The A.W. Campbell Conservation area is a 300-acre property that was acquired in the 1960s. However, the history of the property dates back further to 1854, when Neil Campbell, along with his mother Isabella McLean Campbell, two uncles, and five younger siblings, emigrated to Canada from Argyllshire on the west coast of Scotland. Neil and his family finally settled in the village of Alvinston.

By 1862 Neil married a local girl, Isobella Walker of Metcalfe, and secured a Crown Land grant. The Crown land grant system in Upper Canada required the recipient to clear the land for farming and build a homestead. A small log cabin located at the base of the hill and adjacent to Morrogh Creek fulfilled the homestead requirement, even if only temporarily. Clearing land for crops, however, was a larger issue, with only manual labour available, only two to five acres were cleared for production each year. In addition to this work, barns and shelters were built to house livestock. During this time, Neil and Isobella welcomed their first three children Sarah (1862), Mary (1864), and John (1866).

In 1867, due to risk of spring flooding, the Campbell family sought higher and safer ground for a permanent homestead. This resulted in the construction of a board and batten sided farmhouse on the top of the hill. A nearby well provided ample drinking water for the family, and the barns and sheds remained at the bottom of the hill where the animals had easy access to the creek. The family vegetable garden was cultivated next to the house, and an orchard of apple, pear, cherry, and plum trees encircled the house providing fresh fruit all summer and through the fall. When a kitchen was later added to the homestead, a space to accommodate a cold cellar was dug under the new addition, to store preserves for the growing family to use during the winter months. The kitchen served as the centre of activity for the entire family throughout the fall, winter, and spring, while the front rooms (dining room and parlour) in the main house were reserved for special occasions and guests. Three unheated second-floor bedrooms plus the large hallway accommodated the sleeping needs of the growing family. In the summer the large, separate summer kitchen came into use. After moving into the House on the Hill, Neil and Isobella welcomed eight more girls to the family including a set of twins between 1869 and 1884.

In 1888, Archibald W. Campbell (Archie) was born, the last of Neil and Isobella’s 12 children and the last to live in the farmhouse and work the land up to his death in 1965. Archie attended the Alvinston Continuation School, a hilly three-mile walk from the farm over a swaying bridge that crossed the Sydenham River. His education “instilled in him a love for reading, good conversation, and political activities.” Since the family took pride in being self-sufficient, when not at school Archie worked on the farm completing such tasks as tending to livestock, planting and harvesting crops, making maple syrup and tending to the apiary on the homestead. Archie Campbell never married and lived out his life on the Campbell property where his love of nature contributed to his conservationist ideals. At the time of his death, he left in his will the Sydenham Valley Conservation Authority (now the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority) the first opportunity to purchase the property for $15,000, and they had a period of 18 months to complete the purchase.  In the will of Archie Campbell, this option to purchase came with the condition only that the said lands shall be used in perpetuity for a park, a recreational area or for reforestation.  Archie’s determination to practice conservation and promote public awareness assisted in the preservation of numerous mature trees on the property.

The SCRCA finalized the purchase of the property in 1967, and the property was formally named the A.W. Campbell Conservation Area in honour of Archie. The initial goals of the A.W. Campbell Conservation Area were to provide a location to demonstrate proper resource conservation and management, develop an intensive recreational area and initiate an educational program compatible with the area’s natural ecosystem. During the first five years, the priority development activities were to create three water impoundments to store spring runoff, establish nature trails, plant trees, and develop an education centre, as well as roads, parking, picnic and camping facilities.

In 1969 the SCRCA acquired the Newbury CN Rail Station to act as the outdoor education school to house students from all over the County. Studies were geared toward the natural sciences and consisted of topics such as agriculture and land use, hydrology and meteorology, forestry and ecology, wildlife identification and recreation. The outdoor education school ran until the mid 1990’s when a new outdoor classroom was constructed at the Lorne C. Henderson Conservation Area. With the Lorne C. Henderson classroom located closer to schools in Sarnia and Petrolia, programming ceased at A.W. Campbell CA, the building fell into disrepair and was removed from the property in 2015. A plaque stands in the location of the old railway station commemorating the building. The St. Clair Region Conservation Foundation provides a memorial scholarship each year to a student pursuing post secondary education in a conservation field.  The A.W. Campbell memorial scholarship is presented in memory of Archibald Campbell and his promotion of conservation.  The scholarship is made possible through a donation to a trust fund by two private individuals.

By 1975, the Conservation Authority had created a small pond close to the house, an 18-acre reservoir with a beach for swimming and stocked with large-mouth bass, removed the dilapidated barn and adjacent structures, built three pavilions for day use, developed a network of hiking trails, established camping facilities on the west side of the property with 18 serviced sites and an un-serviced group area for small scouting troops, and installed a dump station and septic system. Water came from the well at Campbell house and a small water tower was erected to ensure consistent availability during the camping season. The SCRCA benefitted from funding and volunteer support for several development projects, including support from the Alvinston Rotary Club.

The family homestead remained on the property as a historic landmark for many years. From the 1970’s to the early 80’s the farmhouse was operated as a museum. The idea behind the museum was to showcase the typical farmhouse of the era and provide a step back in time for visitors. The museum was laid out as though the residents had stepped out for the day with many artifacts of the period donated by local residents. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s the park and museum were a hive of complementary activities. Beyond just tours, the museum added activities like lye soap making, quilting, candle making, butter churning, etc.

By the late 1980’s the museum operation was reduced to one weekend a year during the annual Maple Syrup Festival. In 1991 the Township of Brooke designated Campbell House to be “of special historical significance,” at this time they also identified various issues with the foundation, roof, siding, and flooring of the house. A group called “Friends of Campbell House”[i] was formed to support the restoration, in hopes the history of the house could be shared with all visitors to the Conservation Area. The Alvinston Rotary, the Alvinston Optimists, the Municipalities of Brooke, Mosa, and Alvinston, as well as the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Recreation, along with the SCRCA funded the project. After the second restoration and reopening in September 1995, interest in the Campbell House and its history never again reached the level of earlier decades.  In 2001, the museum was broken into, and many artifacts were stolen. Since 2001 the Campbell House Museum has remained closed to the public.

In September of 2021, staff raised concerns regarding the safety of the Campbell House. Due to these concerns the SCRCA’s Board of Directors approved the removal of the Campbell House. When word of the impending loss reached the community, a small group of concerned citizens met with SCRCA staff to discuss options to preserve the house.   In January 2022 a group calling themselves “Friends of Campbell Park” was formed and received support by way of an online petition to save Campbell House.  The petition attracted over 700 signatures, minor repairs were made to prevent further damage, and the SCRCA Board voted to defer demolition pending a structural engineer’s report on the condition of the building.                           

In the end, the wonderful collaborations among the SCRCA, the municipalities, the service organizations, and the residents/volunteers that brought Campbell House back from the brink in the early 1970s and early 1990s did not materialize in the early 2020s. The Campbell House was removed in early 2026. Although the house is gone, the legacy of Archie Campbell lives on through the continued use of the property by many campers, nature enthusiasts and the wildlife that call the property home.