The west-end of The Mill Pond was once home to the International Buckle Factory, which was built around 1903 and destroyed by fire in 1909. Mount-View Hospital was operated by Dr. Berry and Dr. Singleton, with nurses Alice and Rebecca Lynn, from the 1890s until the 1920s. Originally the hospital was the residence of Joel Clark who had operated the Carding Mill; the building still stands, now as a private residence, in its original location. Westport was very industrious in its early days, and had a sash and door factory, a furniture factory (Fredenburgh’s Red Mill), a malleable iron works, and more.

The International Buckle Factory as seen from the west end of The Mountain. At this time, Mount-View Hospital was still in operation ~ From the Archives of The Rideau District Museum

A man stands in the marshy waters of what is now The Mill Pond ~ From the Archives of The Rideau District Museum.

This once-desolate end of the village is the current location of Centre Street, Bill Thake Drive, Rebecca Lane, Mountain Road, etc.. Sand Lake can be seen in the distance. ~ From the Archives of The Rideau District Museum