abstract
| - Eldon House, one of the oldest houses in London, Ontario, Canada, is now a protected historical landsite. It was built in 1834 for John and Amelia Harris on a high piece of ground overlooking the Thames River. It was also located close to the town courthouse. Captain John Harris, a retired Naval officer of the Royal Navy, had spent much of his service fighting the American's on the Great Lakes. He met his Canadian wife Amelia at this time. After Harris left the navy, he was made the Treasurer of the London District by his colleagues, many of whom where judges. John proved to be good and fair at managing London's money, so the government rewarded him by building Eldon House for him, his wife, and his eight children. The house itself was a gracious Georgian mansion surrounded by beautiful garden's. The land around the house is known today as Harris Park which is open to the public. In 1959, the Harris family signed over the deeds to the house to the Middlesex county council. They didn't want the house to fall to ruin and deeding it to the city coucil ensured that the house would be preserved as a historical monument and a protected site. The house is also said to be haunted.
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