© 2025 Municipality of Chatham-Kent.
All Rights Reserved.
We are dedicated to ensuring a welcoming and accessible environment for everyone. If you need any accommodations, please contact us in advance, and we’ll be happy to assist you.
Step back into the early 1900s at the Milner Heritage House. It was here in Chatham that Robert Milner started a modest buggy and sleigh manufacturing business. In 1874, at the age of 19, Emma Wicks married Robert. Emma became a prominent artist, even though she didn’t have any formal training. She specialized in “crayon” portraits (pencil stippling) for which she won many awards.
By the 1890s, the Milner Carriage Works had grown to become one of the largest vehicle producers in southern Ontario. Robert had established himself as one of Chatham’s “Captains of Industry.” Robert and his wife, Emma, built this Queen Anne-style residence on the corner of William and Murray Streets in 1894. Together, they had seven children.
In 1943, following Emma’s death in 1936, and Robert’s in 1941, their children donated the house to the City of Chatham. For over 45 years, the residence served as the Chatham-Kent Museum. Today, the restored Milner Heritage House depicts the turn-of-the-century lifestyle of a successful industrialist and his family. Costumed interpreters take visitors back in time to 1905 when stereoscopes, gramophones and magic lanterns were a family’s means of entertainment, and a “modern” kitchen consisted of a wood stove, icebox and a new, all-purpose “Chatham” cupboard.
The home also features a stunning collection of art by Emma Milner. Her greatest pieces were the incredibly detailed pencil portraits that she created of her family, friends and famous personalities of the day.
The Milner Heritage House offers guided tours that highlight local history and the Victorian/Edwardian lifestyle. Museum staff and volunteers are trained, following the AODA, to offer assistance where required, such as:
To complement these exhibits, the Milner Heritage House offers a variety of curriculum-based school programs, public programs and special events.
Robert Milner was born in England to James Milner (English) and Grace Bell (Scottish). Grace Bell was James’ second wife, and Robert was James’ 12th child. He immigrated to Canada with his family at age 3 and lived in London, Ontario, until he was 18.
Emma Wicks was born on a farm in Chatham Township. She married Robert in 1874, when she was 19.
Milner was an accomplished artist but had no formal training. She specialized in hyper-realistic crayon portraits using a pencil stippling technique. Most of her drawings date from the 1880s.
Milner entered many competitions and won several awards throughout Ontario. During one competition, the judges didn’t believe that her submission was actually a drawing. Robert had to remove it from the frame to prove to the judges that it was her work.
Rufus Milner (1875-1943)
Nugent Milner (1878-1951)
Nugent Milner worked as a blacksmith. He worked for the Ford Motor Company and family oral history says that he forged the first prototype Henry Ford’s first car.
Aubrey Milner (1880-1967)
Blanche Venus Milner (1882-1896)
When Blanche was fourteen years old, she fell down the maid’s staircase and tragically died in the hospital.
Basil Milner (1885-1943)
May Milner (1890 – 1918)
Douglas Franklin Milner (1893-1936)
Milner got his start in the carriage business as an apprentice to William Gray. He worked in partnership with other carriage makers through the 1870s and into the 1880s.
Milner eventually purchased the carriage works of William Young on the corner of Wellington and Adelaide Streets and founded Milner Carriage Works independently. Milner Carriage Works moved to William Street South (where the Judy LaMarsh building is currently) in 1889 because the Canadian Pacific Railway set up a station at ___ & ___.
Milner’s company motto was “Quality. Not Quantity.”
Milner was one of the last carriage makers in the province. His business continued into the early 1920s, well after most of his competitors closed their doors or converted to automobile production.
Milner Heritage House was built in 1894 in a Queen Anne style of architecture.
Some key elements to this style are:
The house was designed by Architect James L. Wilson. Wilson was born in Waterloo County in 1848. He was educated at Chatham Collegiate Institute and Canada Business College in Chatham. In 1886, he opened his office as an architect in Chatham.
This neighbourhood was quite a luxurious part of town in 1905.
Tecumseh Park would have been full of people daily. The river was busy with boats and small ships transporting goods up and down the Thames.
Construction had just been completed on the Armoury.
The Hotel Sanita opened for business across Murray Street, offering mineral water baths.
The house behind Milner House on Murray Street was used as a school operated by the Ursuline Sisters.
The front parlour was a sitting room for guests.
It was very common to have a portrait of King Edward VII in your home in 1905 because, even after Confederation, many Canadians maintained a close connection to the British monarchy.
King Edward VII was born at Buckingham Palace on November 9, 1841. He became king in 1901. King Edward VII died May 6, 1910.
The period of King Edward’s reign is known as the Edwardian era. The period is known for its economic prosperity.
These family portraits are all drawn by Emma Milner – one of Robert Milner, a self-portrait of Emma Milner, one of the five boys, and one of the two girls.
This is a photograph taken with a camera of the five Milner sons while on a sledding excursion. This is the photo that Emma used to create the drawing of her sons.
There are two Canadian Prime Ministers on display in the front parlour!
Sir Charles Tupper was the shortest-serving Prime Minister in Canadian history – he served only 69 days in the summer of 1896. The statute (made of plaster and painted gold) was commissioned in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, in 1889.
Tupper has an interesting connection to Chatham-Kent in that Tupperville was named after him.
Decorative plates were quite common, especially ones with famous figures on them. Sir John A. Macdonald was Canada’s first Prime Minister – he served as Prime Minister 1867-1873 & 1878-1891.
This piano is labelled, “Tyrell’s Parlour Grand, Chatham City, Ont.” The piano may have been built in Chatham, but it is also possible that just the label was painted here.
The keys are made of walnut and ivory, while the body is made of tulipwood. The vertical ovals in the wood are an unusual feature in pianos from this time, indicating it could have been built here.
This table is special to the museum because it belonged to the Milner family. It is carved from a knurled piece of wood and is quite heavy. It is believed that Robert may have carved this table himself since he owned a furniture store after he closed his Carriage Works in 1920.
The corner shelf is known as a “whatnot.” Victorians often preferred to have their houses filled with clutter, and this type of shelf was particularly well-suited for this purpose. This piece of furniture was also owned by the Milners.
A gramophone is a mechanical device used to play music. This gramophone is powered by tension created when the crank is turned. The tension spins the disc with grooves. The needle traces the grooves, converting the physical vibrations into audible sound waves that are amplified by the horn.
The logo of the dog listening to ‘His Master’s Voice’ is based on a painting of a real dog that would listen to the Gramophone. This painting was sold to The Gramophone Company in 1900. In 1908, the company changed its name to HMV (for His Master’s Voice).
The Magic Lantern was a popular toy in the late 19th and early 20th century. A candle or oil lamp is placed inside to create light. The light shines through a lens and projects the image from the glass slide onto a screen. A performer would move the slide along slowly and tell a story. Occasionally they might make funny voices, tell jokes, or play the piano along with it.
A stereoscope is a device for viewing stereographic cards. These cards contain two separate images that are printed side-by-side to create the illusion of a three-dimensional image. Stereoscopes were a form of entertainment for children and adults. Stereoscope cards might tell stories or show images of far-off places.
This kaleidoscope is a reproduction of the common toy. Using mirrors and coloured glass, kaleidoscopes create shapes and patterns when viewed through the aperture. Kaleidoscopes work best when pointed towards the window.
The Milners would have eaten most of their meals here in the dining room. There are pocket doors which could close this room off while dinner was being served.
There are three portraits by Emma Milner on display in the dining room.
This is Aubrey Milner, the third son of Robert & Emma Milner.
This is likely Nugent Milner with the dog, although it could be one of his brothers.
This may be the same actress as the portrait in the back parlour. It may be Lillie Langtry, who worked very closely with Sarah Bernhardt, but we aren’t certain.
This instrument is fully restored (although probably badly out of tune). It requires pumping the right pedal for it to play. The Milners probably would have enjoyed dinner music. The keys are made of Walnut and Ivory.
There are two types of silver on display, Sterling Silver and Silver Plated.
Sterling Silver is 92.7% silver and 7.5% of another metal, usually copper. This was very expensive. It maintains a mirror-like quality when shined.
In the mid-19th century, a process called electroplating made it possible to plate objects with silver. They looked the same but were much cheaper. By now, most of the silver plating has worn off, and they are not shiny anymore.
The Kitchen is the room where all the cooking and cleaning would have been done. This was done primarily by the maid, but Emma would have helped out quite a bit. The floorboards in this room are the original floorboards to the house. There is some evidence of restoration by the door.
This wood burning, cast iron range was made by Malleable Range. Although it is stamped as Chatham (in a different font) in the top corners, it was not likely built here, as there is no evidence of a stove factory at that time.
Warming drawers are at the top for plates and food. A reservoir on the right side would be used to keep water warm. A movable handle allowed for lifting of the burners.
This wooden ice box is lined with tin. The top opens to the compartment for a large block of ice. There is a pipe that allows water to be drained. The bottom door opens to the area where milk, eggs, ice cream and sherbet could be kept.
Ice would have to be delivered. It was carried into the house in large blocks using a set of iron tongs. In the wintertime, it would be cut out of the river and stored in warehouses (sometimes partially underground). The ice was packed tight with straw which allowed it to last through the summertime.
This locally manufactured cupboard was made by the Manson Campbell Company. It was sold all over Canada, some US states, and parts of Western Europe.
It was said that, at this cupboard, a woman could sit down, make a pie in 30 minutes, and not have to get up once except to put it in the oven.
The cupboard is set up based on an advertisement from the period. The large drawer on the bottom right is lined with tin and was probably for flour. The cupboard under the mirror was probably for sugar. There is an alternate model that had a flour sifter in the top left portion of the cupboard.
At the turn of the 20th century, telephones were still a novelty, confined mostly to the homes of the wealthy. The Milners’ phone may have used a “party line” for local calls, in which the call could be heard by anyone who had a locally-connected phone, but it is likely that they paid extra to subscribe to a private line.
The Milner’s would have taken most of their meals in the dining room, but it is possible they would have also sometimes eaten in the kitchen as well, especially the children.
The kitchen table also would have been used as a workspace for cooking and for the maid’s meals.
This room represents a typical girl’s room of the time.
Learning embroidery usually started in childhood, along with standard sewing skills.
The alphabet sampler was typically the first demonstration of skill a young girl was expected to produce. Reading was often learned at the same time, and many alphabet samplers feature lettering mistakes that any parent would recognize from their child’s schoolwork.
Some of the bathroom features are original to the house, including the clawfoot bathtub and linoleum floor.
This is the area of the house in which the family’s maid would reside.
This area is closed off from the rest of the house. The maid would enter the family’s part of the house only to clean it or to serve the family.
Maids could have been orphans or girls from a poor family, around twelve or thirteen years of age. It was common at that time for wealthier families to “adopt” these children in exchange for doing the cooking and cleaning.
Volunteers bring our art, stories and history to life.
Join the Culture Club today!
Volunteers bring our art, stories and history to life.
Join the Culture Club today!
Volunteers bring our art, stories and history to life.
Join the Culture Club today!
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© 2025 Municipality of Chatham-Kent.
All Rights Reserved.
We are dedicated to ensuring a welcoming and accessible environment for everyone. If you need any accommodations, please contact us in advance, and we’ll be happy to assist you.
© 2024 Municipality of Chatham-Kent.
All Rights Reserved.
We are dedicated to ensuring a welcoming and accessible environment for everyone. If you need any accommodations, please contact us in advance, and we’ll be happy to assist you.
We are dedicated to ensuring a welcoming and accessible environment for everyone. If you need any accommodations, please contact us in advance, and we’ll be happy to assist you.