Tannery Operation

The Stewart House is valued for its association with an early industry in the Town of Stratford. John Stewart operated a tannery adjacent to his home. Running a tannery involved a great deal of labour.

The family treated hides of animals to produce leather. Hides were first purchased from local farmers usually after they had butchered livestock. They were placed in a lime pit for several days - then removed and stacked to dry. After a specific length of time, the hides would be scraped off. When the hair was gone, the hides were placed in a tanning pit with tannin. The tannin was extracted from the bark of hemlock trees. The tannery was eventually torn down and no evidence of it remains today.