Blooming Season

I was on my way to the grocery store tonight and had to stop to snap this picture of the harbour in Oakville. When I looked over towards the lake I couldn't help but smile at the beauty. 

Was it only two weeks ago that we had a blast of flurries?  

We watched the cranes launch the boats over the past week and tonight a beautiful white sailboat skimmed across the lake water like it was a pane of glass.

My Granddaughter is happy to go to the garden center with me to pick out flowers......... and jump in the puddles. After all, isn't that what spring is all about.

It's turned warm enough to leave the pretty pink jacket on the hook and run around the park in short sleeves.

It's the start of a blooming good season.

A walk around our town

There are some wonderful historical houses in the downtown district of our town, many of them are like pictures framed by the intricate fretwork trim. I noticed a painter last week paying particular attention to the trim on a house and I decided it was time to take a walk around town with my camera.

According to the historical society the house has two names. The Robert Farley house or the Charles Lusk house {circa 1858}. The house changed hands three times before Robert Farley bought it in 1857 for 50 pounds. Records show that  'the house was sold again in 1864 for 300 pounds as an investment, but the owner George Rutherford of Hamilton, took a bath and sold it in 1867 for 125 pounds'.
It seems the real estate oddities regarding pricing in Oakville began way back then.

And Doctor Charles Lusk? He purchased the house next and was instrumental in building St. John's United Church in town.

image : Historical Walk of Trafalgar Road

 

It is a combination of the detailed fretwork and immaculate condition of the house that catches my eye every time I pass by.

 

Right next door is another historical house that is known as the Moses McCraney House {circa 1850}. This house has seen some recent transformations, not an easy task when dealing with the Historical Society and the town. We have all watched as an addition was put on the house to compliment the style of the house.

This is the original house with an addition on the front from many years ago. The front porch was restored in approximately 2006 and the main entrance to the house was put back to it's original place.

image : Historical Walk of Trafalgar Road

This is the house today. The current home owners should be applauded. It is difficult to maintain a historical home, but to restore it and add on to the building within the stringent guidelines it is a painful process.

Trim work on the porch has been repeated on the new addition {below}.

Notice the trim from the porch, to the back entry, over the side windows. And the incredible second story window.

The new additions to the house {2011} include the garage and second story, and the portico entrance. And ........ what cannot be seen from the front scape of the house. 

 

You can almost picture the McCraney's back in the late 1800's living in the house, walking up the front porch and helping to develop Oakville.

Moses McCraney was the eldest of ten children born to William Payne McCraney and Rebecca Teeter. Moses inherited the family farm in 1853 and provided farms for his brothers and mother. Rebecca's farm is now a part of Appleby College {another stunning historical property in Oakville}. 

In addition to the farm, Moses owned a general store and made buying trips into the U.S. with Timothy Eaton. Corsets were the fashion rage and Moses bought three of them giving one to his wife Sarah, who had a 21 inch waist {assuming he sold the other two in his general store}.

 

The south side of the house with a portico entrance.

The fretwork details are outstanding.

The details are carried throughout the house consistently - in the brickwork, the trim, the plantings, the lighting. That is what makes an addition, especially to a historical home, a seamless transformation.
There was a {tasteful} sign on the front lawn acknowledging the contractor who produced the addition. I didn't get the information before it was removed, but if anyone does know, please email me and I will gladly add the contact information.
As I watched the progress of the home addition from the street, I was impressed by the process and results.

Two beautiful houses that literally make me smile when I walk past them.

Japanese Tea House - Edgemere Estate

This is how the Japanese Tea House at Edgemere Estate in Oakville might have looked over a century ago. I took this picture several weeks ago when I wandered snuck on to property at the lakefront in Oakville. It was another day out with my camera when I decided to see what all the fuss was about at Edgemere.

The 12 acre property boasts 1,000 feet of prime Lake Ontario shore-line.

It was only two years ago that the estate was listed for sale at $45 Million, earning the title of the most expensive residential property ever listed in Canada. It reportedly sold for $35.5 Million to Niche Development.
For Developer Marc Hewitt from Niche, it was important that the property did not end up carved into multiple detached home lots. "It's really the last big, intact, romantic estate on this part of the lake and it would be a real shame to cut it up into bits and pieces. Even if the heritage buildings remained intact, the linkages would be lost'.

Today the development of 30 ultra-luxurious condominiums has begun, and the 32,000 sq foot mansion that is currently still standing, will soon be demolished.
Many of the original structures on the property will remain and be restored, the stone Tea House is one of the more romantic features that will be developed.

Edgemere Private Residences -  TeaHouse

I was excited when I wandered through the garden nursery rooms, boat house, gardens, and discovered room after room of original structures. I knew little about the property development at that point and kept thinking the entire time I snapped away with my camera, 'I really hope they don't tear all this down'.
I have since delved into the plans that are well into play for the new residences and the amenities that will be offered to the home owners.

Nursery room at Edgemere

artists rendering of the nursery room and gardens at Edgemere  Private Residences

The properties at Edgemere Private Residences are described as 'elegant condominiums' ranging in size from 2,000 to 5,000 sq feet, with list prices starting at $2.5 Million. There are ten buildings each designed with three residences, carefully situated to offer spectacular views of Lake Ontario.
Parking will be underground to minimize the footprint on the grounds.

The 5,714 sq ft residence is currently still available and is the most expensive with a list price of $6,995,000 {albeit that you may be able to capture it for the preview price of $ 6,645,250.}

http://www.edgemere.ca/index.php

artists rendering Edgemere Private Residences

Ten buildings with three condominiums in each.

Exploring the turn of the century style English garden and property of Edgemere, I continually thought back to the families who built the extravagant original home, and the enjoyment they received from the striking vista. It is a unique site line looking back from the lake at the seawall, the Japanese Tea House, the current estate home and the cranes in the background carving out a new oasis.

I have to admit that the condominium idea is not for me ...... at least right now {albeit these residences seem more like houses built side-by-side}. But I do like Marc Hewitt's vision for the property and I feel it does fit the shoreline of the community better than another development of streets filled with mansions blocking the lake view.
Although the land is zoned for 30 percent site coverage, the developers are using only 11 percent for new buildings and restoring much of the existing stone structures. The property includes a stone edged creek that runs to Lake Ontario and will feature mostly gardens. There are several hundred mature tree's on the property which are protected by the Oakville Tree Protection plan; Niche will add many more mature tree's the landscape plans.

aerial view of Edgemere boat house

After exploring the property for a while....... I went to leave and discovered the gates closed and locked. I was inside with my car. I thought I would need to explain myself to the main office so that I could leave. As welcoming as they were allowing me to wander the estate and take pictures of it's past, they simply opened the gates for me to drive out with my treasure of great images.
It's pleasing to know that many of the buildings will be used or restored to bring back the Victorian charm of the estate property. It will be a few years before the project is complete, but possibly I will be able to steal a few images of the marriage of the aged beauty of Edgemere Estate as it meets the new Private Residences.

Here are some images from my trek on the property......

one of two charming original bridges over the creek

I imagine many heart-to-heart conversation took place at the Japanese Tea House

stone from Lake Ontario and aged beams create the Tea House pillars

Original boat house in the background and the lake wall will be restored.

 

one of the garden rooms

can you imagine what this was like originally - it will be stunning restored

note the stone wall topped with iron gate in the background - this remains around the property

The charm of an old door handle, the patina of lake stones, and the design of a Japanese Tea House mixes with a new design for living, creating a romantic elegance that is Edgemere.



http://www.edgemere.ca/index.php

Point O'View

It was in June of last year that I first took pictures of a pretty 1902 circa summer cottage home at the lake in Oakville. The 4,000 square foot house know in our neighbourhood as 'the old Lind house', was more lovingly crowned the name 'Point O'View' by the Lind Family who bought the property back in the early 1950's.

Spirea adorns the side of the Lind House.

Veranda of the Lind House offers picture perfect views of Lake Ontario.

Many years ago the house was upgraded with forced air heating to create an all season home. But it is the perfect positioning at the lakes edge combined with 84 windows, that provides the ultimate in summer living by the water.

The house went on the market over a year ago and finally sold. The list price for the house was $2,875,000.  The view offers the buyer the perfect location, albeit that the constraints of upgrading a Historical home creates a need for a buyer with patience and a healthy budget.     

The home sits on a third acre of land, the living room featured the original fireplace that had been built with stone from the lake.

But now it was time to start the upgrading..............

The veranda railing had been removed and the house was being prepared to be stilted up for the foundation/cellar to be built.

At the time of the sale the notes on the house listed an original butler's pantry with tall cabinets and a wooden counter top (wooden counter tops would be top on my list to replace). Alexander and Anne Lind lived in the house until they died in their nineties. The Lind children discovered that their parents had tucked away many ancestral documents within the house. One of the recovered documents outlined that one of their ancestors had been captured as a young boy on a ship in the English Channel and he was imprisoned in France. Among the papers was a diary outlining his many escapes and the pardon he received from Napoleon III.


As the renovation began the house started to become a shell. A few weeks ago I took these pictures of the house up on stilts waiting for the new foundation to be built.

The old Lind House {Point O'View} - now a shell on stilts.

 The costs associated with the extensive renovation/upgrade combined with the property purchase could easily double the original price. If the final result is a dream home build with ultimate views, then it is priceless. Albeit that the new homeowner is probably not saying that as the costs to restore mount.

Looking back from the lake edge.

With the dedication to a total build - sans the shell, the home needs to be enjoyed by a new family for years to come to gain the market value that has been spent. I'm sure the new property owners keep abreast of the project progress, and drink in the million dollar view to remind themselves why they chose the Point O'View.

Here's a peak at the view they will have from their newly restored veranda.

view from Point O'View Estate.

 

I will post more updates on the house re-build and pictures from the curb as it progresses. If it is as spectacular as I imagine it could be, there will be a magazine feature in the future {calling out to Canadian shelter magazine publishers}.