On March 31, 2016, the non-profit group Glengarry Fencibles Trust took possession of the historic Bishop’s House from the Catholic Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall. Built in 1808, the house is among the oldest and most historic buildings in Ontario, and is an element of the celebrated St.Raphael’s Ruins National Historic Site.

The deal came after 11 years of campaigning and negotiating by the Fencibles to ensure the preservation of the grand, three-storey stone house, built in 1808 by Rev. Alexander Macdonell, parish priest of St. Raphael’s in the early 1800s and later first bishop of Ontario.

Restoration — following two decades of neglect and an effort to demolish the building — has been ongoing since 2016. With your help, its adaptive reuse as a thriving cultural and conference centre will happen.

It’s great news for the Bishop’s House, great news for St Raphael’s and Glengarry County, great news for the cause of historic preservation everywhere!