Original Residents

Glanmore was built in 1882 – 1883 for wealthy banker John Philpot Curran Phillips and wife, artist and homemaker, Harriet Dougall Phillips.  

John P.C. Phillips (b. 1842, d. 1912) was born in London, Ontario. Throughout his career he worked with many banks and loan companies. For several years he was the manager of the Hastings Loan and Investment Bank. In 1907, Phillips established and became the manager of the local branch of the United Empire Bank of Canada.

Harriet Dougall (b. 1839, d. 1915) was a descendant of the Meyers and Bleecker families, who were well known United Empire Loyalist families in the Belleville area. She inherited part of the Bleecker property (on which Glanmore was later built) from her grandmother. Harriet was a talented artist who created portraits and paintings of romantic figures; some of which remain on display at Glanmore.

John P.C. Phillips and Harriet Dougall were married in 1863. They had one son, Percy, born in 1864. Percy died in Kingston at the age of 3 in 1868. When John and Harriet Phillips first lived at Glanmore in the 1880s, they were a middle-aged couple with no surviving children.

In 1896, fourteen-year-old Jessie Patterson (b. 1882, d. 1932) came to live at Glanmore. Jessie was the daughter of James Patterson, a local labourer. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips did not formally adopt Jessie, but treated her as if she was their child, and she assumed their surname. Jessie attended school at the Convent of the Holy Name in Hochelaga, Quebec for six years. Upon her return to Glanmore she had a lively social life. Jessie went on to marry Belleville businessman Sanford Rattray Burrows and inherit Glanmore from Harriet Phillips. 

In 1916, Jessie Patterson Phillips married Belleville businessman Sanford Rattray Burrows (b. 1882, d. 1952) and together they made Glanmore their home. Their two daughters, Philippa (b. 1917, d. 2001) and Sheila (b. 1918, d. 2014) were raised at Glanmore.

Jessie and Sanford were both music enthusiasts who loved to entertain. Jessie sang frequently at community events. One early newspaper clipping reported that she sang at a local wedding of a close friend. 

Sheila and Philippa each carried on the artistic influence of Harriet Phillips. Sheila went on to graduate from the New York School of Interior Design in 1940 and was employed there for 45 years.

Philippa became a well known artist who worked in multiple mediums. She studied at the Parsons School of Fine & Applied Art, Advertising & Design (New York City, 1940), and later went on to study at the Doon School of Fine Arts with Carl Schaefer and F.H. Varley (Kitchener, Ontario). Philippa also studied under Hans Hoffman in Provincetown, MA and New York City (1951). She later travelled with her children to Mexico to study at Instituto Allende, in San Miguel de Allende (1956-1961). She completed her MFA in 1969. 

Philippa exhibited her work many times throughout her life, including at The Royal Library of Windsor Castle, as part of the diamond anniversary of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour (1985). Her watercolour entitled The Public Gardens, Halifax, Nova Scotia was presented to Queen Elizabeth II and resides in the Royal Collection. Philippa taught art classes locally and abroad and was the recipient of several awards during her lifetime. 

In 1946, Philippa married Dr. George Vermilyea Faulkner (b. 1908, d. 1955). George was a decorated World War II veteran (a recipient of The Military Cross.) He first enlisted with the British Army in 1939 and later volunteered for The Chindits (special force) in Burma. He served there as a medical officer, holding the rank of Captain. Following WWII, he returned to Belleville where he practiced as a physician. 

Philippa and George lived at Glanmore with their children Anne (b. 1952, d. 2023) and George "Sandy" Sanford (b. 1954, d. 2005). Following Dr. George Faulkner's untimely passing in 1955, Philippa raised her children and maintained ownership of Glanmore until it was sold in 1971.

Glanmore was purchased for the purpose of establishing a local museum, with funds granted by the Federal Government, and a bequest of funds from Ann Salaman which was given to the City of Belleville in 1955 (accompanying the donation of the Couldery Collection). The City of Belleville and the County of Hastings entered a cost share agreement to cover operations of the Museum until 1998, at which time the City of Belleville took over operations of Glanmore entirely.

Without Philippa's keen foresight and endeavours to have the house designated a National Historic Site in 1969, it is very likely Glanmore would not have survived to become the National Historic Site and community museum it is today.