Remains at Horaceville©Copyright: Jeri Danyleyko
Horaceville was never an actual town site or community. Rather it was a busy industrial estate built by Hamnett Pinhey, a British aristocrat and decorated military office, who received a 1000-acre land grant on the Ottawa River in Carleton County.
Pinhey arrived in Canada in 1820 and immediately began construction on a home for his wife and family. This was followed by grist and saw mills, lime and malt kilns, an ash house, and granary. There seemed to be no end to the ongoing expansion. Besides the industries, the settlement included housing for Pinhey's workers and an Anglican Church, completed in 1827.
Although feudal in origin, Pinhey was in effect running a company town. He named the estate Horaceville after his eldest son Horace. Pinhey, who later dabbled in local politics, appears to have been respected and well liked.
Following Pinhey's death in 1857, the estate was passed on to his descendants. It remained in the family's hands until 1971 when it was turned over to the Pinhey's Point Foundation, who went on to develop the property as an historical site and recreation area.
The bulk of the Pinhey estate is now owned by the City of Ottawa which offers a busy roster of varied events and exhibits. The site only open to the public during the summer months.