Guiding Principles at Stone Manor Studios

The Manor House was built in the 1860s by John Draffin, an Irish merchant who operated a successful general store on Main Street in Newboro at the time of his marriage to Margaret Bell from Carleton Place. In 1895, the Manor house was sold to the Anglican Church to serve as a rectory until 1945,  when it was sold and held privately by a few different owners. Significantly, the Manor house was owned by Paul and Margaret Bedore who planted thousands of daffodil bulbs on the property that continue to bloom yearly. In 2016-2021, Manor house was owned by Isabelle Goulet, who opened the home to the public as a stunning Bed & Breakfast known as Daffodil Acres.   In 2021, the Manor house was purchased by Kim Lulashnyk and Stuart Ash, rebranded as 'Newboro Manor,' and is open to the public by offering exclusive art retreats and workshops in the renovated stone carriage house.

From "The Heritage Information File" Township of Rideau Lakes:

The two-story John Draffin Manor is an Italianate style house (famous in Ontario between 1860-90) and features brackets under wide overhanging eaves, quoins, a symmetrical façade, simple square hipped-roof, elegant proportions and narrow segmentally arched windows (here they are doors on the 2nd floor). An open porch shelters the main entrance  which acts as a 2nd-floor balcony and is emphasized by large light transoms and sidelights. The 1 1/2 story extensions equally of randomized stone and has a door and dormer, both facing south. A further addition is clad in stone to match the rest of the house and features large, rounded windows. A detached two-story, two-car garage is the most recent addition. It is equally clad in stone to resemble the main structure and features a guest house with a balcony on the 2nd floor. John Draffin (born 1818) arrived in Canada from Ireland in 1860. He was a successful local merchant with a store on Main Street. It is believed that he and his wife, Margaret, built a modest 1 1/2 story structure, on his property on New Street, then added the present two-story stone structure. In 1895, the house was owned by the Diocese of Ontario to be used in trust with St. Mary's Anglican Church in the village. It hosted church-related events such as St.Mary's Jubilee Social on June 27, 1900. 

At Stone Manor Studios, we envision a world where art is a fundamental part of everyday life. We believe that everyone has the capacity for creativity, and our goal is to empower individuals to express themselves through the arts.