{jcomments on}

UPLANDS CELEBRATES 150th                                  Editor: Nancy Nourse 

Date: March 8, 2012  Region: Sherbrooke

2012 marks the 150th anniversary of the Uplands House (9 Speid Street, Lennoxville). In celebration of this momentous occasion, its residents, The Uplands Cultural & Heritage Center and The Lennoxville-Ascot Historical & Museum Society (LAHMS) will be organizing a number of special activities throughout the year, and we've started by making the rental of the Lennoxville Heritage Walk Audio Guide FREE during 2012! Upcoming events will be posted on our website: www.uplands.ca as well as on their Facebook and Twitter page.

150 years of history

Erected in 1862 on a 120 acre site Mr. John Barney Paddon built Uplands to mirror his home in England using the same name. In 1890, Paddon gave the house to his daughter Julia and her husband, Canon Archibald Campbell Scarth of Lennoxville's St. George's Anglican Church, before being sold to Arthur Speid around 1919. Each of these families was actively involved in the Lennoxville community. Paddon was one of the founders of Malvern Cemetery on Moulton Hill. Scarth taught history at Bishop's College (now Bishop's University).

Arthur Speid, a childhood friend of the Scarth children, and the longest owner and resident of Uplands was actively involved in local theatre, partnering with local icons such as Lewis Evans (BCS) and John Turner (Bishop's University). Among his many accomplishments, he served two terms as Mayor and taught Chemistry at Bishop's University. Arthur and his wife Mary lived in Uplands and raised their three daughters, Lorna, Catharine and Janet, in the house.

Janet Speid Motyer continued to live in the house until 1987, when she and her sister Catharine decided to sell the house. They did not want Uplands to go to a land developer and were thrilled when LAHMS and the Town of Lennoxville partnered to purchase the property.

Today the Georgian style house belongs to the City of Sherbrooke and was recently designated a Heritage site. For more than twenty years, Uplands has been a welcoming place for members of the community and the public at large, offering historical and contemporary exhibits; concerts; art workshops; traditional English tea; a splendid garden, and a warm ambiance for groups and gatherings.

Uplands Cultural & Heritage Center and The Lennoxville-Ascot Historical & Museum Society (LAHMS) feel privileged to share in such a rich history, and hope that you will join them for the upcoming events to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Uplands.

Opening hours

Uplands is open to the public Wednesday to Sunday from 1:00pm to 4:30pm. Admission to the exhibits is FREE. For more information, please call (819) 564-0409 or visit their website at www.uplands.ca.