in Montrealand also by interested parties in England. Smelters and furnaces werelocated on the east side of the Crowe River in Marmora, just below therapids. The names of the men in charge or those interested in thisindustry are in common use, as the street names - McGill, Hayes,Cameron, Bursthall and possibly Forsyth. Like all mining ventures ithad its ups and downs, its busy periods and times of idleness. One ofthe first managers decided to build a manager's house.

They had aquired much land and selected a large lot - Number 4 -at the end of Main Street, south of Madoc Street, on the east side of theriver. There they built a large square log house, perhaps 30 feet by 20feet or even larger dimensions. To square those logs, dove-tail thecorners and build such a place must have been a job for many goodaxe-men and carpenters. The roof was framed, as it is described, notjust put on as the usual rafters are; the boards that covered it wereclear pine and many inches wide without knots. The shingles werehand made from cedar. The house faced the river and along the frontwas a wide verandah. The front door opened into a wide hall withrooms on each side, long stairs led to the upper storey. The windowpanes were small, and there were 24 in each window. Four fireplaceshelped to heft the rooms. The outside was finished with clapboards.The furniture was brought in from Montreal by boat to Belleville. Thebest obtainable was none too good, some was clear mahogany, somewalnut and some the new veneer finish just coming into use then.Some of these pieces are still in use in Marmora.

The furnaces and foundry finally fell idle and the house was used as ahotel changing hands frequently as to management, but in the early1850's it was owned by Mrs. Margaret Brady. A large frame additionhad been built by some owner with two large rooms, the entrance tothem being from Forsythe Street. Along the South Side of the lot ranextensive sheds and barns. Much of the business was withlumberman, teamsters and loggers. Oxen and horses were the onlymeans of transportation, and there were three or four hotels inMarmora to accommodate the men travelling to the woods for Gilmouror Rathbun Companies or other firms.

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About 1851, George W. Bleecker came to the village with a coupleof wagonloads of goods to start a store. This was in a stone building onMain Street on the corner where the down hill road leads to the dam.By 1856 he was the owner of the property where Mr. Sanderson haslived for many years. This place was sold to Mrs. Brady and boughtfrom her also was the old company house and the land around it. Hemarried Sarah Johns and they kept the hotel there until about 1869.Obtaining a chance to rent the business, he built a home nearer thecorner, building first the long kitchen part so that they could move intoit and vacate the hotel, then adding the brick front later. He startedanother store on the east side of Forsythe Street, and then built thebrick store on the west side which he occupied until his death in 1895.

The old company house, hotel business lapsing, was used bytenants and at times by small industries as shoe making and harnessmaking. There were often several tenants.

When C' .lS. Bleeker married in 1886, his father (G.W.) wantedhim to re; -vate the old house and live there, but he preferred to buildhis home away from the business part of the village and bought landfor this purpose from Mr. George Loucks. In 1887 George B. Bleeckermarried and his father made him the same offer. He accepted. Theold frame part was torn down, a new cellar dug and the house wasmoved nearer Forsyth Street by at least forty feet. The outside wasbricked up, bay windows were cut from the new foundations to theroof. The entrance was from Forsyth Street. The whole inside of theplace was changed, new windows, new floors, new partitions and stairsand wood work made it practically a new house. George Bleecker diedin 1903 and his wife, with her mother and two sons kept their homeuntil her death in 1909. Then Dr. Mackenzie rented it for his office andhome, changing it to its present plan - waiting room and office. WhenDr. Crawford came to Marmora in 1912 he bought the home from theowner George W. Bleecker, the son of G. B. Bleecker. For thirty-fiveyears Dr. Crawford carried on his great service to the people ofMarmora, and the "manager's" house still stands. In 1947 Dr.Crawford retired, and Dr. William Donevan, who married a highschool teacher from Norwood, took over the practise and purchased thehouse from Dr. Crawford. In 1950, Dr. Herbert G. Parkin fromBrooklin and Norwood purchased the house and began to carry on hispractise. At this time all fireplaces had been removed and during thenext five years much remodelling was done. Most apparent was themaking of a side entrance on the north of the house for use of patients,and the two rooms that had been in use were made into five - waiting,consultation, examination, dispensary and two-piece washroom. AnX-ray machine was installed which greatly contributed to the

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community. The south side was all put into glass and a two-car garagebuilt to the west. A fireplace was put in the living room where thewoodwork was all replaced, and a modern kitchen was built. It was atthis time that Bethlehem Steel from Pennsylvania U.S.A. opened aniron mine on the southeast side ofthe village.

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