History









The stone home that is occupied by the Lannin Funeral Home was built in the 1840's. It is the oldest stone structure in Smiths Falls, apart from the locks and dams on the Rideau Canal. The stone home was operated as a hotel in the 1850's. An outside staircase led up to the second floor and the arched windows were originally doors with a fan light above. It was known as Doyle's Hotel. However the hotel was more commonly referred to as "the Last Chance". This is because the bar room door was level with the sidewalk outside.

In the year 1914, J. J. Marsh and his wife Annie started the funeral home in the stone house with a furniture store attached to the side of the home. When they passed away, Gordon and Lawrence Marsh ran the funeral home until 1958 when G. Ray Lannin purchased it from them and changed the name to its present name, Lannin Funeral Home. In the year 1979 William Hilton and his wife Sue Anne purchased the funeral home from G. Ray Lannin and still operate it to this day as the Lannin Funeral Home Chapel and Reception Centre. The Lannin Funeral Home family has been serving all faiths in the Smiths Falls, Merrickville and surrounding areas for over 107 years.