Timeline

★ 1855 – House is completed, not named yet – known as Clairmont Park

★ 1856 – 8th Buchanan child born, first one to be born inside Auchmar – Agnes Evelyn(Dec 20)

★ 1859 – 9th Buchanan child born, second born in Auchmar – Robert Jarvie (Aug 22)

★ 1860 – 10th Buchanan child born, third born in Auchmar – Douglas (Dec 9)

★ 1861 – Census shows 6 female staff, 3 male staff and their families, all living on Clairmont Park property

★ 1862 – Auchmar is named after the Buchanan home on Loch Lomond

★ 1862 – First renovations to the house. Extended ballroom, updated servant’s quarters, fireplaces starting to get bricked up.

★ 1862 – (Dec 11th) Buchanan appointed the first Commanding Officer of the 13th Battalion – Now The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.

★ 1865 – 11th Buchanan child born, 4th inside Auchmar – Helen Elizabeth Jamieson (Nov 22)

★1866 – The Battle of Ridgeway – Isaac Buchanan would use his grand ballroom as a convalescent home for the 13th Battalion and the The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada

★ 1871 – Census shows 3 female staff living at Auchmar & Merchant Andrew Anderson living at Auchmar

★ 1873 – Buchanan sells his west side property to the Asylum for the Insane (Ontario Hospital)

★ 1874 – Buchanan’s leave Auchmar, move to James Street (Radius)

★ 1874 – 1881 – Auchmar sits empty

★ 1881 – Alfred Trigge buys Clairmont Park and Auchmar house, tears down west wing and conservatory – most likely due to damage.

★ 1883 – Isaac Buchanan dies in home on James Street

★ 1899 – Auchmar is back up for sale

★ 1900 – James Buchanan (7th child) buys Auchmar, Helen Buchanan (11th child) to run Auchmar as a home for the siblings between travelling

★ 1916 – Elsie Buchanan (Helen) runs Auchmar with Deaconess Marie Ratte as a refuge for unwed mothers.

★ 1926 – Elsie Buchanan sells Auchmar to A.V Young.

★ 1945 – A.V Young rents Auchmar for a convalescent home for burn victims of the RCAF.

★ 1946 – The RCAF leave Auchmar, A.V Young decides to sell Auchmar instead of moving back in.

★ 1946 – A.V Young sells Auchmar to The Hungarian Sisters of Social Service

★ 1963 – Sisters build their Chapel and dorms onto the east wing of Auchmar

★ 1999 – Sisters leave Auchmar. Auchmar is bought by DeSantis Homes for approximately 2 million dollars. Land was swapped for city lands on East Mountain.

★ 1999 – The City of Hamilton takes over ownership of Auchmar