Nestled in the heart of historic downtown Port Hope on a beautiful wooded four-acre enclave, lies a two-story house built for one Henry Howard Meredith in the early 1850s. Today, Hill and Dale Manor stands as a commercial Bed and Breakfast and is visited by hundreds of travellers, couples, and business people each year - but lets begin at the beginning.

Most of the properties that would later become Hill and Dale were assembled by Richard Barret near the middle of the 1840s. However, by 1846, Barret was bankrupt and his property was auctioned off to the public. Henry Meredith, whose fortune was built upon large real estate developments in downtown Port Hope, aquired the properties in 1847 and expanded the estate with the purchase of an adjoining property that once held a brewery.

Meredith chose to build a home on his newly acquired land. The house was conventionally styled and symetrically arranged in a center hall plan. Details, such as the small brackets that line the eaves, added a distinctive touch to the building. However, the most striking aspect of Hill and Dale is the setting in which it is nestled. Perched dramatically on a hill facing John street, its wooded ravines are a welcome, but unexpected contrast to the commercial character of the surrounding area.

Henry Meredith sold Hill and Dale to Henry Covert, president of the Midland Railway, in 1871 for what was then a whoppping $15,000. Meredith retained many of his investments and holdings in town for some time and resurfaced again in 1879 in connection with a scandalous brawl that rocked Port Hope's social-elite that year.

Subsequent owners have each left their distinct mark on Hill and Dale, beginning with the Coverts, who added an "Italianate" style gabled wing. Major changes to the building were completed in and around 1901 by George H. Ralston. Renovations included bay windows, new entrances, and a verandah. Ralston's decendants maintained the property until 1985.

Bought in 1987 by Dave and Jeanne Henderson, its current proprieters, Hill and Dale became home to yet another family. The Hendersons, including daughter, Martha, and son, Stephen, lived at the Manor until 1996 when it was converted to a six-room Bed & Breakfast. During that period, film crews, including 'Road to Avonlee', made frequent use of the historical property. In late spring of 1999, work began on an addition to the North-West corner of the house. Completed that summer, the added space allowed the Hendersons to move back into their historical Victorian house and continue to run their Bed & Breakfast.