It has been determined that Bastard Township was first settled by Elder Abel Stevens who arrived from Vermont in the early 1790s. In 1794, he was granted land where he finally settled and named the community Stevenstown, now known as Delta.

It has been noted that prior to arriving and settling in Stevenstown, he travelled through what is now the historic settlement of Plum Hollow. Following the Plum Hollow Creek, ¹which at the time flowed into two smaller lakes, one a bit higher than the other, causing a small rapids, Stevens was able to construct his first wooden mill. After building a small dam, the water flooded the land, combining the two lakes into what is now called the Upper Beverley Lake.

One can only imagine what Abel Stevens first saw when he came to the crest of the Plum Hollow hill overlooking “a beautiful fertile valley surrounded by hills covered with sugar bushes”² (Phyllis Tackaberry). Quoting Anna Greenhorn “I can remember Phyllis saying the old story was that the first [settler] in Plum Hollow arrived in the spring when all those plum trees were in bloom in the valley below, as seen from the top of the hill where the old cheese factory used to be. Immediately they gasped at the beauty of this new land (it really must have been impressive) and called it Plum Hollow”³.

Today it is still a beautiful landscape of hills and valleys with many large fields of farmland. Many dairy farms popped up in the area creating the development of the once famous Plum Hollow Cheese Factory, known for the best curd in the area. The settlement area continued to grow and included a general store, blacksmith shop, public school, and even its own ‘Witch of Plum Hollow’, Mother Barnes, made famous by her skills in fortune telling.

Pattemore Dairy Farm

Plum Hollow Cheese Factory on the left and the home of the legendary Claude Flood (cheesemaker) at the right of the factory. Note an old barn in the background.

Plum Hollow Baptist Church
Abel Stevens was also a Baptist Minister and built quite a few churches in the area, with one being the Plum Hollow Baptist Church. Now in ruins, the church was located on an old concession in the middle of a farmer’s field. A few larger homes were built around the settlement over the years. One of them, considered the oldest house in the Township and still in good shape, is a beautiful stone house with five fireplaces and a datestone that reads “1810 original owner Jane Wiltse”.

Jane Wiltse House

For a small rural area, it has two cemeteries, the active Plum Hollow Cemetery and an inactive Sheldon’s Cemetery just a short km away.

Plum Hollow is located on County Rd 5 between Athens and County Road 8.  To get there take Cty Rd 42 at Athens or Cty Rd 8 at the 4 corners to Cty Rd 5 or from Hwy 15 to Cty Rd 5.  From Delta on King St, you can get there by way of the Daytown Rd, or take Cty Rd 42 to Lake St or Washburn Rd.

By Cathy Livingston

Rideau Lakes Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee