It’s been three years since we’ve seen an in-person house tour in the region, thanks to the pandemic, but that’s about to change with the return of the popular Almonte House and Garden Tour.
The self-guided one-day tour on June 24 will see seven homes and three gardens open for viewing in the picturesque town 50 kilometres west of downtown Ottawa.
“There will definitely be an appetite for it,” says Jill Moxley, a member of the organizing committee and a volunteer at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum, which traditionally hosts the event. Joining the museum this year is the Almonte General Hospital Fairview Manor Foundation, with proceeds to be split between the two charities.
“What a wonderful moment for all of us … to kind of come together and reawaken everyone after the COVID fog of pandemic to do something fun,” adds Sophie Prescott, who is development co-ordinator for the foundation.
The tour, she says, will be “a day out, some fun and inspiration. After spending so much time in your home and your space, I think there’s been a lot of deeper connection with how that represents you and how you feel when you’re in your home … Going out and seeing these homes would be not only something fun and refreshing and tickling that curiosity, but also inspiring.”
The homes on the tour range from very old — including one of the earliest surviving stone homes in the area — to very modern. Some are extensively renovated and two are large manor homes — one of which is a popular movie shoot location. Plus, there are three unique gardens to see.
“The homes were chosen because of their historical interest, in some cases, and for their unique modern architecture in others,” says Moxley. “We feel that tour goers will enjoy the history and the contrasts of the various homes. There is something for everyone here.”
They also help “showcase how what was once a historic mill town is re-inventing itself,” adds Scott Campbell, a local resident and business owner who is on the organizing committee and a member of the foundation board. “The tour appeals to history buffs, design buffs, architectural fans, those looking to move, those looking to renovate or build or those with a passion for horticulture.”
Tickets are $40 each, available at ticketsplease.ca or in person at the textile museum (3 Rosamond St. E.). The tour runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit mvtm.ca.
Homes on the Almonte House and Garden Tour
The Glen
This mansion is one of Almonte’s most well-known homes and one that attracts the movie industry. It was built in 1871 on 20 acres of woodland as the family home of a prominent woolen manufacturer. Originally a Gothic Revival style, it was remodelled into the current Tudor Revival in the early 1900s.
It boasts 10,000 square feet and several wings, grand porches and staircases, along with its own creek running through the property and a charming bridge. Used as an event venue for a time, the current owners are restoring it as a family home.
“The massive fireplace in the entry hall and the beautiful dining room with its gorgeous ornamental ceiling are two of my favourite features,” says Moxley.
Old Burnside
This is one of the earliest surviving stone homes in the Almonte area, Campbell says. It was built by 1835 by James Wylie, a merchant and contractor of the Rideau Canal. He had originally built a log home after buying a 200-acre property in 1822 and naming it Burnside after the stream and waterfall that ran through it.
When his 10 children outgrew the cabin, he built the new home, incorporating the old log home into the second house as a dairy.
Inside, the home is a “rustic old-world farmhouse,” Campbell says. “The building was originally built as a working house rather than a family home.”
New Burnside
This home was constructed as a post office before becoming “a grand old stone estate,” says Campbell. The original trading post in the back yard has been converted into a granny suite that is affectionately called Sideburn.
“The home has been modernized for today’s busy families but still retains its historic charm,” he says. And rumour has it that the bust carving in the main entrance is that of one of the previous owners — a Swedish nobleman.
Modest modern
This new build “is a wonderful example of a very modern energy-efficient home cleverly designed to blend into its surroundings quite seamlessly,” says Moxley.
It’s one of the last homes designed by the late local award-winning architect Richard Limmert before his retirement in 2016 and was built by Westview Projects.
The mid-century modern design is barrier-free and incorporates passive solar and radiant floor heating and cooling.
Log cabin roots
This home began as a rustic log cabin — likely in the 1830s — which was incorporated into the current design and is now the dining room.
“It’s quirky and delightful,” says Moxley. “The log wall in the dining room of what seems an otherwise ordinary-looking home from the outside says it all.”
Although extensively renovated in recent years to add modern amenities, the home maintains its quirky character. Features of note include the Lacanche stove from France, the double garage converted into a photography studio and the vegetable garden created during the pandemic with raised beds made of Canadian galvanized steel.
Pinehurst Manor
This estate is one of Almonte’s most pre-eminent homes. It was built in 1890 for mill owner Bennett Rosamond, who ran one of Canada’s largest woollen mills at the time.
Set on seven acres, it boasts two private waterfalls, rocky islands and a grand sloping lawn outside and eight bedrooms, seven bathrooms and 10 fireplaces inside. It retains many of its original features and is used partly as an event space.
“Pinehurst has been fondly called the Downton Abbey of Almonte; it is a truly palatial home,” says Moxley. “Its staircase and expansive sunroom are two of my favourite features, although the amazing original bathrooms are worth a visit just for themselves.”
Prairie style
This home is another example of one designed to fit seamlessly into its natural setting.
Built in 1989, it’s a modern Prairie-style that sits high above the Mississippi River.
“It features wonderful views across the river and a breezy spacious feeling throughout the house,” says Moxley. It also boasts a carefully manicured property with various plantings and landscape features.
The gardens
While many of the homes have gardens and grounds you can walk through, there are also three stops on the tour that feature gardens only. They include one overlooking the Mississippi River and an unusual one on what’s known as the Riverwalk, a scenic walking trail along the river in downtown Almonte.
“It’s just a very cool, unique approach if you don’t have a big garden … It gives people an idea of how they can stylize (their space) to give them a fun feel of being in a little utopia or oasis,” says Prescott.
