Designations

Constructed in 1849, the Henry House is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act based on both its historical background and architectural merit.

Henry House was the home of Thomas Henry, a prominent Elder of the Christian Church (now part of the United Church of Canada), and an active participant in the development of early Port Oshawa.

Henry House was not originally constructed by Thomas Henry, but was in fact built by Harbourmaster Joseph Wood in 1849. Designed originally as a Regency Cottage (single storey), the exterior walls were constructed from Kingston limestone which had been brought to Sydenham Harbour (Port Oshawa) as ballast on sailing vessels. The lumber in the home was obtained from local trees with beams 12" by 12" in size being used to fashion the framing system of the house.

Following the death of Joseph Wood, Thomas Henry was appointed Harbourmaster for Port Sydenham. Before occupying this home, Thomas Henry modified the building to suit the needs of his large family, opening up the roof of this one-time Regency Cottage and adding a frame second level, somewhat smaller in dimensions than the first storey. Thomas Henry lived in the home until his death in 1879.

From 1879 to 1920, the Henry family remained in the home. In 1920, the building and property were purchased as part of a 40 acre purchase made by R. S. McLaughlin and his brother George McLaughlin at the Oshawa Lakefront. The property was donated by the McLaughlins to the Town of Oshawa as a gift to the people, which was used as a public park area. Henry House was retained by the City, and was opened as a museum in 1960.

Henry House is very unique in that the design of the house is not found in any other part of Ontario. In addition, the limestone construction of the house is very unique to the Oshawa area. It is quite unlikely that any other site in Oshawa has a limestone construction.