Explore L&A County Museums - Naturally Lennox & Addington

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History & Heritage

Celebrating our heritage and exploring our history has never
been more fun

If you have a passion for history or just want to learn more about this interesting and beautiful region, we have many options for you to explore.

Lennox & Addington has evolved since it was defined in the sixteen hundreds, but one thing has stayed the same and that’s the feeling of pride that is so apparent here. Today, we have a variety of ways to celebrate and explore our past and the uniqueness of this area. Travel through L&A and see the historic structures and beautiful architecture or stop into on of our many museums.

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unique museums to visit

artifacts to browse
& explore our past

Museums

Stone Walls

The ancient craft of dry stone wall construction and preservation is something that this area is known for, with many beautiful examples of dry stone walls to be found. On Amherst Island take a self-guided tour and read about the walls you’ll see from your vantage point on the road.

Historic Mills

In the early 1800’s villages and hamlets in this area clustered around mills. In fact these mills allowed this are to flourish and grow. In Napanee the mill attracted a cluster of small homes until it expanded to become a settlement. Some other areas across the county that were influenced by mills were Newburgh, Croydon, Camden East (once known as Clark’s Mills), Odessa and Bath.

Visit Babcock Mill and learn about the historic Mills of Odessa.

Historic Churches

In L&A we have a variety of historic churches that you can visit or learn about. Here are a few notable ones:

Old Hay Bay Church

Canada’s oldest Methodist building and the second oldest church is right here in Lennox and Addington. Check it out here.

Location: 2365 South Shore Road, Adolphustown

St. Mary Magdalene Church

Up until 1885, there was no church in Napanee. That’s when the first Mary Magdalene Church was erected. Although it provided a place of worship it was plain in appearance and many considered behind the times in its appearance. Because of this, it was taken down and the materials from it were worked into the new St. Mary Magdalene Church. This new church cost a whopping $20,000 to build. You can visit and still attend services at this church today.

Location: 137 Robinson Street, Napanee

St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and Masonic Lodge

At one time this was a popular place to worship, today it is a building of historical significance. St. Andrews Presbyterian Church is now the Canadian Museum of Fraternal Lodges that was founded for the purpose of collecting, conserving and presenting the history of fraternal lod.

Location: 83 Bridge Street W, Napanee

Newburgh Wesleyan Methodist Church

Constructed of wood the original Wesleyan Methodist Church was established in 1841. In 1858, it was replaced by a limestone building which is referred to now as the Newburgh United Church. This beautiful church gained an impressive pipe organ in 1899.

Location: 339 Academy Street, Newburgh

St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church

On Amherst Island you’ll find this wonderful church that was constructed in 1883. In order to build it limestone, prepared by Kingston Penitentiary inmates was hauled over the lake ice using horse-drawn sleighs. The ceiling is oak and cherry wood but the most impressive aspect is the huge stained glass window at the back of the sanctuary.

Location: 1955 Stella 40 Foot Road, Stella

Explore the Natural Landscape

The landscape in Lennox & Addington presents a varied landscape that includes limestone formations to the south and granite outcroppings of the Canadian Shield in the north. This area is a rock hound’s paradise.

Take a paddle along the shoreline to get an up close look at naturally formed beauty, or take a drive and make a stop or two at some one-of-a-kind rock cuts where you can see rocks from billions of years ago.