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"So much of my childhood memories are caught up in this place. Coming
here was such a big event. To this day the sound of clinking dishes
reminds me of Clevelands House. I remember the mornings with the
sun glinting off the lake. The openness of the verandah. The uneven
floors in the upstairs hall. When I come back with my wife today,
I feel I'm getting a chance to show her my life." - Bob McKenna
Clevelands House History
 Over
the past 135 years, Muskoka has seen a rich legacy of grand hotels
come and go. In the early days of the 20 th Century, hotels dotted
the shores of the big and small lakes of the area, drawing people
away from the cities during the summer months. Over the course of
the era, these hotels slowly disappeared, succumbing to fire, disuse,
destruction and corporatization. Today, all of the original hotels
have virtually disappeared. That is all but one. Clevelands House,
on the western shores of Lake Rosseau , remarkably beat the odds
and refused to share the fate of the other grand hotels. The original
buildings still exist, seemingly impervious to the ravages of age,
but more importantly the magical feeling of contentment and tranquility
that once defined the grand hotels of Muskoka can still be felt,
over a century later.
(from the pages of Clevelands House: The
Last Grand Hotel, by Scott Turnbull)
CLEVELANDS HOUSE - How The Name Originated
 When
Charles Minett ordered up the hotel's first register in 1883, he
asked the printer to label it Cleeve Lands, after his birthplace
in England. The printer mistakenly changed the name to Clevelands
, and it was never corrected.
Charles Minett came to Muskoka in 1869 and built a log cabin where
the present North Lodge stands. They soon outgrew this structure
and built a frame house that expanded into the main hotel as tourists
discovered the Minett hospitality. Charles' apprenticeship in the
carpentry trade stood him in good stead in the new land, and when
the tasks of homesteading were in order, he set up a boat building
enterprise.
 In
the early days, the lake provided the only reliable means of transportation
in Muskoka. When it came time to add a third storey to Clevelands
House, Charles Minett selected a design with a mansard roof and octagonal
tower, because he wanted his hotel to look like a ship, as all his
guests came by steamboat.
During the years 1869 to 1953 Clevelands House was operated by the
Minett Family. It passed from father, Charles Minett, to his son
Seymour Arthur in 1902 who successfully operated the hotel for 51
years. In 1953 Ted and Laura Wright purchased the hotel and operated
it for another sixteen years.
(from the pages of Clevelands House: The
Last Grand Hotel, by Scott Turnbull)
The Cornell Family
 However,
1945 seemed to be an important year at Clevelands House. It was the
year that Bob Cornell was first introduced to the resort as a guest
with his parents. Four years later he was hired as a bellhop and
when Ted and Laura Wright purchased the hotel in 1953, Bob Cornell
became manager. In 1958 Bob Cornell and Fran Lees were married. Their
three children Sharon, David and Sandra soon were born and have all
taken active roles in the continuing operation of Clevelands House
to this day.
In 1969 Bob and Fran Cornell became the new owners of this most
hospitable resort-hotel which accommodated up to 150 guests. They
have continued a tradition of excellence in providing the best in
summer vacations, business conference facilities and leisure activities.
Since 1969 the resort has expanded to accommodate over 500 guests,
in a Muskoka setting unsurpassed in Ontario.
© 2006
Clevelands House Resort. All Rights Reserved. Privacy
Policy.
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