The Pakenham Doctor’s House

There are not a lot of facts to be told surrounding the Doctor’s House in the village of Pakenham. According to an article written in the 1970s, the Doctor’s House was built in the 1840s by George Parker, a pioneer barrel-maker and prominent resident in Pakenham. But this date is very flexible, as other sources will say that the house was built anytime between 1850-1880. What we do know is that the builder of this house, George Parker, was killed in a horse and buggy accident in April 1874. The obituary names the man as one of the oldest residents of Pakenham, meaning we can assume the house was built prior to 1874. An exact date may never be known, but the stone home on Renfrew Street remains a historic icon in the village.

Medical residents of the Doctor’s House started with Dr. Gemmill in 1890, followed by Dr. Buttle in 1922, and then Dr. Dobb in the late 1940s.