Cottages with History
Tiffany’s was originally built in 1892 for Edward Hunter, the Manager of Bright’s Pioneer Gold Mine. The cottages accommodated Edward, his wife Louisa and their 9 children. Edward re-opened the gold mine late in the 19th century with his son, trading as Albert and Messrs James Buckley. Reports from 1905 showed that they made good profits from low-grade ore. The mine is situated behind the house and was the first deep-lead mine opened in Bright. The house was reportedly the first home in Bright to be powered by electricity generated from the mine. When Edward died on October 15, 1906, the mine was taken over by James Buckley (who held a 1/3 share of the mine). The arrangements and equipment led to improvements that resulted in the mine being used again in 1907.
The properties have been given several makeovers to maintain a modern approach. They have been hosting guests for many years known as the “Historic Pioneer Mine Manager’s House” and “Ellie Mae’s B & B“. The Mine Manager’s house had fallen into such disrepair that it was scheduled for demolition in 1984. Since then, it has undergone several renovations intended to retain the old world charm and elegance of the Victorian era in which it was built. The paving in the garden was restructured to incorporate bricks that date back to the 19th century and a project was undertaken to replace the iron roofing that was date-stamped as being made in England in the 1880s. In 2016, the three cottages each underwent a full refurbishment
