In 1902 Waldemar Kahnert, a wealthy master furrier, had a vision to build a summer cottage in Nipissing in the mirror image of his Toronto home. So in the heart of the Great Outdoors he commissioned his brother-in-law Lloyd to build what is today Piebird. Every room in the house still bears all of the original embossed copper walls and tin ceilings. In fact most everything is as it was a century ago. That sometimes makes it difficult to keep the line between the past and the present. Each worn wood stair is a gentle reminder of what histories have come before this.

The Victorian-era architecture of Piebird, with such regard for well-thought-out simplicity is a rarity now and was an anomaly then. Upstairs, the large bedroom windows have captured over one hundred year of sunlight and still look out over farmfields and ferns.

In the years since, the house has been an antique shop, a tea house, but mostly just a local historical landmark for generations of passerby’s. Piebird is a grand old soul that has been through some hardship, much adoration, and now enjoys a total rediscovery of her original beauty.

Inside, adjoining the guest’s private entry hall are the elegant, antique-filled parlour and tea room. Featuring a fireplace and well-stocked library of local history, the parlour is a cozy spot for sampling books and learning more of the local lore by a warming fire. Delightful and delicious breakfasts are served either in the sunny tea room overlooking the front garden or on the covered veranda. We use organic and homegrown ingredients and all of the food is vegetarian/vegan. Our gardens offer pleasant paths to explore and relaxing sitting areas. There are a world of activities that await you down on the riverside or in the countryside.

Built in 1902 by Waldemar Kahnert, as one of his summer cottages. The house is uncommonly elegant and ornate for its time, compared to the simple dwellings the local farmers were living in at the time. Waldemar was a wealthy master furrier and the Kahnert family and other relatives of Waldemar still reside nearby and are good friends of ours.

Waldemar would row his skiff down the South River to his island cottage in the south bay of Lake Nipissing -- spending his summers here in Northern Ontario before heading south again.

In 1919 all of Waldemar's land in Nipissing was transferred to the Schnaufer family, rumored to be lost in a card game, and Waldemar headed to California.

The house remained vacant for much of the rest of its history. It came to life as an antique shop in the 80's. Many people have shared with us so much of its history, which we have assembled together for our guests.

Local historian Doug Mackey recently wrote an interesting article about the house.

Museum Joe has set up a nice little table telling the history of the house at the Nipissing Museum.