One of Wakefield’s oldest dwellings, this Fairbairn house was the home of Scottish settler William Fairbairn who in 1838 erected a sturdy stone grist mill beside waterfalls on the La Pêche River just as it begins its descent to join the Gatineau. The original thick stone walls he constructed are still an attraction in today’s Wakefield Mill Inn. Today the Fairbairn House serves as a Heritage and Information Centre.
Located above the Wakefield Mill and overlooking the village, MacLaren Cemetery is the final resting place for Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson. Established near the 1870s, the cemetery is the resting place for Scottish settlers in the area.
Visit the historic grist mill on the banks of the La Pêche River, nestled in the Gatineau Park just minutes up from the main village. Built in 1838, the mill was once part of a larger complex which was destroyed by fire in 1910. Today, the old mill is flourishing with new life as the award-winning Wakefield Mill Hotel & Spa where you can sleep in the old grain silo, eat in the old penstock engine room, or have a massage in one of the old turbine rooms. Wherever you are, the grand presence of the falls is undeniable – what was once the lifeline of the old Mill is today a highlight of one of the region’s premiere tourist destinations.
One of Wakefield’s most splendid Victorian landmarks is also a bed and breakfast. Now known as Les Trois Érables, the house was for many years referred to as the “Doctors” or the “Geggie” home, after two prominent local doctors who lived there in turn. Built in 1896 in the opulent neo-Queen Anne style, the house is located in the heart of Wakefield, a stone’s throw from the storied Gatineau River. Named for three enormous maple trees that shade the front garden, Les Trois Érables has managed to retain all of the elegance and charm that its original builders poured into it.