Pillars in Albion has new owners who plan to turn it into wedding destination
Photos by Tom Rivers: Cole and Kerri Glover are the new owners of The Pillars on West Countyhouse Road in Albion. They plan to turn the site into Maison Albion, a wedding and events venue with a French theme. Mrs. Glover has worked 22 years in the wedding industry and been part of building 13 other venues, including sites in Hawaii, Colorado, California, Texas and Montana.
Site on Countyhouse Road will be known as Maison Albion, with French design
Cole and Kerri Glover – including daughter Evelyn, 1, and son Benjamin, 12 – believe the Albion location will be a draw for couples from Buffalo to Rochester.
ALBION – The Pillars on West Countyhouse Road in Albion has new owners who plan a major redesign of the site.
Cole and Kerri Glover want to develop the property into a wedding and events venue with a French design from the turn of the century.
Mrs. Glover, a native of Maui in Hawaii, has worked 22 years in the wedding industry and has been a key leader in developing 13 other wedding venues in Hawaii, Colorado, California, Texas and Montana. Her brother, Michael Bolster, also is a part owner in the Albion site.
Mr. Glover, a seventh-generation Texan, was scouting the country for a site the couple could develop into a wedding venue. They narrowed it to 10 locations, and saw the most potential with the property in Albion, which they said can draw from the Buffalo and Rochester markets.
“We feel confident this will be successful,” Mr. Glover, 36, said during an interview at the site.
There are about 3,000 counties in the United States. Glover initially looked at top 400 counties for weddings where there are at least 1,000 weddings annually. In Rochester and Buffalo, there are about 13,000 weddings each year.
The location in Albion, between the two metro areas, was a big plus for the couple. Then they saw the property and the Albion community. They were convinced the site would appeal to couples celebrating their big day.
“The property itself is gorgeous,” Mrs. Glover said. “I feel like I’m living in the Gilmore Girls.”
Albion also has a wow effect with the many historic homes in good condition, the Courthouse Square, the downtown business district and the cavernous churches. The Glovers believe the community will impress couples and others looking to celebrate a special event.
Besides a redesign of the property, the Glovers are working to connect with local vendors, florists, restaurants and other small businesses.
The ballroom currently is full of furniture, antiques, restaurant equipment and other décor that will be sold on Aug. 1 at an estate sale.
They need skilled tradespeople to help with the work on the house and the property. Mrs. Glover urged tradespeople, artists, landscapers and vendors to reach out to her if they are willing to be part of the effort. Some of the projects are less daunting like removing wallpaper and fixing furniture. Other work will be a significant effort, such as replacing the four columns in the front of the house. Mrs. Glover can be reached at KerriLynnGlover@gmail.com.
The Glovers have high praise for the previous owners, Scott Root and Tony McMurtie. They turned the site into an events center after major renovations. McMurtie in particular loved to put on an annual Titantic Ball in April.
Tony McMurtie, one of the previous owners of The Pillars, welcomes guests during the Titanic Ball in April 2015. McMurtie started the Titanic Ball on the 100th anniversary of Titanic’s fateful voyage in April 2012. The inaugural gala also launched the opening of the grand ballroom at the Pillars.
“She’s really beautiful,” Mrs. Glover, 41, said about the house. “We’re just putting our polish on.”
The Glovers won’t be running an on-location food business. They will have all the meals catered. They are selling the restaurant equipment and other furniture, antiques and décor in an estate sale on Aug. 1.
They officially closed on the property on July 6. They need to work with the town to get the needed permits for hosting weddings and events.
Mrs. Glover, who has helped plan more than 1,000 weddings, said there will also be significant landscaping at the site and she wants to expand the parking lot.
The site has a capacity for 299 inside, but the Glovers will market it for about 150 to 160 people. There is also plenty of room for tents and food trucks.
The Glovers want to make the property available for free 10 times a year to the community to host events. They would like to welcome the public in December for Albion’s annual Hometown Holiday event. The Albion Merchants Association organizes that celebration, which includes stops at many local businesses. They Glovers would like to host a Victorian themed celebration on Dec. 12.
They also would like to host an annual party with a swing band for the community around July 4th.
“We have all this space,” Mrs. Glover said. “We want it to feel like home for Albion. We want this venue to belong to the community as much as it does us.”
Cole and Kerri Glover are pictured in the top floor of the house. They plan to give the site a major redesign with a turn of the century French decor.
Mr. Glover has a sales background, as well as 15 years in event management. He and his wife met in Denver. They were engaged in Paris and married in Venice.
He also enjoys the challenge of developing a property. He will be repairing 41 doors at the house himself. But he said the couple will be hiring many skilled trades workers for the redevelopment of the property.
He believes the Albion site will be considered a premiere location in the region.
“We want to restore this place to its highest and best use,” he said.
Kerri Glover created these concept boards for the bridesmaid suite and also for the secret garden.
