29 Navy Street - Frontier House

Also known as the "John Moore House," it was built in 1838. The house remained in the Moore family until 1870.

John Moore was born in County Armagh, Ireland, and was schooled to be a Presbyterian Minister. During his passage to Canada he developed an interest in ships and after a stint as a bookkeeper he contracted the construction of The John MacKenzie, a 180-ton four-masted schooner He married Sally, the daughter of Barnet Griggs and in 1838, built this house. His father-in-law acquired the house and enlarged it into a hotel which he leased to Jesse Belyea of Bronte. They called it the Frontier House and it served, among others, steamboat passengers. It was returned to a private dwelling 1870 and was the home of the Applebe family until 1941. In 1906 part of the house was separated and moved around the corner becoming what is now 154 King Street.

Barnet Griggs (1783-1864) and his brother, George Griggs, moved to Trafalgar Township from New Jersey in 1811, with Barnet's wife Nancy Rogers Griggs (1788-1850).

29 Navy Street was sold in 1860 to Robert Swanton Appelbe (1838-1904), the son of Squire Appelbe. He was a solicitor and a keen yachtsman. He was one of the men who organized the Royal Canadian Yacht Club in 1852 and was named the first captain of the club.

Robert was the husband of Eliza Appelbe and together they had four children: Cecil Appelbe, Ernest Appelbe, Kathleen Appelbe, and Violet Twigg (nee Appelbe).

The house remained in the Appelbe family until 1930.