A Place for Discovery....a Place of Memories.

The Woodrow Homestead which sits on 6.5 acres of parkland, was purchased in August 1966 by Coldwater Canadiana, a not-for-profit corporation, organised to preserve local history.

The log home is an excellent example of the workmanship of our pioneer forefathers. The oldest part of the house is the back room with its stone fireplace, built in the early 1840’s. The stone fireplace, with its hand forged crane and unique hand carved mantle provided all the heat and the cooking facilities in the house. The skillet hanging by the fireplace was originally used here. At one time there was an open loft above this room. As this was the entire house at the time, it served as kitchen, living area and bedroom.

With the addition of nine more children to the Woodrow household, the two-story front on the house was built in 1864. Here on the main floor you will find our central display room and fireplace room, which features exhibits and artifacts from the Coldwater area. Upstairs, you will find where the Woodrows slept in four bedrooms. Currently, there are three rooms set up as a family bedroom, a sewing room and a doctor’s room.

The homesteaders, Archibald Woodrow, his wife Catherine and daughter Catherine, came by sailing ship from the Island of Islay, Scotland. 

The Woodrow Homestead is situated on an old stage coach route now called Woodrow Road. In 1979, the Woodrow Homestead was recognised as a Heritage Property and Ontario’s newest museum and eventually became known as the Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum. Since then, the Museum has added a number of historic buildings. All outer buildings, with the exception of the Fire Hall, Washrooms and Dry Boat House, were brought to the site from neighbouring farms. These buildings feature historic exhibits from the village of Coldwater and area.