At 180 years old, London’s oldest building waits for visitors.
Eldon House will draw Londoners in with unique events to celebrate its longevity. From the “Downton Abbey” Tea Party and an upcoming vintage baseball game. On days when they are not hosting, however, staff never know when there will be guests.
Historical Interpreter Andrew Moore believes it is mostly because of the marketing budget for Eldon House.
“Marketing has always been a very tough part of any cultural institution,” he explains, “we can’t compete with big hockey games and large concerts.”
Those who do visit Eldon House, enjoy learning about the history. Francois-Simon Wathier was visiting his fiancée’s , Laura Rostas, parents. It was his first time in the place, although he studied Library Sciences at Western University.
“It was good to go into the library and [it’s] interesting to see what they collected as a family in terms of books.”
Even animals enjoy the oldest home in London. Nearby resident Dave Kanno walks his cat, Bear, around the grounds of Eldon House. He says the cat will go up to families and children who visit. Kanno is considering volunteering.
“Simply because this is the oldest house in London, it’s a beautiful home,” he says, “the grounds are beautiful, and my cat enjoys it as well.”
Eldon House will recruit volunteers on April 11th, in their Interpretive Centre, from 9 a.m. to noon.