Billings Estate

More biking for the intrepid Hometown Tourists. Last Sunday was the Alta Vista Community Association's Annual Picnic on the grounds of the Billings Estate. It's only about a ten minute bike ride from our home. (Which was great since Maeve wasn't feeling too chipper having had her birthday sleepover the previous night.)

(oldest frame building in Ottawa)

              

Park Hill

As we arrived near the end of the picnic, most things were winding down but the grill was still on and we nabbed some hotdogs for which Neal declared "free food always tastes better".

Neal and Joe wanted to show Maeve and I the cemetery on site:

Maeve reading the plaque out loud

cemetery gates

in the cemetery

Neal and Maeve are like me and are creeped out by the thought that they're walking over someone in the ground. Neal wouldn't enter, but Maeve crept along behind me in my footsteps.


Many of the headstones have fallen over and have been repaired. So some are in an outbuilding:

repaired headstones

According to something I read somewhere the homestead was in the Billings family's possession until 1975 at which point it was donated to the city. 

And while yes, a 180 year old building is very old, having stayed in a 500 yr old cottage during our trip in 2009... my sense of history - or historical timeline - has been irreparably altered.

But don't worry, I still manage to look suitable impressed.