Welcome to Annandale National Historic Site
The first and second floor of Annandale House will be open for self guided tours. Tours are available Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Starting July 9th to the end of August, we will be open Saturdays 12-4pm and Sundays 1-4pm.
The Pratt Gallery is open for our new exhibition, “Tillsonburg 1872: The Story of Incorporation.” The exhibition will be on from March 22nd – August 28th, 2022. The exhibition showcases the story and people behind Tillsonburg’s Incorporation as a town on March 2, 1872.
You can book your tour online via the Connect to Rec 2.0 website (https://www.tillsonburg.ca/en/live-and-play/connect2rec-upgrade.aspx) or by calling 519-842-2294.
* Current government-approved disinfectants for high-touch areas (e.g. doorknobs, handrails, door frames) are not recommended by the Canadian Conservation Institute for use on historic surfaces. With limited access we can preserve the historic surfaces within the house.
Annandale House was built in the 1880s by Edwin Delevan Tillson (below), the first mayor of Tillsonburg and son of the town's founder, George Tillson.
The interior of Annandale House is a living monument to the Victorian style of design, known as the "Aesthetic Art Movement."
Popularized by Oscar Wilde, this movement encouraged the use of colour and decorative detailing in all areas of the home.
In 1882, Edwin and his wife Mary Ann (pictured at right) attended Wilde's "The House Beautiful" lecture in Woodstock, Ontario and applied much of what they heard when decorating their new home.
Annandale House features extravagant, hand-painted ceilings, elaborate inlaid floors, ornate mantles, colourful stained glass and more.
History of the House | ||||||
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Preservation and Restoration | ||||||
In 1981, Annandale House was facing possible demolition. A group of concerned citizens began a fundraising campaign to purchase and restore the home. Remarkably, the group did not ask for any local tax dollars to achieve their vision. Instead, they asked the municipality to cover the ongoing operational costs. The Town agreed, and the group moved forward with its plan.
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Floor Plan | ||||||
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