This house, known for its lively parties during the early years of the 20th century, was built in 1904 by Ewen Donald MacKay at Grand Valley, eight kilometres northwest of Cochrane, Alberta. MacKay's grandson, James, established the now-famous MacKay's Ice Cream Shop in Cochrane.
After Ewen died in 1908, the ranch house was rented out in 1910 and later sold in 1922. It was eventually purchased in 1951 by Percy Copithorne, who donated it to Heritage Park in 1964. In 1975, Shell Canada donated $40,000 for its full restoration.
