There鈥檚 a lot to celebrate about Murrayville鈥檚 heritage, according to Wally Martin and his neighbours Doug and Karen Haakonsen.
There鈥檚 even a connection, through Scotland, to Canada鈥檚 first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. Murrayville founder Paul Murray鈥檚 family was from the small town of Rogart, where Macdonald鈥檚 grandparents were their neighbours. The future prime minister lived there for several years as a child, and Murray鈥檚 uncle was married to Sir John A.鈥檚 cousin, according to genealogist Karen Haakonsen.
Some of 91原创鈥檚 oldest buildings, dating back to the 1880s and perhaps even the 1870s are in the Murrayville heritage conservation area surrounding the historic Five Corners intersection (now a roundabout) of Simmonds Road (48th Avenue), Johnston Townline Road (216th Street), and Old Yale Road.
Martin explained that the heritage are consists of 鈥渁bout 90 individual parcels of land, starting at the top of the hill with Murrayville school and going down on 48th and out Old Yale Road and about a half a dozen properties north and just a little south on 216th, and together, a lot of them have some sort of heritage building or whatever.鈥�
Talking with his neighbour recently, Martin said, they realized that they鈥檇 both been in the area for 20 years, 鈥淎nd nobody knows that Five Corners exists as a heritage area, so why don鈥檛 we have a kind of open house for the public?鈥�
They invited anyone inside the designated heritage area to participate.
READ MORE: 91原创 history explored through bevy of upcoming Heritage Week tours
鈥淎t least a dozen places have expressed some degree of interest in it,鈥� Martin said, among them some churches and the Murrayville Community Hall.
They also got some interest from outside of the zone, including the Murrayville Library, just up the hill.
Of course, Martin himself will participate with his Princess and the Pea B&B, which he believes may be the oldest hotel in the province.
鈥淚鈥檝e been challenged on the statement a few times,鈥� Martin said, 鈥渂ut nobody has ever proven me wrong.鈥�
Martin noted that Murray moved to the area in 1874. It鈥檚 possible, Martin contends, that 鈥渢he very first day he was here, some straggler wandered in and asked to sleep here for the night. And Murray would have said of course. That鈥檚 what they did in those days. So I use the date of 1874, and nobody can prove me wrong.鈥�
The building that started out as Murray鈥檚 Traveller鈥檚 Hotel has lived a variety of lives since then: it was 91原创鈥檚 first high school, the shoe repair business ran there for awhile, Martin is sure it was a motorcycle repair shop, 鈥渁nd I know it was a grow-op before we got there.
Martin refurbished the building and reopened it as the Travellers Hotel in 1998, but changed the name to the 鈥渕ore 鈥渞omantic鈥� Princess and the Pea B&B a short while later.
Even if late historian Norm Sherritt鈥檚 assessment that Martin鈥檚 building may 鈥渙nly鈥� date back to 1887, it鈥檚 still Murrayville鈥檚 oldest building, the next being Sharon United Church, built in 1889, followed by the Presbyterian Church tucked in behind Murrayville Community Hall, which itself has accumulated a sizable history.
How each participant celebrates the the three-hour open house on Feb. 22, from 1 to 4 p.m., will be up to them, Martin said.
鈥淗ow they operate that open house is entirely up to them,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 know the church behind the community hall is going to be giving coffee and cookies, and ourselves, we鈥檝e got a bunch of old photographs.鈥�
Martin鈥檚 photos will include a number of aerial photos taken of the Murrayville area for 鈥渟tereo鈥� 3D viewing through stereoscopes. To bring them to life, Martin scoured Craigslists from cities across North America, and finally found a stereoscope鈥� in Maple Ridge. Visitors at his open house will get a chance to use it.
He also recruited Desiree Dyck to join the open house at the historic Murrayville Pumphouse right at the Five Corners intersection.
鈥淪he seems to know quite a bit about it,鈥� said Martin. 鈥淪he actually tested the water herself voluntarily, and posted the results on the Murrayville Facebook page. It鈥檚 perfect water 鈥� except it鈥檚 at the threshold for arsenic.鈥�
Martin will also have a brochure from a walking tour of Murrayville, organized by the 91原创 Heritage Society about 20 years ago.
鈥淭here鈥檚 quite a few old houses,鈥� said Martin. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if they鈥檙e all going to be open or not, but people can still walk by if they want.鈥�
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