In 1877, this house, then located in downtown Brantford, became Canada's first telephone business office. It was the residence of the Reverend Thomas Philip Henderson (1816-1887), a former Baptist minister and school inspector in Paris, Ontario who in 1870 had encouraged the Bell family to come to Brantford. In 1877, he retired from the ministry to become the first General Agent for the telephone business in Canada and played a significant role in its establishment and development. Henderson used this house as his office until 1880, when he joined the newly formed Bell Canada in Montreal as Purchasing Agent and Storekeeper.

Location

At Henderson House, part of the Bell Homestead complex, 94 Tutela Heights Road, Brantford

Themes

• Buildings and structures
• Industry and trade
• Scientific and technological innovations