Glover Garden [グラバー園]
Glover Garden and Mt.Inasa
Photo: Kyushu Tourism Promotion Organization
Glover House in Glover Garden
Photo: Kyushu Tourism Promotion Organization
Glover Garden is a popular park with former Western-style Residences.
It is on the hill just west of Oura Catholic Church.
Foreign settlement had been formed around Nagasaki Port since the 1860s.
It was abandoned in 1899, but many Western-style residences remained.
In 1970, Nagasaki city constructed this garden to preserve the residences which were decreasing with the passage of time.
Here were the site of houses of Mr. Grover, Mr. Ringer and Mr. Alt.
The site is about 300 meters from north to south and about 100 meters from east to west.
There were the residences of them and a few old other residences had been moved to the site.
The residences were designed by Western architect, and they were built by Japanese carpenters.
Glover House
Ringer House
Photo: Kyushu Tourism Promotion Organization
Glover House is the main residence in the site.
Thomas Blake Glover (1838-1911) was a merchant from Scotland and established a trading company in Japan.
He built this residence in 1863.
It has a horse stable and a storehouse.
In the residence, there is the mark of Freemasonry, but it is said that he was not a Freemason.
It is designated as a national important cultural property.
Ringer House is to the south of Glover House.
Frederick Ringer (1838-1907) was a merchant from England.
He was an executive of Glover's company, but he established his company later.
He built the residence in 1869.
The floor stones of the porch were from Vladivostok in Russia.
It is designated as a national important cultural property.
Alt House
A heart-shaped stone in Glover Garden
Photo: Kyushu Tourism Promotion Organization
Alt House is in the south edge on the site.
William Alt (1840-1905) was a tea merchant from Endland, and he introduced Japanese green tea to the world through his business.
He built the residence in 1865.
It is designated as a national important cultural property.
The following houses had been moved from the other place in Nagasaki.
In addition, there are a few old residences had been moved from the other places in Nagasaki.
By the way, only two heart-shaped stones are embedded on the path in the garden.
It is said that you will succeed in love if you find the both stones.
(Probably, you can find them easily, if you study the guide map which you get at the entrance.)
How to get here
By street car with route No. 5, get off at Oura-Tenshudo-shita or Ishibashi terminal stop.
