From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:
Located at 134 Simpson Street, Bishophurst has been the official residence of the Anglican bishops in the Diocese of Algoma since 1876. The building was constructed on three and half acres of land sold to the diocese by Wemyss Simpson for the nominal sum of five dollars. The funds to purchase the land and build an Episcopal residence in Sault Ste. Marie were gifted to Bishop Frederic Dawson Fauquier, the first Anglican Bishop of Algoma, by Baroness Burdett-Coutts on the condition that she remain anonymous (which she did for a long while). The residence was completed in 1875 and Bishop Fauquier moved in during September 1876. Inextricably interwoven with the community of Sault Ste. Marie, the house has been continuously occupied by the Bishops of Algoma and their families since its construction.
"It has been, and continues to be, a centre of social and religious life in the community…Its history is interwoven with the life and growth of Sault Ste. Marie and the District of Algoma."
One such social event synonymous with Bishophurst is the New Year's Day Open House, a longstanding tradition that has endured to the present day. The idea for a New Year’s Day reception was initiated by Bishop Edward Sullivan, the second Bishop of Algoma.
The two-story Neo-Georgian house is steeped in history and tradition, and the open house “gives Saultites a chance to experience the tradition firsthand,” as Norma Hankinson remarked in a 1995 interview with The Sault Star. Hankinson, who was handling the publicity for the event, continued, “People can mill around and have a good look at the place.” In describing her impressions of Bishophurst, Hankinson was struck most by “the thickness of the walls and the height of the ceilings… and there are so many fireplaces… I think there was a fireplace in every room originally.”
Bishophurst has undergone major renovations over the years, mainly for maintenance and upgrades to electrical, water, and heating systems, but little has changed on the exterior, and most of the architectural details of the home have been unaltered. Bishophurst was officially designated as a historical site in 2010.
Military officials, clergy from various centres, local government representatives, and residents of Sault Ste. Marie from both sides of the river have attended the New Year’s receptions throughout the years. Over the decades, some receptions have drawn nearly five hundred attendees, with most years seeing at least two hundred visitors.
The Bishophurst New Year’s Day Open House of 1941 was hosted by the Rt. Rev. G. F. Kingston, Lord Bishop of Algoma, and Mrs. Kingston. “A delightful New Year’s Day reception was held at Bishophurst… when the Rt. Rev. G. F. Kingston, Lord Bishop of Algoma, and Mrs. Kingston received visitors at their home, Bishophurst on New Year’s Day from 3:30 until 6:00 p.m., 1941,” an article in The Sault Star the following day states.
“Mrs. Kingston chose for the occasion a blue lace gown, with which she wore a corsage of roses. Charming arrangements of carnations, snapdragons, and mums graced the rooms, while a mixed bouquet of these flowers centered the attractive tea table. During the first hour, Mrs. W. L. Wright, wearing black with scarlet trim, and Mrs. W. C. Franz in navy blue presided over the tea table. Mrs. W. Cole-Bowen, in black, and Mrs. S. L. Penhorwood, in blue with a feather turban, presided during the second hour.” The guests numbered over 400, and in the evening, a party was held for those who assisted during the afternoon.
In a 1950 Sault Star article discussing Bishophurst’s New Year’s Day receptions, the Open House was referred to as the “oldest traditional social of the year.”
A focal point of a New Year’s Open House visit to Bishophurst is the Heritage Center, housed in the original kitchen and transformed to display historical pieces. The centre is filled with artifacts, memorabilia, and photos. During the New Year’s Open House, Saultites often flock to one of the most popular artifacts in the Heritage Center: an old signal cannon that was taken off a yacht used to ferry Algoma’s Anglican bishops around Lake Huron many years ago.
A tradition at Bishophurst’s New Year’s Reception was the firing of the cannon, a practice that originated during Bishop Sullivan’s episcopacy around 1888. Bishop Sullivan used a yacht called The Evangeline to visit churches in the diocese and would fire the cannon to let parishioners know he was in town! The story goes that the yacht was gifted to him by the Royal family to spread the good news of Jesus around the Great Lakes. The New Year's Day cannon firing became a public favourite.
On January 1st, 1976, Bishophurst celebrated the New Year with a special Open House reception marking its 100th anniversary. Guests and hosts alike donned Centennial clothing to bring the atmosphere of the 1870s to life. This reception also provided the public with its first opportunity to explore the newly established Heritage Center.
With the exception of a few years here and there over the decades, Bishophurst has opened its doors to the Sault almost every New Year’s Day, inviting the public to partake in tea, cider, and desserts, while exploring the grand old home. A December 31st, 1956, article described Bishophurst as “one of the houses which figured in early social rounds [that] is still carrying on the fine old tradition of Northern hospitality.” It seems this still holds true all these decades later.
Although unable to host the Bishophurst New Year’s Open House on January 1st, 2025, The Most Reverend Anne Germond, 11th Bishop of Algoma (and the first woman to serve in this capacity), hopes to resume the tradition in 2026.
It is hoped that this annual ‘at home’ at Bishophurst continues for many New Year's Days to come.
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