A House Full of Stories: Inside Glanmore

There are houses that simply occupy a place in a city, and then there are houses that seem to hold part of the city’s memory. Glanmore National Historic Site is firmly the latter.

Standing at the corner of Bridge Street East and Dufferin Avenue, the grand yellow-brick mansion has been part of Belleville’s landscape since 1883. It was built for wealthy banker and financier John Philpot Curran Phillips and his wife, Harriet Dougall Phillips, on land Harriet had inherited through her family. Designed by local architect Thomas Hanley, Glanmore is an exceptional example of Second Empire architecture, with its mansard roof, ornate dormer windows, iron cresting, asymmetrical form and richly detailed interiors. Its architectural significance earned it designation as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1969.

Yet what makes Glanmore especially compelling is not only how it looks, but the lives that unfolded inside it.

John and Harriet had one son, Percy, who died at just three years old. Years later, fourteen-year-old Jessie Patterson came to live at Glanmore and was treated by the Phillipses as their daughter. Jessie later married Belleville businessman Sanford Rattray Burrows and inherited the home, where their daughters, Philippa and Sheila, grew up. Through the decades, art, music, family gatherings and everyday domestic life filled the rooms. Four generations of the Phillips-Burrows-Faulkner family called Glanmore home between 1883 and 1971.

That continuity helped preserve something remarkable. Many original furnishings, artworks, books, rugs, documents and architectural details remain part of Glanmore’s collection today. Visitors can still see its ornate woodwork, decorated ceilings and restored period rooms, while the museum’s broader collection now encompasses more than 30,000 artifacts connected to the history of Belleville and the surrounding region.

In 1971, Glanmore was purchased to become a local museum, opening to the public in 1973. More than fifty years later, it continues to do far more than preserve a beautiful old house. Through exhibitions, school programs, community events and changing displays, Glanmore gives residents a way to encounter local history where it actually happened. And October is absolutely the most atmospheric time to visit!

From October 1 through November 1, Glanmore’s Creepy Curiosities exhibit explores the darker and stranger side of Victorian life, from old superstitions and unusual artifacts to the ways Victorians understood death, science, mystery and the unknown. On October 1, visitors can also take part in Adopt-a-Ghost, a playful evening program featuring handcrafted clay “resident spirits” waiting for their forever homes. Later in the month, Glanmore will host acclaimed Canadian author Jane Urquhart in conversation with Janet Kellough as part of Quinte Arts Fest on October 24. Looking ahead, the museum transforms again for Victorian Christmas beginning November 17.

Places like Glanmore survive because communities continue to value them. Visiting the museum, attending a program, purchasing a membership or making a donation all help support the preservation of the site and the thousands of local artifacts in its care. If you've never visited this landmark, I encourage you to move it to the top of your list. This is the season to step through the doors. You may be surprised by what curiosities lie in wait.