Osler Stone House

I have always had a deep affinity for stone homes.  There is something about them, an air of permanence and perhaps an air of indestructibility that seems to emanate from their rocky facades.  Indeed, when we made our move to our new adopted hometown of Milton, Ontario, one of the delights I found in the area was the abundance of so many beautiful stone structures.  But as much as I admire all of the treasures there, none hold my fascination as much as this solitary gem sitting high on top of Blue Mountain,  just off Old Mountain Road.

Wonderfully executed in a rubble stone pattern by it's builder, the stones themselves would have been sourced from the very fields on which this farm stood.  This home sits not too far from the site of my beloved Osler Castle, and was most likely constructed around the same period in time, the latter half of the  19th century.   One of the curiosities of this particular home is that it features brick window and door surrounds instead of the customary stone.  As a cost cutting measure, this was a concept that many builders would implement and use locally sourced brick instead.  Not only was the cost of bringing in stone for lintels, etc more expensive, the shipping distance was also a contributing factor.

This home is executed on the very typical "Old Ontario Farmhouse" centre hall floor plan, meaning that there is a central stair hall flanked by rooms on either side.  One interesting feature, is that instead of the traditional two room arrangement on the left hand side of the house, there is a large central room accented with a stunning bay window.  The rear portion of the home is given over to the kitchen which was also quite typical of many a farm home.  Capping it all off is a wonderfully aged tin roof that not only offers more durable protection from the elements, it's aged patina also complements the charm of the stone exterior.

Long ago my folks considered purchasing this beautiful home, but we ended up building a cottage instead.  I have coveted it for many years, and consider myself quite fortunate to have at least been afforded the opportunity to photograph and sketch it several times.  If anyone can offer any suggestions of how I might purchase this beauty, I would be most appreciative.  It would make a wonderful home and art/writing studio for me.  I have also included a little video tour I did of the exterior of this charming hope, and I hope you enjoy it.  Please check out my website at sandym70@wix.com.

Thanks for looking, and Happy Canada Day!