By Bruce Bowden
A small frame white-stucco’d cottage with eyebrow windows built at the back entrance to the Penryn King Estate for Mary Rose who immigrated from Ireland to join the estate’s staff. She lived there for several decades. Since then, prominently sited where the estate’s laneway is now the entrance to the Port Hope Golf and Country Club, it has often been unoccupied. Although it stood on a designated property, the cottage had not been included in the listing; accordingly, a demolition permit was granted to Mason Homes, who intended to develop this section of the estate into phase three of a new sub-division. Fortunately, Stephen Henderson of Henderson Construction, who specializes in heritage conservation and restoration, committed to move the house to an alternative site, 65 Pine Street North, which is adjacent to the Benjamin Seymour House. This is a fitting location as the Seymour family were closely connected by marriage to the Williams family, the first family to own the Penryn King Estate.
ACO Port Hope supported local hero Stephen Henderson, the new owner of Rose’s Cottage, by defraying costs of the move.
Rose Cottage has since been beautifully restored by Stephen Henderson.