Tweed & Area Heritage Centre
Tweed, Ont.
July 25, 2025
Story Coming Soon!!!
HISTORY
The Tweed & Area Historical Society was founded in 1988. Over the years, artifacts and resources were kept in numerous locations before finally finding is permanent home at 40 Victoria St North – the building formerly known as the Houston House – in 1994.
The Houston House was built in 1897 by R.F. Houston. Houston had the house built for a Bay of Quinte railway worker and his wife. Sadly, the wife would die before the scheduled move in and the husband backed out. With an empty house, Houston decided to then gift it to his son, John Finley Houston, as a wedding present. John would live in the house until his father’s death in 1919. R.F. Houston was the founder of the Tweed Lumber Company (1893) and designed the three-cell jailhouse in town (1898). He was a well-known, well-respected man around the town.
In 1925 the house started its tenure as doctor offices. The first Doctor to rent the space was Dr. Denyes. Born on October 11, 1895, Dr. Denyes graduated from Queens University in 1916. While only having a practice in Tweed for a short time, he would then move to Ohio (following a divorce from his first wife) where he practiced general medicine. Dr. Denyes, would pass away on June 22, 1953 in Florida, due to ill health.
The next doctor to utilize the location was Dr. Merrill Dales. Born on July 13, 1894, he graduated from the University of Toronto in 1921. He would practice for more than 31 years in Tweed before retiring to Belleville. Dr. Dales passed away on October 15, 1978.
The Tweed & Area Historical Society was founded in 1988. Over the years, artifacts and resources were kept in numerous locations before finally finding is permanent home at 40 Victoria St North – the building formerly known as the Houston House – in 1994.
The Houston House was built in 1897 by R.F. Houston. Houston had the house built for a Bay of Quinte railway worker and his wife. Sadly, the wife would die before the scheduled move in and the husband backed out. With an empty house, Houston decided to then gift it to his son, John Finley Houston, as a wedding present. John would live in the house until his father’s death in 1919. R.F. Houston was the founder of the Tweed Lumber Company (1893) and designed the three-cell jailhouse in town (1898). He was a well-known, well-respected man around the town.
In 1925 the house started its tenure as doctor offices. The first Doctor to rent the space was Dr. Denyes. Born on October 11, 1895, Dr. Denyes graduated from Queens University in 1916. While only having a practice in Tweed for a short time, he would then move to Ohio (following a divorce from his first wife) where he practiced general medicine. Dr. Denyes, would pass away on June 22, 1953 in Florida, due to ill health.
The next doctor to utilize the location was Dr. Merrill Dales. Born on July 13, 1894, he graduated from the University of Toronto in 1921. He would practice for more than 31 years in Tweed before retiring to Belleville. Dr. Dales passed away on October 15, 1978.
R.F. Houston
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Dr. G.F. Denyes
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Dr. M. Dales
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Following Dr. Dales, Jim and David Edwards would take over the house next. Dr. Jim Edwards was Boring on June 20, 1953. He was a well-respected member of the medical community – serving as an emergency physician, family doctor and coroner. He would pass away on October 6, 2019. David Edwards is currently a Professor at the University of Waterloo. He is the author of over 100 scientific papers, review articles and book chapters, and co-authored a textbook. Research in is laboratory identified the mechanism by which drugs interact with grapefruit juice, as well as the compounds in grapefruit juice that are responsible for this interaction.
By the time 1993 came around, the house was now sitting vacant. That would all change a year later, in 1994, when Evan Morton saw an opportunity that he could not resist.
By the time 1993 came around, the house was now sitting vacant. That would all change a year later, in 1994, when Evan Morton saw an opportunity that he could not resist.
Evan Morton
Evan Morton was the founder of the Heritage Centre (1994) and would also serve as the treasurer and curator. His love and passion of preserving the history of the area was front and centre of his life. Born on August 3, 1941, Evan would become a teacher in his adult years. When he retired, he returned to his roots in Tweed and committed is energy to research, documenting, preserving and promoting local heritage. Known as Tweed’s “Unsung Hero”, Evan Morton passed away on August 3, 2023.
Although Evan is no longer physical here, his love and dedication to preserving history lives on through the historical society and the Heritage Centre’s staff and many volunteers.
Today, the Tweed & Area Heritage Centre showcases many artifacts and shares the stories of those long before us. Their collection of historical items is by far one of the more expansive ones we have seen. It is highly recommended that you visit this location and immerse yourself in the history that it holds. Visit there website at tweedheritage.ca
Although Evan is no longer physical here, his love and dedication to preserving history lives on through the historical society and the Heritage Centre’s staff and many volunteers.
Today, the Tweed & Area Heritage Centre showcases many artifacts and shares the stories of those long before us. Their collection of historical items is by far one of the more expansive ones we have seen. It is highly recommended that you visit this location and immerse yourself in the history that it holds. Visit there website at tweedheritage.ca