Address: 415 Harris Street, Ingersoll

GPS Coordinates: N 43° 1.79'     W 80° 51.3026'     (43.0298329, -80.855043)

Telephone:   (800) 561-5321

Year Built: 1868

Website: www.elmhurstinn.com/

The Elm Hurst mansion has been a Southwestern Ontario landmark since it was built by James Harris in 1872 at a cost of $5,000.

The Harris family was one of 40 who came to Ingersoll from Salem, Massachusetts in 1798 with Major Thomas Ingersoll - father of War of 1812 heroine Laura Secord.

James Harris originally purchased Lots 18 and 19, concession 2 West, in 1864. Here he erected one of Oxford County’s first commercial cheese factories, and in 1866, the Elm Hurst site was the birthplace of a 7,300 pound cheese co-manufactured by local producers to put Ingersoll on the map. The famous ‘Mammoth Cheese’ travelled to exhibitions in Toronto, Sarasota New York, Paris France and London England.

The entry is Tudor-arched with stained glass double doors. Beyond the vestibule on the first floor was a large living room, a sitting room, a breakfast room, music room, large dining room, pantry, kitchen and storage area. Many of the rooms were equipped with fireplaces and most have high sculptured ceilings. The second floor boasted several bedrooms with two functioning fireplaces, servant’s quarters and one bathroom.

The exterior of the Elm Hurst displays an eclectic architectural integration of Italianate tower and pointed Gothic window arches, circular panels and brackets and projecting quoins. The gingerbread trim is of a more formal design.

The Harris family lived in the mansion for more than a century until the last heir sold the property in the mid-1970s. The home was transformed into a private dining restaurant in 1979. A rear addition was built five years later, with the 49-room Elm Hurst Inn & Spa added in 1988.

A horse-drawn buggy discovered on the property during renovations now sits in the rafters of the renovated 19-th century Carriage House.

The property was purchased by London-based Farhi Holdings Corporation in 2009. The Victorian mansion underwent significant heritage restoration last summer, along with the addition of several outdoor water features, fountains and gazebos. Renovations to the Inn rooms are currently underway.

Elm Hurst Inn & Spa attracts an international clientele and is a popular destination for relaxing getaways, corporate events, weddings and other celebrations.