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Mrs. Zoeller said that the committee has now made a complete inspection of the house and were pleased with the structure. Re- maining in the house will be the dining room table, six dining room chairs, a built-in desk, a sideboard and the curtains. The front part of the house, downstairs, consists of a main entrance, living room, dining room, kitchen. and a small utility room. Upstairs are 4 bed- rooms and a bath. The older and back part of the house has one large and 2 small rooms, with 5 rooms upstairs. Two complete bedroom outfits will remain in the house. The Erland Lee Homestead Committee Chairman Mrs. Austin Zoeiler reported that F.W.I.O. now has sufficient funds in donations and promises to pick up the option to purchase this Homestead in June 1972. Some articles for furnishing the Homestead have been offered and acceptance of these will be considered by the committee. A motion was passed that the Homestead Committee be given the power to do what is deemed necessary with regards to the Home- stead for the period of time after the property is purchased until the Annual Meeting of the Provincial Board Directors in November 1972. In l969 FWlO was granted the right to hc.. come a charitable organization for this single project from the Department of National Rev- enue. This means that individuals or gmups rc- ccive ztn official receipt which can he used when filling out their income tax. In this same year the option was signed for $40.000.0() to be picked up in June 1972. Donations to date: Stoney Creek NWI. S3.- 000.00 promised County of Wentworth $5,000,00 ttt time of purchase. with possibility of further dona, tions for the next two years. Industry, Women's Institutes and individuals $8,50000as of February 28, 1971, Unveiling and dedication of an Historical Plaque at the Erland Lee Homestead, Ridge Road, Stoney Creek by the Archaeological and Historic Sites Board of Ontario took place on Oclohcr l, I967. Originally it letter was received Irom Went- worth County Women's Institutes requesting the Federated Women's Institutes of Ontario to look into the possibility of assuming owner- ship or preserving the Homestead. THE ERLANI) LEE HOMESTEAD The interior of the Erland Lee Homestead showing the famous walnut table on which the first Constitution of tlus Women's Mstifute was written. It is important to Women's Institutes that this house be preserved for its historical value but more important that eventually it might bu used as a centre for Women's Institute aciivi- ties. The cabin has long since vanished but the plants are still flourishing. A frame house was later built and in time the back part of it was removed by Abram, son of John, and in the 1860s the present house was planned. It was built in front of the older part. The wood was virgin pins cut on the property and a fourteen- year-old boy spent the whole summer hand cutting all the ornamentation on the outside of the house. All the hardware is original and the old iron latches and hinges are still there in the older part of the house. Much of the furniture has been handed down through the genera- tions. Of interest is the walnut dining table which Janet Chisholm brought with her when she came as a bride of Erland Lee. The table was her grandfather's and on it she and Erland worked on and wrote the Constitution of the first Women's Institute in the World. This property is known as Edgemont, crown grant 18m lo John and Mary Lee on their marriage. The first dwelling was a log cabin built by John Lee [or his bride. The young cou- ple surrounded it with cuttings of Sweet Mary, Myrtle. Yellow Roses and a Snow Ball Bush. HISTORIC BACKGROUND OF THE ER- LAND LEE PROPERTY