On July 1, 1867, Canada was officially born; the Canadian Confederation was proclaimed in Kingston's Market Square. One of the chief architects of that great political construction was Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. Kingston was his home for most of his life, where he lived at Bellevue House as a young lawyer and as a rising member of Parliament. Now a National Historic Site, the building is a stucco-faced, vaguely Italianate villa with green trim and a red roof, jokingly referred to as the "Pekoe Pagoda" or the "Tea Caddy Castle" by some locals. Apple trees and hollyhocks fill the front yard, and costumed docents greet visitors. It has been restored to the period of 1848 to 1849, and afternoon tea is served here. Reservations recommended.