Grey Nuns of the Cross Convent - (Sisters of Charity) - Ottawa, Ontario
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N 45° 27.709 W 075° 32.814
18T E 457243 N 5034399
The Grey Nuns of the Cross Convent, also known as Youville Farm, received its first religious community in 1886. The farm was named after Marguerite D'Youville, the founder of the Order of the Sisters of Charity of Montreal.
Waymark Code: WM13Y2N
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 03/11/2021
Views: 4
In 1885, the Order of the Grey Nuns of the Cross (Sisters of Charity, Ottawa) purchased 500 acres of farmland west of the core of the old village of Orleans for the purpose of establishing a farm that would supply fresh produce to the Mother House in Bytown.
On August 25, 1885, the cornerstone was laid for the foundation of a 2-storey ("Gloucester limestone") residence on the north side of old Montreal Road (now St. Joseph Blvd.), measuring 40 ft. by 70 ft., the exterior vista of which is an example of heritage architecture. In the spring of 1886, the residence received its first religious community, led by a young sister with a keen interest in agriculture. Under her direction, the property became one of the finest and most productive dairy farms in the province in its time, as a result of its unspoiled beauty, its abundance of artesian wells, rich soils and excellent drainage.
In 1889, teaching Sisters joined those who ran the farming operation and turned their attention to the village school. In 1917, the first resident pastor was named and the residence became a convalescent home for ailing members of the Order.
Also recognized in this designation is the small stone house across the street, which once served as a flour mill for Youville Farm and which was later converted to a residence for members of the families who worked on the farm.
Youville Farm closed its doors in 1970 when the property was sold to the Costain Estates Ltd. The farm buildings were ultimately demolished and the residence was renovated for office space.
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