Chaura FarmsOne old farmhouse. A thousand little projects.

The house before us

Built to
Outlast Us

This house had already lived a century of ordinary days before it became ours. Its story begins with an Irish family, a rural community, and walls that once welcomed more than one kind of gathering.

Historical photograph · date unknown

The local history records the house as part of the Mitten family story—built after their appearance in the 1861 census and held by the family for roughly a century.

A House in the Community

The family is documented as having originated in Ireland and appearing locally in the 1861 census. The stone home was built sometime afterward. Its exact construction date remains uncertain, but its place in the community was recorded.

The Edwardsburgh Township History relates that the house was among the homes where Roman Catholic services were held before a dedicated church was built. It was not merely a private residence. For a time, it was also a place where neighbours gathered.

The home remained in the Mitten family until 1963.Edwardsburgh Township History

The Next Chapter

We are not trying to return the farmhouse to a single frozen moment. Houses change because families change. Our work is to understand what is original, preserve what still has meaning, and make careful additions that can earn their place here.

Every repaired wall and reopened doorway joins a story already in progress. Chaura Farms is simply the name of our chapter.

What We Know

1861

The family appears in the census

The history identifies the family as Irish in origin and records their local presence by 1861.

After 1861

The stone house is built

The house follows the census appearance; the exact construction year remains unknown.

Early years

Services held at home

The farmhouse is remembered as one of the local homes used for Roman Catholic services.

1963

A century of family ownership ends

The home leaves the Mitten family and begins the next part of its long life.

Believed 1980s

A major renovation

A substantial modern layer reshapes the kitchen, finishes, services, and parts of the interior plan.

2017

Before we bought it

Fourteen photographs record the house at the beginning of our chapter. View gallery →

From the Archive

Historical book entry showing an early photograph of the stone farmhouse
The farmhouse as reproduced in the local township history. The original photograph is undated.
Mitten family cemetery marker
A Mitten family marker photographed during our research.
Cemetery marker for Edmund L. Mitten, 1930 to 1977
The marker for Edmund L. Mitten, another physical thread in the family record.

Source material photographed in 2019. Historical wording has been summarized conservatively where the photographed page is incomplete.