The history of this piece of property dates back to the 19th century when a wealthy family of political background purchased this adjoining parcel of land to expand their estate. The families didn’t live on the additional property, but rather leased it out to tenants.
The location was last used as a retreat that could accommodate up to two dozen guests. It featured a central in-ground pool that the building wrapped around. The architecture of the structure was based on Italian villa design.
With the building being 19th century, it was outdated compared to surrounding homes. Around 2015 the owners sought a demolition permit. The property was purchased by a developer to be demolished. A heritage assessment found no reason to designate it as a heritage property.
We were turned off from exploring this location due to workers across the road who could see the entrance to the house. They used the driveway for their vehicles. On my second visit to this property, we saw a vehicle in the driveway. The first instinct was to move on, but I was determined. I discreetly made my way down the driveway and to the rear of the property. The workers across the road didn’t see me, or if they did, paid me no attention. I called out “hello?” when I opened the door. I was alone… nervous but also quite certain that the vehicle belonged to a worker across the road.
The back of the property is overgrown but you can see that it had a basketball court and small guest building. There are no photos of the basement because it’s filled with several feet of water.
