Uxbridge Historical Centre

Stokes-Kydd House

In 1908 George Stokes "bought the Plank farm at the edge of town, built a good house on it, and improved the outer buildings." There he devoted his attention to dairying. He was Councillor, Deputy-Reeve, Reeve, Treasurer of the Agricultural Society and father of the Uxbridge Young Liberal club. A later owner was the George Kydd Family, and Mrs. Nellie Kydd was elected as the first female mayor of Uxbridge Town in 1963.

By the year 2000 Coral Creek Homes development owned what remained from the original Stokes farm. The house was used as its Development Office during the building of "The Estates of Avonlea" subdivision. As the development neared completion it became necessary to sell the property on which the house stood. Uxbridge Secondary School leapt at the opportunity to purchase the adjoining parcel for much needed expansion. In order for the deal to go through, there could be no buildings on the property. The prospect of destroying the house became an unwanted reality, and to avoid this, the house was offered to the Township at no charge. During the same period the museum was in consultation to create a new administrative building - and the solution simply presented itself.

In October 2002 the stately Stokes-Kydd house made it's lumbering two-day, six-mile journey from it's original site beside the school, to our museum grounds on the 6th Concession.

At its new location, on Quaker Hill overlooking the Oak Ridges Moraine, the house provides much needed space for archival and artifact storage, a research centre, an admission/gift shop area, display area, a general purpose workroom, an office, washroom and staff lunchroom.