Leir House is a large, eclectic, 1920s stone-clad mansion with spacious grounds, situated in a residential neighbourhood of Penticton. The site included numerous rock-faced walkways and garden structures in the expansive grounds, as well as several outbuildings.
This was the family home of Hugh and Joyce Leir and their 11 children. The house was constructed over a period of three years, starting in 1927 and completed in 1929, built with lumber from Hugh Leir’s own lumber mill in South Penticton and local river rock.
In 1951, Leir House and its surrounding property were purchased from the Leir family by the Penticton Regional Hospital, running as a nurses’ residence for the next 25 years until the hospital board was forced to close Leir House due to a lack of occupancy in October 1977.
After a great deal of persuasion by the Penticton & District Community Arts Council, the City of Penticton purchased Leir House in April of 1979. This ensured the preservation of an important city landmark, the home of one of Penticton’s early important families, and offered an ideal opportunity to develop a cultural centre for arts groups in need of a home base.
On May 24, 1980, Leir House Cultural Centre was officially opened, with six of the eleven Leir children, as well as many of their children and grandchildren, in attendance.
A variety of arts and culture organizations have made themselves a place at Leir House. Today, it hosts four different groups – sənullustən, a sqilxw artist-run centre from the Ullus Collective in what was previously the carriage house, the Penticton Potters’ Guild downstairs, Penticton Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts upstairs, and the Penticton & District Community Arts Council on the main floor, which holds Artist in Residence studios, a gift shop, and two gallery spaces. Today, visitors can peruse local art to the soft sounds of piano or violin, or stop downstairs for a pottery workshop or weekly drop-in!
Note – please be aware that Leir House is not wheelchair accessible. If you have any questions or concerns, please email or call us.
