About the Museum

The Museum of Northern History originally opened in 1967, and was housed in the former Assay Office on the Wright-Hargreaves Mine property. It initially was made up of a modest collection of photographs, historical and mining artifacts for the region, but soon outgrew its storage and display capacity. It relocated in the early 1980’s and officially opened at the Sir Harry Oakes Chateau on July 1st, 1983.

Chateau History

Following gold discoveries with the Tough-Oakes Mine, and later the Lake Shore Mine, Harry Oakes built a log home on the Lake Shore property in 1919. Roughly a storey and a half in size, the Oakes home was destroyed by fire in early 1929. 

In 1929 a newly rebuilt “Chateau” included a copper roof, four fireplaces, a full attic, wrap around veranda and a basement with a six car drive-through garage. 

In the mid 1930’s the Oakes family moved to the Bahamas leaving the Chateau as a guest house for the Lake Shore Mine until its closure in 1965. The building was then sold to Cochrane Nursing Homes and renovated to accommodate a nursing home, where it remained until 1976.

The building was officially designated a heritage site in 1980 by the Ontario Heritage Trust, a non-profit organization that continues to hold ownership. The building underwent renovations, and was restored to return the exterior to its original appearance. To this day, much of the former home retains its original plaster work, particularly Nancy Oakes’ bedroom walls, and light fixtures.