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One of the most intriguing documents in our “History Folder” was a letter from a Janet Mason, explaining that her mother, Bernice Marshall, had been born in the house in 1907. Surely Janet would have images and information for the next History Wall! But the letter had no address, and a relentless search proved futile.
A newspaper article offered the information that Janet’s mother lived in Brighton, and had recently passed away, so next came a search of cemeteries and obituaries. Still nothing. But attached to Janet’s letter was a newspaper clipping about a 1928 McLaughlin-Buick entitled, “Car Fitted for a Prince Waits for a New Owner”. The article described an elegant touring car built to carry the Prince of Wales during his 1927 visit – a car that was once owned by Bernice Marshall. The hunt was on!
Although the article had no date, the Whitby car garage was easy to find. A friendly voice answered the telephone, and although everyone remembered the car, finding any former owners seemed too much of a stretch, let alone the daughter of a deceased owner! With a little bribery, (free rooms at an Inn in the Thousand Islands works magic), the friendly voice sprang into action. Twenty-four hours later Janet Mason had been found. The original owner of the garage remembered that the family who owned the car had a nameplate company in Toronto, and with help from Google, getting the list of all such companies was easy. Bob Mason, Janet Mason’s husband, was still employed in the family business – the third company on the list. We were almost running along the path now.
With Janet Mason came the information for the next 3 history walls. Janet’s mother was born Bernice Bulloch, and in 1907 Bernice’s father Wilfred J. Bulloch and his wife Gertrude purchased Glenwood for their young family. The Bulloch family were co-owners and founders of the successful manufacturing company Parmenter and Bulloch, and would own the house until 1951.
Having carefully recorded and collected her family’s history, Janet provided us with incredible materials; pictures of children playing around the house in the early 1900’s, trophies for Thousand Islands sailing competitions, pencils and letterhead from Parmenter and Bulloch, even a description of Wilfred’s passion – a state-of-the-art chicken coop for raising prize winning poultry!
Although Wilfred died young, the house stayed in the family and was purchased by his brother Jack. Images of Jack’s luxurious 60ft cabin launch the “Ann Lee” were offered to us by local relatives, (the boat was often used during canoe races), and his 1907 wedding announcement describing the “real orange blossoms from California” that were used for the bridal bouquet was found in an old copy of the Gananoque Reporter.
By now we had over 200 images, and every time another wall was completed and another face joined the family, it was as though a chunk of missing history fell into place. Sunshine poured through the original windows, and the energy in the house was suddenly peaceful and serene.
As Bernie installed drywall and began work on bathrooms, (we were now at the 8 week mark), it became apparent that we would need promotional materials.
The most obvious choice was to contact Michael Webb, a graphic designer in Ottawa who had worked with me on other projects. “The Victoria Rose Inn?!?”, he questioned. “You do remember, don’t you, that I was married there? My parents live just down the road” “Well, not really, but I remember now - really.” As Michael worked away on the graphic end of things, I continued with the history. In 1951 Jack Bulloch sold the house to Margaret Webb, who already owned a number of apartment buildings in Kingston at the time, including today’s Belvedere Hotel and the Frontenac Club. I was fairly flying down the path when I asked Michael if by any chance he might be related to Margaret Webb. “Oh, maybe vaguely, somewhere way back”, he thought. Turns out Margaret Webb was Michael’s estranged step-grandmother. Not so far back at all…
The eight weeks left turned into a few days, and the pace was nothing less than frantic. Opening day was looming, and pipes were still being connected. It had started with a drip in November, and was seemingly going to end with a steady stream of water pouring from new plumbing in April. But when the guests finally arrived, the water had stopped leaking, and we were ready.
Among the many guests at our first celebration was Nancy McQuaig, a longtime family friend. “You know, that my father bought this place in 1963, when it was an apartment building. We lived on the ground floor……I was married here…..look, the yellow tiles from our bathroom are still here in your new coffee cupboard”. And so they were…and still are. A few weeks later, Nancy arrived with an envelope of antique negatives, found in the Inn by her father in 1963.
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One of the special history walls compiled by Susanne Richter with the help of her husband, Bernie Latremouille. Photo courtesy, Victoria Rose Inn.
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Developing the negatives was a leap back in time. Cars from 1907, unpaved street corners in Kingston, a professional looking horse and buggy, women in long dresses with melancholy faces – who were these people?! Not the Bullochs, Janet Mason assured us. So that left Margaret Webb’s family. On a long shot, we packed up the laptop and visited George Vosper, now in his 80’s, son of Margaret Webb, (Margaret’s first marriage was to Dr. Vosper, a dentist in Kingston).
“No no”, his wife assured us, “lovely pictures but not from this family”. And then George, his memory blurred by age, looked up at us from the image and said quite clearly, “That’s my father, and his horse Juby, (Jubilee), and that’s my Grandmother…”, and on it went. Grandma Webb had left behind pictures of her first marriage – the puzzle was complete.
That we were connected to the house from the beginning was not immediately apparent. But each discovery of another small degree of separation, every friendship built along the history path, and our own time spent with the Inn has forged a new connection. The house has engaged us in uncovering it’s past, and rewarded us with a sense of purpose and belonging. We have great respect for Glenwood, and the lives that have played out here. We are proud and honored to be the stewards of this remarkable property.
By Susanne Richter, Victoria Rose Inn, Gananoque ON.
From the Editor: First we thank Susanne Richter and her husband Bernie Latremouille for taking the time to provide TI Life with this fascinating story.
In May 2008, Paul Malo first paid tribute to the new Victoria Inn keepers in Gananoque, as he designated a Best Foot Forward Award. Paul, unfortunately was not able to visit the Inn and therefore was only able to comment on the Inn's new look through their webpage. By May, 2008 the Inn had been renovated from top to bottom and at the same time Susanne was completely engrossed with capturing her new home's history. Today, we too offer our appreciation to a business endeavor that has gone beyond providing hospitality - they are preserving the past.
Presently, the Victoria Rose Inn features 12 exquisite rooms, all with private baths and unique décor - many offer working fireplaces. Completely renovated in 2006, the Inn boasts welcoming living spaces with original wood floors, a classically serene color palette and stunning views from grand windows found throughout the building. Eight History Walls detail the history of the house, beginning in 1866.
“Rooms with a View” was the description of the Victoria Rose Inn in a 1938 promotional brochure about the area. Over 70 years later, the Inn still boasts wonderful views of the magical gardens and grounds.
The Inn will be opening for the 2009 season on May 15, 2009. The Inn is also open for tours of the history walls by appointment after May 15, 2009. Please call (613) 382-3368.
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| Victoria Rose Inn, Living Room |
Lobby |
One of a dozen bedrooms |