01
The Schoolhouse
The original 1829 stone schoolhouse, fully renovated in 2012. Today it’s the main living room, dining area, additional washrooms, and the heart of the property — open to all guests throughout your stay.
A short history
Our name comes from a stone-wall inscription that reads “Mirricksville 1840.”
The 1840 Guest House was originally a one-room “common” schoolhouse built in 1829. It subsequently became the Minto School and then the Royal Canadian Legion in 1933, before being rebuilt in 2012 to become the 1840 Guest House.
Today, the property consists of the fully renovated original schoolhouse — used as the main living and dining room — and a large residence holding the luxury bedrooms. There is also an Annex with two additional suites, built in 2018.
Your hosts, Christina and Orlando, look forward to welcoming you to this amazing historical property and the beautiful village of Merrickville.
Through the years
Almost two centuries on Main Street.
1829
A one-room schoolhouse is built. The first “common” school on this stretch of Main Street.
~1840
The inscription “Mirricksville 1840” is set into a stone wall — the inspiration for our name.
1873
The school relocates. A two-story brick school is built on Main Street; the original stone building’s schooling era ends.
1933
The Royal Canadian Legion takes over the stone building — Branch #245 — and stewards it for nearly 80 years.
2012
The Legion sells the building. The exterior heritage walls are preserved; the interior is gutted and fully renovated, then enlarged.
2018
The Annex is added. Two suites with kitchenettes, plus the pool, hot tub, and pergola.
Today
1840 Guest House. Five rooms, the original schoolhouse as common space, and your hosts on hand.
From the archive
An excerpt from Alice Hughes.
There was a private boys’ school in Merrickville (perhaps the private school referred to in the 1860 Wolford Superintendent’s report), at one time known as the Minto School. It appears that this school was located in the same stone building on Main Street which had served as a common school and which is now used by the local branch, #245 of the Canadian Legion (McKenzie, 1967). This stone building was reportedly in use as a school until 1873, the year the two-story brick school on Main Street in Merrickville was built. Alice Hughes
Heritage, preserved
The walls stay. The home is new.
The Royal Canadian Legion sold the building in 2012 and, as you can see, it was enlarged and fully renovated. The original structure is a registered heritage building — it cannot be torn down, nor was there any desire to do so. The inside was gutted and the exterior walls left intact.
In 2018, an additional building was added — the Annex. With “top-end” construction throughout the renovation of the original building and the new spaces, the 1840 Guest House offers a truly unique combination of heritage charm and modern amenities.
Property layout
Three buildings, one property.
02
Main Residence
Three luxury bedrooms (Rooms 1, 2, and 3) all with private ensuites, queen pillow-top mattresses, and access to a shared second-floor balcony. Two rooms face the canal; one faces the village.
03
The Annex
Built in 2018. Two suites with kitchenettes (Rooms 5 and 6) — a top-floor suite with a private balcony, and a ground-floor suite with a small private patio and limited wheelchair access.
Your hosts
Christina & Orlando.
We bought a stone schoolhouse and turned it into a home. Then we added a few rooms, then a few more. What started as a renovation became a way of welcoming people to a village we love.
We live on the property and we’re happy to point you to a good restaurant, a quiet trail, or just leave you to your morning coffee. Whichever you prefer.