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In 1873 the "Diocese of Algoma" was created with Sault Ste. Marie as its headquarters. An Anglican Council in Toronto chose Frederick Dawson Fauquier as the new Bishop and in September of 1873 he was consecrated in St. James Anglican Cathedral, in Toronto. Fauquier's first task and the main task for the rest of his life was to raise money for the new Diocese. Within three weeks of his consecration, Fauquier went to England and spent five months lecturing and promoting the work in Algoma. Fauquier won the support of the three great Missionary societies in England and several individuals. The most important of these people was the Baroness Burdett-Coutts. The Baroness gave Fauquier six-thousand dollars to build an episcopal residence in the Sault, and the only condition being that her name be kept anonymous, a condition that was respected for many years. On the 8th of July, 1857, the Crown granted Jean Baptiste Crochier 12 acres of land. On the 19th of January,1860, Crochier divided the land into four-acre sections and sold the north section to Wemyss M. Simpson. He sold the other sections to three men named Church, Herrick, and Coutin. When Bishop Fauquier returned to the Sault from England with the money from the Baroness, Wemyss Simpson sold three and a half acres of his property in trust to the Bishop. The property was sold for $5 on October 29, 1874. On the 2nd of November, 1875, Simpson sold the other half acre to William Plummer for $650. The Algoma Quarterly announced on September 1, 1874, that:
When he returned to the Sault, Fauquier used Bishophurst as a base from which he travelled all over the Algoma district preaching and visiting the mission outposts. Fauquier's diary records little about Bishophurst except a few references to accounts. One account tells how eight cords of maple and birch were to be delivered during the winter, and that the chimneys had been cleaned out. Bishophurst has been owned by the Anglican Church ever since.
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Bishophurst is situated on a suburban street that is lined with large deciduous trees. Most of the houses in the area are surrounded by trees creating a quiet, restful place near the city centre. Bishophurst stands on the east side of Simpson Street surrounded by a variety of trees that partially obscure it from view. The house is set well back on a well kept lawn. In front of the house is a large semi-circular driveway that runs right up to the front door and is covered by a large wooden portico. Bishophurst is a large two-storey stone house with its main three-bay facade facing west. The house is built of common red sandstone which has a coursed rubble composition. The main house is basically square but has a two-storey section projecting from the north wall that was built at the same time as the main house to be the kitchen, and servants' rooms. There is also a large verandah on the south wall, extending the entire width of the house. The house has a low hipped roof with projecting box cornice eaves and frieze that is decorated with Italianate brackets. The northern projection is topped by a gable roof but the peak of the roof only comes up to the eaves of the main house. The main facade is dominated by a large wooden portico over the main entrance. In front of the door is a porch that is approached by two steps. The portico covets the porch and extends across the rain driveway. The portico is supported by square. wooden pillars that taper off towards the top and have carved wooden capitals. These support a wooden entablature and frieze with protecting eaves and a roof that is hipped at one end. On the west, or far side of the driveway, is a large block of stone that was used by "Ladies" when they descended from their carriages. Unfortunately, it was recently painted green but at least it is still there. The main doorway has a double leaf, two-panel door, topped by a four pane transom window, and two side lights in the upper half of the architrave. In the bay to the right of the door is a single-storey bay window with three rectangular windows in each face. The front window is double sashed and has a six-over-six pane arrangement. The windows to each side are also double sashed but have a four-over-four pane arrangement. Above the bay window are projecting boxed eaves and a small roof. In the bay to the left of the door is a large rectangular window that is double sashed with a six-over-six pane arrangement. It has a plain stone sill and is topped by a plain stone lintel. The three large rectangular windows in the upper storey are decorated with plain stone lintels and sills, but have been resashed. On the south wall is a large verandah that extends across the entire width of the house and is as high as the first storey. The west end of the verandah is glassed-in but the rest is open. The hipped -roof is supported by square wooden columns. The verandah is accessible to the house through two French doors that lead into the living room and, what is now, the dining room. On the second storey are three large rectangular windows with plain stone sills and lintels. The sashes have also been changed. Most of these windows also had shutters, but these have all been removed. The east wall of the house has an asymmetrical window arrangement. It includes the wall of the north projection. There is a large bay window on the living room side of the house that has the same sash design as the window on the front. One of the windows on the upper floor appears to have been partially filled in, but for the most part the windows have the same stone decoration and sashing as those on the front. The northern projection has three window bays on the west and east side. The north wall is blank. The rooms are smaller and as a result the peak of the roof only comes up to the eaves of the main house. The west facade of this section is also set well back from the wall plane of the main house. The three bays on the west facade consist of a single door that is covered by a small porch. Also covered by the porch to the left of the door, is a rectangular window, double sashed, with a four-over-four pane arrangement. The window has been walled-in but the sill and lintel can still be seen. The second storey windows are decorated in the same way as are those on the east wall. The gable roof has boxed-corniced eaves and a small frieze, decorated with brackets. The only window on the north wall of the main house is a small round four pane window on the second level that light the stairwell. It is decorated in stone trim. The roof of the main house is hipped, and has boxed cornice eaves with a frieze and Italianate brackets. The roof edges are trimmed with sheet metal. At the centre of the peak is a large pierced chimney with three stacks. On the north edge of the roof are two chimneys each with double stacks. A new chimney was also built in August of 1977. There is also a single stack chimney on the north wall of the projecting servant's' quarters. The interior of Bishophurst has not been altered to a great extent so that it still gives the appearance of an old 19th. century house. The high ceilings and large spacious rooms add a great deal to this effect. The most interesting feature in all the rooms is the moulded architraves around most of the doors and windows. Often in rooms such as the living room, there are also moulded baseboards. Another significant feature of the house are the fireplaces. Most of these have been sealed up except the one in the living room. The decorated wooden mantel pieces are the same in each room. Another feature of the house is the "J" shaped staircase with its curved handrail and rounded newel post. Each baluster has been turned on a lathe. At the head of the stairs is the small round window. It has moulded trim around the inner edge. "Bishophurst", like "Precious Blood Cathedral" and the "Block House", is widely recognized in Sault Ste. Marie to be one of the most important historic homes in the area. As one of the largest houses in the City when it was first built, it was and has continued to be a centre of social and religious activity in the the community. The first Bishops who lived here helped to open up the Algoma District by their travels and preaching in the remote areas of Ontario. In this way the history and presence of Bishophurst is intimately interwoven with the life, and growth of thew City, and the District of Algoma.
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