ヴォーリズ記念館
ヴォーリズ記念館はアメリカ生まれの建築家、伝道師、実業家であり、近江八幡に住んでいたウィリアム・メレル・ヴォーリズ（1880-1964）の旧邸宅である。木造2階建てのこの建物は、ヴォーリズ自身が設計したもので、当初は幼稚園の教員寮として使用する予定だったが、建設中に自宅とすることを決めたという。1931年に完成し、1964年に亡くなるまで、ヴォーリズは妻の満喜子と二人でこの建物に住んでいた。下見板張りの外壁、切妻屋根、煙突など、西洋風でシンプルな外観が特徴的である。内部は洋風だが、畳のある和室もある。現在はヴォーリズの生涯とその遺産を紹介する博物館として、写真や遺品が展示されており、建物は滋賀県の文化財に指定されている。見学は予約制。
Vories Memorial Hall
Vories Memorial Hall is the former home of William Merrell Vories (1880–1964), an American-born architect, evangelist, and businessman who lived and worked in Omihachiman. The two-story wooden building was designed by Vories himself, who originally intended it as a dormitory for kindergarten teachers. During construction, however, he decided instead to make it a home. The structure was completed in 1931, after which Vories lived there with his wife Makiko until his passing in 1964. Simple in overall appearance, the building has a clapboard exterior, gabled roof, and chimney that give it a distinctively Western look. The interior is laid out in a Western style, but Vories also included Japanese-style rooms with tatami mats. The house is now a museum dedicated to Vories’s life, career, and legacy, with various photographs and personal belongings on display inside, and has been designated a Cultural Property of Shiga Prefecture. Visits are by appointment only.
