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heating air condttioning systems 1s1wefingtalsteunt7 tastera 4711748 raft5iiianslip wlqillttpn tribune community doug hackert 6405339 m sidinn windows specializing in replacement doors and windows serving whitchurchstourrville uxbridge and area a metroland community newspaper wednesday march 23 1988 door closes on scott twp past in 1988 by bruce stapley off the 6th concession of scott in durham region along a twist ing treed laneway past the trees and the flowing stream and you are suddenly taken back to the days of blacksmiths horsedrawn vehicles and early canadian architecture the fourbuilding restoration of 19th century scott township is the dream come true of dorothy and ed brown who came to farm in 1952 together they amassed a personal collection of antiques country heritage curator dorothy brown stands at her 19th century style hearth in her home on 6th cone scott township she has opened her museum to thousands of sightseers over the years she and her husband began collect ing canadiana in 1952 and opened as a museum in 1969 shes closing the museum at the end of this season bruce stapley bettys newfound confidencjj haywire fans c4 bruce stapley c9 9 ipars imgto haiti eg18 sskbswbsbs horsedrawn vehicles and histor ic buildings which were carefully moved to their property since 1969 this assortment of artifacts depicting the develop ment and growth of scott from preconfederation days has been made available for public viewing and for demonstrations nineteen years later mrs brown now a widow has decided to close down country heritage the name given to the privately owned and operated museum mrs brown who will celebrate her 80th birthday this may will continue to live in the beautifully restored main residence that houses the browns own collection of canadiana she will close the doors to the public at the end of the upcoming season muchawaited trip she will then take a much- awaited trip to colonial williams burg to get a first hand view of how they have recreated the past down there its always been just a hobby for us says mrs brown of the museum we certainly werent in it for the money theres no admission charge at country heritage there is a donation box where people can make a contribution to help de fray expenses we never had government grants or anything like that says mrs brown and we really wouldnt have wanted them be cause then we wouldnt have been able to run it the way we liked the way we liked was a mod us operandi that saw the browns put on demonstrations in candle dipping butter churning and rope making it was something like the way they do it at black creek pioneer village mrs brown explains people come individually on weekends or in specially arranged groups of students or other organizations during the week weve had people from all of the states and from every con tinent come to see the museum she says proudly 2000 visitors a year while the browns used to usher approximately 2000 people a year through their collection the past few years have seen that total cut back to 300 to 400 the demonstra tions have been dropped but the place is still a delightful throw back to an earlier place and time apart from the main residence and all its treasures there are the three other buildings each offer ing its own individual appeal theres the drive shed that houses such historic vehicles as the conboy cutter of early 1900s vintage the mclaughlin lady phaeton of the same era and the surrey with the fringe on the top which ed brown personally res tored the log cabin was built and owned by samuel mcdowell on a nearby lot it was dismantled and moved to the brown property where it was authentically recon structed it houses a blacksmith and wheelwrights shop the former scott township hall is the cornerstone building built in 1860 it housed the local town council until 1967 the browns moved it intact from its original location about a halfmile down the road from their property ed had always been interested in the architecture of the old town hall mrs brown recalls when the opportunity came to buy it we did a walk through the main resi dence is an endless adventure into the past the living room with its pressed pattern glass collection the cedar ceiling beams and the beautifully restored walls that are finished off with pine boards as wide as 18 inches the magni ficently hewn front door built in the 1880s and the walnut pegged pine floors 1815 tea set mrs brown points with pride to the late 1800s signed dining room chair she has just finished recan- ing then she opens the builtin corner cupboard revealing a pink willow tea set dating back to 1815 the bedrooms epitomize the old time coziness with their canopy or rolling pin beds chests in but ternut and burled walnut and commodes in pine and tiger maple and shell tell you the story be hind each and every piece where it is from how it was ac quired and how she and her hus band lovingly restored it you can sense the enjoyment these treasures have given the still nimble and spry museum curator its been a marvelous experience she says of the years spent amassing and showing these pieces and collectables what will she do once the doors are closed for the last time come fall ill keep busy she insists theres three acres of grass for me to cut and theres always something that needs tending to i havent got time to slow down