W. D. Lighthall

“ The Manor House of the Seigniory of Lacolle or De Beaujeu is situated in a retired neighborhood, on the New York State border-line about four miles south-west of Lacolle Village, and one mile north of the village of Champlain, N.Y. and about forty miles from Montreal. The highway from Lacolle to Champlain runs through the property. The traveller from the north finds himself entering well-wooded lands and at length passes the heavy low stone-walls and large, white gate of the grounds and sees the home nearby on a slight elevation to the right. ”

“ A sloping lawn and old trees extend in front, the gardens are at the north-side, and a hundred yards further, a wooded park of about a hundred acres. On the-opposite, or west, side of the road, the tall old elm grove forms part of a hillside farm. The Manorhouse itself is large, constructed of wood, and having an extensive stone gabled wing, the whole ornamented with vines. ”

“ The home property was made a prize stock farm—one of the first if not the actual first of the kind in Canada. Cattle-breeding on shares was made by him a large enterprise among the settlers, and every year his share of increase was collected and driven to Montreal for sale. The farm-book is a parchment-covered ledger previously used by Sarah Visscher's uncle, Leonard Van Buren in 1782 (who was also uncle of President Martin Van Buren) . Water-powers at various points were bought and developed with her money, and mills erected, including those at Lacolle, Huntingdon and Athelstan ”