Author: Andrew
Brennan
Billings
Burnbrae Farm Conservation Area Efforts
Local members of the community and Burnbrae farm are currently revitalizing the Burnbrae Farm Conservationa area. This area is colloquially known as the Old Quarry and neighbours the Lyn Valley Conservation Area.
To get involved and help out with the clean up check them out on Facebook: Burnbrae Farm Conservation Area
History of Lyn
Lyn was founded in 1784 by Able Coleman who came here from the United States. They built their first mill in 1786 located on Main Street across from the museum and to the east of the water falls. The first mill burned and was replaced by a second mill in the same location which also burned. After this the five story stone structure you see depicted in the reception area was built south of the village.
During the 1830’s there was a general unrest with the United States and American names. It was then in 1836, that the name of Coleman’s Corners was changed to Lowell. The new name of Lowell only lasted one year, when after realizing there was another Lowell in Ontario, the name was changed in 1838 to Lyn, a Scottish word for waterfall (Linn).
In its heyday, Lyn had more industry and was busier than Brockville. With the introduction of electricity, Lyn unfortunately, slowly lost its manufacturing base and started to decline.
The Origins of the Lyn Heritage Place Museum
In 1997 the street commissioners of the village of Lyn heard that the old Stewart’s Garage on the Main Street was for sale and thought that it would be a good thing for the village to purchase it and fix it up as a museum for area artifacts and meeting rooms. After much researching of this possibility, it was turned down by the Township Council and the idea was dropped at that time.
The building, about 150 years old, was in very bad shape. Then came the ice storm of 1998 and the roof of the bus garage at the back fell in and the Township was putting pressure on the owner to tear the building down. About fifty pigeons had made their home in the main garage and most of the upper windows were broken.
In the spring of 1999, a Village Trustee talked to the owners of the building, Dale and Ron Howard of Howard Bus Lines, and was offered an exceptional deal on this property for the village.
This information was brought to the Lyn Days Committee, and everyone agreed that they should check into the possibility of the Lyn Days Committee acquiring the property.
The Lyn Days Committee talked to the owners and learned that there was a very involved title to the property to straighten out. The committee decided to acquire the property.
In early August the committee was assured the property would indeed be transferred. At a meeting in early August 1999 it was decided the property should be registered to a committee of five people in trust for Lyn Days and on August 25th, 1999 the title to the building was transferred to the committee.
On August 30th,1999 volunteers started cutting brush and clearing up the junk on the property. They were soon joined by several other volunteers, machines and trucks. Part of the old bus barn was demolished with a large area of the building being repaired. Work was then begun on the old main garage building to turn it into the main building of museum.
