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Doors Open Owen Sound

May 7, 2007

Every year, Doors Open Ontario attracts large crowds across Ontario. From April to October, residents and visitors are invited to discover first-hand Ontario’s hidden heritage treasures, some of which have never been open to the public.

This will be the first year I get to take part in Doors Open Owen Sound and I am excited for the opportunity to dive into a little more of the cities rich history. I am particularly looking forward to the opportunity to tour the More Estate Gardens.

More about the event from the Doors Open Ontario website …

Since the program was launched in 2002, nearly two million visits have been made to heritage sites participating in this exciting initiative. Doors Open Ontario, now considered a cultural phenomenon, will be even larger in 2007 with hundreds of communities participating in over 40 events across the province.

Festivals and Events Ontario recognized Doors Open Ontario as one of the province’s “Top 50 Ontario Festivals” in 2004 and 2005. Doors Open Ontario was nominated as a Top 50 festival in 2006 and 2007.

So mark your calendars and don’t miss out on the fun June 2nd and 3rd. If you had a chance to visit a Doors Open Owen Sound site last year be sure to add your thoughts as a comment below!

Owen Sound sites for June 2-3, 2007

Beth Ezekiel Synagogue

313 11th Street East, Owen Sound

Year Built: 1903

Dates/Hours Open:

Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This 1903 building, first occupied by Calvary Church, has been the synagogue’s home since 1946. Named for Ezekiel Cadesky, a Russian immigrant who settled here in the early 1900s, the building emulates the simple Georgian meeting halls of its day. Recently added, intricate stained-glass windows tell the story of many member families.

Bucharte Estate

Butchart Estate Bed & Breakfast

919 5th Avenue East, Owen Sound
(519) 371-0208
www.butchartestate.com
Year Built: 1880

Dates/Hours Open:

Saturday: Noon to 4 p.m.
Sunday: Noon to 4 p.m.

Built in the Queen Anne Revival style, the building has a steeply sloped pavilion roof and an off-set tower with rare curved-glass windows that add elegance despite their simplicity. The semi-elliptical fan transom set above a wider door is the hallmark of North American Neo-Classicism.

Greenwood Cemetary

Greenwood Cemetery and Mausoleum

190 1st Street West, Owen Sound
(519) 376-3203
www.e-owensound.com
Year Built: Opened, 1854

Dates/Hours Open:

Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Greenwood Cemetery, surrounded by tall, stately maples and cedar hedges, is the resting place of ship captains, politicians and prominent businessmen, and the only cemetery in Canada to contain three Victoria Cross recipients. The Indiana-limestone-clad mausoleum, built in 1927, features marble interiors and impressive stained-glass windows. Walking-tour brochure available.

Grey Roots Museum

Grey Roots Museum and Archives

102599 Grey Road 18, Georgian Bluffs
(519) 376-3690
www.greyroots.com
Architect: Grant M. Diemert; Year Built: 2004

Dates/Hours Open:

Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Home to Grey County’s Museum, Archives and Tourism Services, the timber frame construction, which recalls a barn, establishes the rural character of the building. The building showcases ledge-rock stone and maple hardwood from the Niagara Escarpment.

Hibou Conservation Area

Hibou Conservation Area

Grey Road 15, Owen Sound
www.greysauble.on.ca

Dates/Hours Open:

Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This 108-hectare park features sandy beaches, trails and beaver dams on land purchased in 1914 by businessman George McLaughlan to build a railway. Hibou is a French-Indian word meaning Great White Owl. The conservation area is named after the Owen Sound Transportation Company ship Hibou, which sank near Squaw Point in 1936, but was later raised, rebuilt and sold.

Highland Manor

The Highland Manor

867 4th Avenue A West, Owen Sound
(519) 372-2699
www.highlandmanor.ca
Year Built: 1872

Dates/Hours Open:

Saturday: Noon to 4 p.m.
Sunday: Noon to 4 p.m.

This 7,500-square-foot 1872 manor, a fine example of High Victorian architecture, features a library, a music room, a cage elevator, Roman arches, 12-foot-high ornate plaster ceilings, stained-glass windows and a grand staircase winding up 40 feet. The land was originally owned by Richard Carney, Owen Sound’s first mayor. From 1914–30, the house served as a maternity hospital.

Inglis Falls

Inglis Falls

Inglis Falls Road, Georgian Bluffs
www.greysauble.on.ca

Dates/Hours Open:

Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

On the edge of Owen Sound in the Inglis Falls Conservation Area, the Sydenham River cascades 18 metres over the edge of the Niagara Escarpment. A grist mill purchased here in 1845 by the Inglis family grew rapidly into a complex of mills. See the water flume, grinding stones and stone building that remain.

More estate garden

More Estate Gardens

Grey Road 18 at Inglis Falls Road, Georgian Bluffs

Dates/Hours Open:

Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The prestigious More Estate was originally a small country cottage-style home built by the McCallum family in 1920. The rear addition was modelled on an 1870s Regency Georgian villa. The gardens are reminiscent of European landscape architecture, with concrete statues, benches, birdbaths and an unusual maze.

the Farmers Market

Owen Sound and District Farmers’ Market

114 8th Street East, Owen Sound
www.owensoundfarmersmarket.ca
Architect: David Smith; Year Built: 1868

Dates/Hours Open:

Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This vernacular brick building, originally a private waterworks, was purchased in 1890 by the town council and became the farmers’ market in 1936. Its most prominent feature is the centre gable with its bull’s-eye vent. Designated in 1986, it is the only remaining structure of the original Market Square. Vendors present Saturday 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m
Parking Partial Wheelchair Access Washrooms This site has a blue and gold provincial plaque

Wilkinson House

Wilkinson House

903 2nd Avenue West, Owen Sound

Year Built: 1912

Dates/Hours Open:

Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This century home, now a law office, is a landmark in Owen Sound. Recently restored, the Arts-and-Crafts-style house features original windows, wavy glass, a tongue-and-groove porch ceiling and extensive woodwork and stained glass.

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Written by Ryan · Filed Under The City, Events, Community, theOwen Features 

Comments

2 Responses to “Doors Open Owen Sound”

  1. theOwen.com/go : Blog Archive : The Week Past, the Week to Come, May 28th Says:
    May 28th, 2007 at 8:45 am

    […] their doors around town for the Open Doors Owen Sound event. Take a look at theOwen.com’s feature story on the event for more information. Also, expect map links to be up and running in the next few days […]

  2. theOwen.com/go : Blog Archive : Doors Open Owen Sound is Nearly Here! Says:
    May 30th, 2007 at 2:03 pm

    […] Bed & Breakfast and the Greenwood Cemetery & Mausoleum. For further details see our full story from May 7th. Also check out the Doors Open Ontario […]

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