Tours:
Tours are available by appointment only on Mondays at 10 am. Please contact Kalle Boucher, our Acting Education and Volunteer Manager at educationservices@nepeanmuseum.ca or by phone @ 613.723.7936 to book your tour.
Please see the City of Ottawa media release below.
Bell Family Homestead Opens for Tours
Ottawa – The City of Ottawa today announced that the Bell Family Homestead, more locally known as “Fairfield’s”, is now open to the public for tours by reservation.
The property, located on 1.8 acres at 3080 Richmond Road, is the original family home of prominent Nepean pioneers. Originally purchased in the 1820s as 660 acres by William Bell, the land was cultivated for farming and later subdivided and sections sold. The home and the remaining property stayed in the Bell family for nearly 175 years.
Every generation of the Bell family made their mark on the home, each altering both the appearance and purpose of the property to serve their needs at the time. As the owners’ priorities shifted from farming to politics so too did the appearance of the home. It stands today with the same appearance as it did under the last owners, Ruth and Judith Bell. The last Bell family member to reside in the home was Judith, who passed away in 2000.
The house and contents were donated to City of Nepean and the Community Foundation of Ottawa (CFO) in 2000. An endowment was also donated to the CFO to fund all of the costs to maintain and operate the property. The Nepean Museum offers free tours to the public by reservation.
The interior of the home has been refurnished with artefacts to reflect a different theme of the Bell family history. Visitors will learn about the family’s entrepreneurial, philanthropic, professional, and political activities.
A grand opening event will be held in the spring of 2010.
   
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