Historic Belle River cabin to be partially saved by new owner
A log cabin, with significance for Essex County's Francophone community, will be dismantled and rebuilt in the Staples area.
This will mark the end of a 12-year saga to preserve Saint-Pierre House.
The cabin, located on West Belle River Road, belonged to Elizabeth McInnis, who grew up in the home. Her maiden name is St. Pierre and it has been in her family for generations. The building has stood in Belle River since the 19th century.
The wife of the original owner was Metis, prompting non-profit organization Voyageur Metis to try to save the building in 2017. But plans for a partnership with the group and Lakeshore town council did not work out.
It was purchased by Lee-Anne Setterington, who spends a lot of time salvaging wood from old buildings.
"We own a farm that doesn't have a house on it, so we don't know if we're going to put it up as our house or as a storage area," said Setterington.
"We couldn't do anything until we uncover enough of it to see what can be saved and what can be used and that, but definitely it's going to be going back up."
Setterington plans to install a plaque with the history of the building.
Land records show the home was there in 1860, but McInnis said Catholic church records show the original family lived in the area long before that and may have built the cabin in the 1820's.
