School House Museum

The School House Museum Where the History of the Upper Ottawa Valley comes to life. The Upper Ottawa Valley including the former four townships Rolph, Buchanan,Wylie and McKay within Renfrew County and the their neighbouring communities in what The volunteer-run Historical Society and the School House Museum are dedicated to safeguarding, researching and showcasing the area’s long cultural legacy. The Museum complex includes several historic buildings, such as a pioneer church and a traditionally furnished log home, along with a diverse artefact collection representing First Nations communities, early settlers, and the region’s extensive lumbering heritage. The Museum also highlights the area’s significant contributions to national scientific and technological innovation. Exhibits interpret three landmark sites: Des Joachims Hydro-Electric Development • Canada’s first commercial nuclear training facility at the Nuclear Power Development (NPD) in Rolphton • Petawawa Nation Research Forest • The birthplace of Canadian Nuclear technology at AECL (now Canadian Nuclear Laboratories) in Chalk River. The School House Museum is a public-access site that provides historical interpretation of these nationally important facilities, which have shaped both regional identity and the Canadian economy. Located in the Laurentian Hills, in the rural Upper Ottawa River Valley along the TransCanada Highway, the Museum has benefited from strong community support since a devastating 2006 fire destroyed the original 50-year-old schoolhouse. The Society rebuilt and successfully reopened the Museum in the summer of 2008. Since then, it has continued to expand its mandate, collections, and community role. With the recent designation of the Ottawa River as a Canadian Heritage River, the Museum is well-positioned to highlight renewed interest in the region’s lumbering and settlement history.