Bethune Memorial House

Bethune Memorial House National Historic Site of Canada commemorates the life and achievements of Dr. Henry Norman Bethune. Impatient and restless, he was inspired by a sense of duty to others and a love of the outdoors. In Bethune, these characteristics were the seeds of a battlefront surgeon, activist, humanitarian, inventor, teacher and artist. The historic site explores the roots and examines the legacy of this international hero. Dr. Bethune is most famous for the last two years of his life, which were spent in China, serving as a surgeon and teacher. Generations after his death, his name is still warmly remembered, as his story continues to be taught as an example to millions of Chinese students.

The house was built in 1880 to serve as the manse of Knox Presbyterian Church. Malcolm Bethune became the minister of Knox Church in 1889 and, a year later, his son Norman was born in the manse. The Bethune family remained in Gravenhurst until 1893 when they moved to Beaverton, Ontario. Thereafter, the house was occupied by a succession of ministers.

In 1973 Bethune House was purchased by the federal government. Restoration of the building was subsequently undertaken by Parks Canada, which is now responsible for its operation.

In August 2002, then Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, who has Chinese ancestry, visited the house and unveiled a bronze statue of him.