Motherwell Homestead

Motherwell Homestead

Motherwell Homestead, near Abernethy, Saskatchewan, was the residence of William R. Motherwell for over 60 years. He homesteaded in what is now Saskatchewan in 1882. The homestead is an excellent example of the Ontario settlers' approach to farmstead design and scientific agriculture in the Prairie West. To separate the principal functional elements, Motherwell divided the farmstead into 4 quadrants - domestic, garden, water supply and barnyard. To provide protection from the elements, an attractive landscape and a means for trapping snow for spring meltwater, he designed an elaborate shelterbelt system. By building an Ontario-style house and barn, and landscaping a lawn-tennis court and ornamental plantings, Motherwell recreated the feeling of a rural Ontario estate. In 1966 the Canadian government designated the homestead a national historic site, and by 1983 had restored it to commemorate Motherwell's career and the history of scientific agriculture in western Canada.