Lonicera Hall History

In the year 1903, Gilbert Ganong purchased the Porter home from Bessie and Annie Porte, daughters of the original owners.

The original Porter house was built in 1841 by James Porter. It was a white clap-board home with the front entry facing the St. Croix River. James and Marie (Christie) Porter had eleven children, and the youngest daughter, Annie Porter, was one of the first guests to take up residence when it became the Old Folks Home, continuing to live in the home until her death in 1944.

Mr. Ganong was particularly interested in developing the grounds around the home and his favourite shrub was the honeysuckle.

The name Lonicera is derived from the botanical name for the honeysuckle, and was suggested to Mr. Ganong by his friend James Vroom.

Since the house had been built so many years before, the outlook from its windows had changed and the spacious front lawns were now enclosed by the back of Water Street (now Milltown Boulevard) buildings. Mr. Ganong found the foundation timbers were still in fine condition and he had the house turned completely around. Also he added the verandahs, front gables, corner tower and bay windows.

Today
• Beveled plate glass adorns the entrance way
• A special feature of the dining room is the stained glass window
• The downstairs living rooms are embellished with fine antique furniture. Many articles in the home are irreplaceable
• A view of the staircase at Lonicera Hall reveals the unique curved stained glass windows on the second floor
• Many beautiful paintings and a grandfather clock preside in the downstairs hallway
• The hallway on the third floor is lighted by a series of unique windows