Highland Manor - Steeped in History! Reviewed: DD Sept/Oct 2004 - Destinations Discoveries by Heather Sande, Lucknow. I have to share that I have a secret! I had a fantastic time at Summerfolk and my evening only got better when I reached my accommodations at The Highland Manor Grand Victorian Bed Breakfast! It wasn;t only my secret - all the rooms at the manor were full of;Summerfolkies;. And believe me, it was GRAND, in every sense of the word. The Highland Manor overlooks the bay in Owen Sound and is steeped in history. To think that this grand old house was built in 1872 quite intrigued me. In 1872, the Ross family acquired the deed to the land and it was shortly after that they built the 7500 square foot home and became the first family to live in this home. From the unique vantage point of the 2nd floor of The Highland Manor, the Rosses were able to keep an eye on the ships coming into the harbour, a very busy port in the mid 1800's. Upon the retirement of the Rosses the manor changed owners a few times and in 1919 it became Miss Moore's Maternity Hospital (1919-1940), a private maternity hospital. Many of the residents of the Owen Sound area came to this prestigious home to have their children. Although it has been thought by some that the cage elevator had been installed during the home;s maternity hospital days, further research has proven that it was actually installed in 1953. In 1992, the house began to experience a renaissance, when the Buchanan family arrived, and put their heart and soul into bringing the manor back to life. Although Linda and Paul now have legal entitlement to The Highland Manor, they feel that their role is more that of custodian than owner. During my stay Paul Linda made it easy for me to believe I was a princess! The crowning touch was the luxurious bath towel topped with a bedtime chocolate. Surrounded by molded ceilings, historical paintings, antique (but still comfortable!) furniture, Italian marble fireplaces, plush beds, and a gorgeous music room I almost expected a horse drawn carriage to pull into the driveway. In my dreams, I share the music room with other guests. I am not worried about impressing anyone. After my morning practice session, I sound like a concert pianist. The only thing that pulled me from my wonderful sleep was the alluring smell of breakfast cooking! I would go back to The Highland Manor just for another serving of Paul and Linda's egg and cheese souffle. It was so light and cheesy it just melted in my mouth. The coffee cake, fresh fruit cup, choices of juice and delicious coffee and tea began my day with a wonderful sense of being able to take on the day. My hosts, Paul and Linda, not only served a great breakfast, they provided excellent directions and were incredibly friendly and fun to talk to! My stay at the Highland Manor gave me a taste of Owen Sound that left me wanting to try more. Before I left I was already formulating plans of taking over the entire second floor guestrooms for a girl;s spa and shopping weekend! But it would also be ideal for meetings, anniversary celebrations, intimate weddings or perhaps a romantic honeymoon. I'm sure I could think up an unending list of excuses to stay at The Highland Manor. But the number one reason for me is the escape it provided from the hustle and bustle of our busy lives. The silence is stunning and very welcomed. Inside the walls of the Highland Manor you can easily forget the trappings of our modern society and just relax! Reservations can be made by calling 1-877-372-2699 or 519-372-2699 Web: Highland Manor Grand Victorian Bed Breakfast. Reviewed: March/April 2003 - Staying at the Highland Manor is like being pampered at a country estate. High atop the hill overlooking Owen Sound and its harbour, this lovely red brick mansion awaits those who love old houses, great scenery, wonderful food and lovely hosts. Finding the house takes a bit of detective work. It is nestled back on 4th Avenue West. When you call to book an evening stay, have Paul or Linda give you directions or fax you a map. Directions are also available from their website. It is well worth the search. As you drive in, past the brick garage that looks as though it once was used as a stable, you see a graceful Victorian lady of red brick, iced with beautiful yellow brick accents, pretty chimneys and lovely woodwork. The grand porch and towering front doors face the bluff, so the natural entrance off the street is the back kitchen hall. The house is magnificent. There is a staircase that winds up three storeys as well as an old-fashioned elevator that also services all three floors. The home's interior has survived the occupation of many owners and users with its deep woodwork and graceful plaster details intact. At one time the home was used as a hospital for expectant mothers. Many babies came into the world in this lovely Victorian. It has been restored to the era of its first owner, a Scottish foundry owner who built it in the mid 1800s. The library, with its tall windows overlooking the lawns and bluff, invites guests to linger on its comfy coaches to meander through a book, watch the large screen television or have a good chat. A music room, complete with a beautiful grand piano, is lovingly furnished with family heirlooms and portraits. Both Linda and Paul are accomplished musicians active in the communities of Toronto and Owen Sound. The guest rooms occupy the second floor while Linda and Paul's personal living space is on the third floor. All of the rooms are spectacular. Some have working fireplaces, which Linda and Paul supply with a log for those desiring a cozy evening in front of the fire. The beds are plump with fine linens and cozy comforters and blankets. We stayed in the honeymoon suite, a room washed in cream, beige and soft blue. Out our window at night, the lights of Owen Sound sparkled and shone. I dressed my hair at a nice appointed dressing table before going out for the evening while my husband made full use of the ensuite bathroom, complete with shower and tub. In the morning, with sunshine streaming in the five tall windows, we caught sight of the harbour and the bay beyond. It was hard to leave the room, with its beautiful windows, fireplace and comfy settee and chairs but breakfast was worth it. In a dining room set like an English tea room, we choose a table in front of the fire. Beautiful stained glass windows and lovely period wall coverings made the room cosy yet refined. Antique glassware from Linda's family adorned the buffet. We feasted on freshly squeezed orange juice, fruit salad, lovely banana bread and muffins and the most wonderful pumpkin pancakes served with locally made maple syrup and ginger butter. Breakfast was delicious. The pumpkin pancakes were just what a pancake ought to be - fluffy and filled with flavour. I can still recall the taste and aroma of them. Linda let me visit her kitchen which is a beautiful space filled to the exposed rafters with her cookbook and tin ware collection. It has the warmth and comfort of a home's heart. We enjoyed our visit at Highland Manor and look forward to visiting again. It is a place that begs to be seen in the glory of all seasons. It is only a walk down a nature path to downtown Owen Sound. In summer, guests can lounge on lovely antique deck chairs on the wide front porch, which catches the bay breeze or swing on the wooden swings suspended from the centuries-old trees that dot the lawn and hillside. Coming or going, the Highland Manor is a beautiful and graceful sight filled with the warmth and comfort of beautiful rooms and wonderful hosts. The Highland Manor Grand Victorian Bed Breakfast 867 4th Ave. A West, Owen Sound, Ontario Tel: (519) 372-2699 or toll-free 1-877-372-2699 Web:

In 1849, it was simply known as Lots 4 through 12, and the land on the brow of the West Hill consisted of some fifteen acres. It was probably the majestic view that this once extensive piece of property offered that prompted Richard Carney, the first mayor of Owen Sound, to acquire the deed in the form of a grant from the Crown, on January 13, 1849. It wasn't until the Ross family acquired the land from Richard Carney, in 1872, that The Highland Manor, one of the finest examples of high Victorian architecture in Canada, was built. This period marked the beginning of a brand new country, the Dominion of Canada, and began to show its new identity in architecture, making the manor, built by the Rosses, a landmark of socio-architectural importance. From log cabins to replicas of American styles, to the Greek and Roman revivals of the early 1800's, Canadians had been content to accept borrowed styles, but gradually drifted from these standard classical forms of architecture as the colony would soon begin to reject direct British rule. When the Gothic Revival came in the 1820s Canadians accepted it both in their public and private buildings. This was the beginning of Victorian Architecture in Canada. The Victorian period may be considered to cover not just the sixty odd years of Victoria's reign but, in actuality, close to 90 years from the 1820's until World War 1. This entire era is characterized primarily by the borrowing of architectural forms of the past. This period of Canadian Architecture can also be broken down into three sub groups; Early, High, and Late Victorian. Early Victorian from the 1820's to the 1850's was the adaptation of early forms in a pure sense. High Victorian lasted from the 1850's to the 1890's and it is from this period that The Highland Manor emerges. Despite High Victorian being a creation of other architectural forms, it, of the three Victorian sub-periods, has very much a character of its own. The main object of this new style, which emerged in the mid-1800's, was the element of the picturesque. This was characterized by concentration on that which catches the eye, more by contrast than anything else. The irregular, complex, visually interesting combination of shapes of the Highland Manor are particularly High Victorian. Wood and brick are combined for contrast of texture and there are also eye catching patterns within the brick work. Sharp outlines are broken by the use of brackets and intersecting roof lines. Although asymmetrical there is no feeling of disharmony; rather there is an overall feeling of attractiveness and balance, which is how the architect intended it. The square tower on the front facade, the round headed windows with large rippled panes, the double front doors and the covered verandah are typically italianate. But the Mansard roof with ornamental dormers, the bay window and the polychromatic brick design are borrowed from the 3rd Empire architecture which represented a new style at the time of building. The original walk-out windows with their elongated sashes, act as a threshold to the outdoors from the music room. In 1872, the Ross family acquired the deed to the land from the first mayor of Owen Sound, Richard Carney. Carney had been granted the 15 acre parcel of land on the brow of the West Hill by the Crown on January 13,1849. Shortly after the Ross's acquisition they built the 7500 square foot home and became the first family to live in this home. From the time of original settlement, Owen Sound's primary function was that of a Great Lakes port. Ships were used to ferry residents to other communities in the area, as well as for fishing and the transportation of products and supplies. The shipping industry played a huge role in the local economy. There were a number of ship builders located here, and many families earned their living by working on the boats. A few years after the village was incorporated in 1857 as the Town of Owen Sound, discussion arose regarding the possibility of bringing a railway line to the town. This eventual connection to the two most important methods of travel during the Nineteenth Century, ships and trains, would become this town's greatest facilitator of growth. The Toronto Grey and Bruce Railway Company expressed interest in building a line to Owen Sound about 1860. The track was chartered in 1868, but actual construction was not completed until 1873, a year after the Highland Manor's construction. The line extended along the eastern shore of the waterfront. In 1883 the railway was taken over by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. The railway track on the west side of the waterfront was constructed in 1894 by the Grand Trunk Railway, later becoming Canadian National Railway. The present building was erected in the early 1930's and is now the Marine Rail Heritage Museum. With the arrival of two railways, Owen Sound became a major shipping centre. By the 1880's, the waterfront was frequented by Georgian Bay and Lake Superior steamers. By the turn of the century Owen Sound was well on its way to becoming a bustling urban centre with a number of industries including cement manufacturers, ship builders and furniture factories. It was also regarded as a regional centre, supplying many of the surrounding communities with essential supplies and services. By 1911, there were 643 vessels docked in the city's harbour. Most of these boats would have been carrying passengers as Owen Sound was the main transfer point for passengers traveling to and from the western provinces on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Owen Sound's access to railway lines and close proximity to American ports was invaluable in the importation of goods to Canada. The volume of goods made an American Consulate downtown necessary. That building is located just three doors down from Billy Bishop's ( WW1 Flying Ace and war hero) house. Miss Moore's Maternity Hospital (1919-1940). Miss Moore converted the home into a private maternity hospital in 1919. Many of the residents of the Owen Sound area came to this prestigious home to have their children. Tales of walking through waist high snow drifts on the West Hill's flat apple orchards along 8th street to get to the hospital are legendary. Over two thousand births were recorded at the Highland Manor between the years 1919 and 1940. An elaborate bell calling system is still in place from the hospital days. After the hospital closed, the home was bought by George Fleming, who, along with his brothers Howard and Stuart and his father, C.A. Fleming, was the owner of the city's newspaper, The Sun-Times, the city's radio stations, and RBW Graphics. All three are still operating as very successful businesses today! Mr. Fleming was also President and later Chairman of Victoria and Grey Trust Company. It was Mr. Fleming who did most of the extensive upgrading to bring the home into the 20th century. He installed a furnace that heated the home with coal, and later converted the home to an oil furnace. (Currently there are two high efficiency natural gas boilers). When the house was built in 1872, it was constructed with two outer courses of brick, then air space of one brick width and a third course of brick inside. The structure was left to settle for one year, and then the inner brick was plastered. Very few cracks have ever appeared in these wall.s When Mr. Fleming renovated the house in 1940, the engineers reported that the air space served as better insulation than he could possibly install at that time. Today, the house in summer seems to be airconditioned because of the coolness that prevails compared to the outside heat. Although it has been thought by some that the cage elevator had been installed during the home's maternity hospital days, further research has proven that it was actually installed in 1953 for Mr. Fleming, who had a serious heart condition. Mr. Fleming died in 1972 and the house was sold by the family in 1974. The 1990's and the turn...

 Luggage storage
 Conference and meeting room
 Credit cards accepted
 Smoke-free guest rooms
 Parking lot
 Private park, garden, courtyard
 Quiet surroundings
 Private/Ensuite bathroom
 Tea and coffee making facilities
 Patio, summer terrace
 Cheques accepted
 Common room with a TV set