Logan's Gallery is located in the beautiful Georgian home built in the 1850's by Samuel Cline, a wealthy Cornwall merchant who owned a successful store on the corner of Pitt & Second. Cline built his home on land known as Lot 9, located on south side of Second Street near Amelia, and which had been handed down from family to family for nearly 100 years. It was here that he and his wife Margaret (Dickenson) raised their family.
In 1955, the home was bought by the Cornwall Public Library, and after extensive renovations, opened its doors to the public the following year. In 1967, a new wing was added to the east side, which became the library itself while the main house was used to hold supplies, offices and books. A loading ramp was then added where the Cline kitchen had been and was used to bring in supplies for the library. The building remained Cornwall's public library until 1992.
After meeting Trisha Romance and visiting her Gallery in the summer of 1997, Mike Logan, owner of Logan's Art Gallery, was inspired, so much so that he set out on a search for a new location for his expanding business. Recognizing the potential of the Cline House, Logan purchased it in 1998 and spent the next 10 months restoring the neglected building. The Gallery was officially opened October 8, 1998.
Logan had begun his artistic career as a wildlife photographer and eventually decided to express his work as a finished product. He has been doing quality picture framing since 1984. In 1990, he quit his job as manager of a Delicatessen in a large food chain so he could do framing and photography full time. He opened his first gallery at 226 Pitt Street in 1992, and six years later moved to his present home in the Historical Cline House.
For his efforts in restoring this heritage building, the Ontario Heritage Foundation awarded Logan a certificate of achievement in October of 2000. The Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC) had nominated him for that award. Ironically, Logan had held his first photographic exhibit in this building back in 1987. His plans for the building are ongoing.
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