The Commanda General Store

Photo by Jamie Toeppner - November 13, 2005

Plaque Location

The District of Parry Sound
The Township of Nipissing
At the Commanda General Store Museum, Highway 522, Commanda

Plaque Text

An outstanding example of a High Victorian commercial structure, the Commanda General Store was built and occupied by James Arthurs (1866-1937) about 1885. It was strategically located on the Rosseau-Nipissing Colonization Road and during the more than two decades that Arthurs, who later served in the House of Commons and the Senate, was the proprietor it played a vital service role in the development of Commanda and the surrounding area. A multi-purpose structure that functioned both as a residence and a business, the building is distinguished by its boom-town façade with two-storey gallery and intricate wood trim. It remained in commercial use until the late 1970s. Restored by the Gurd and Area Historical Corporation, it was opened as a museum in 1981.