About Our Inn

The story of Elm Hurst Inn & Spa begins with cheese. In 1865, dairy pioneer James Harris built a cheese factory on these very grounds. By the following year, it had produced a 7,300-pound ‘Mammoth Cheese’ that was exhibited around the world – putting the town of Ingersoll on the map as the birthplace of Canada’s commercial cheese industry. The Harris family’s agricultural legacy continued as they later planted apple orchards here. In 1872, James Harris crowned the property with an elegant manor house that still stands today – a fine example of Gothic Revival architecture. The Harris family resided at Elm Hurst for over a century. In the late 1970s the estate passed out of family hands and was transformed into a fine dining restaurant (opening in 1979). A few years later, a new wing was added and by 1988 the property debuted as the 48-room Elm Hurst Inn & Spa that guests know today. Even the original 19th-century Carriage House, with its rustic wooden beams, remains on the grounds as a charming venue for weddings and events – a living link to our heritage.