One of the most well-known landmarks in the Dundas Valley is
the Hermitage. This ruin dates back to before 1855 and has a very interesting
history. According to the historical
plaque at the ruins, stones used in construction were quarried from local
sites, the red bricks from the Dundas Valley and the limestone sills from the
Credit River Valley. The Hermitage had several owners before it was acquired by
George Gordon Leith in 1855.
After George’s death in 1901 his daughter Alma Dick-Lauder
bought the estate from the rest of the family and lived there until 1934 when a
fire broke out during a party and burned the house down. Even after this fire
Alma continued to live on the site, building a modest home within the ruins
where she lived until her death in 1942.
A popular destination for hikers visiting the valley, the
site had fallen into disrepair over recent years and eventually required structural
bracing to the walls and fencing off of the area due to safety concerns. There
was even talk of taking down the walls and reducing them to the height of about
a metre. It would have been sad to see this structure removed but with the risk
of further deterioration, something had to happen.
Fortunately, the Hamilton Conservation Authority along with
local government and private donors came up with an ambitious plan to preserve
the 160 year old structure.
You should see it now! Reinforced with internal steel
supports, the walls are going back up. To keep it as authentic as possible,
every single stone was numbered and catalogued to ensure that when rebuilt, it would
resemble the original structure as closely as possible.
Fenced off during the construction process, the progress is
interesting to see. The stone work around the former main entrance door and
windows is beautiful and reconstruction work is continuing up to the second
floor. The project is slated for completion in the summer of 2016. If in the
area, check it out.
The Hermitage can be found while hiking from the Dundas
Valley Trail Centre and is located on the Main Loop. That loop is about 3.5 km
and is moderately easy to walk.