‘Doors Open’ at Balfour Estate
Historic escarpment landmark offers rare chance for visitors to tour this weekend
For years, it has sat perched on the edge of the escarpment, a fading Xanadu of 19th-century grandeur, surrounded by a fence and pockmarked with “no trespassing” signs.
The sprawling Balfour Estate was donated to the Ontario Heritage Trust by the Balfour family in a 1979 deal that made the City of Hamilton its caretaker. The plan was to find a suitable reuse for the property while preserving it for posterity. But the process has been slow. In 2015, I tried to arrange a tour while putting together a Spectator story about angry complaints by family member, Victoria Balfour. She felt the mansion was untidy and rundown and was worried about the lack of a plan for its future.
But, the city’s director of tourism and culture at the time, while downplaying the concerns, said a visit would be an imposition on a short-term tenant who was living in part of the building. And the rest of the house wasn’t something they were in a hurry to show off.
This weekend, however, is a different story.
The 1830s estate — warts and all, and no longer housing a tenant — will be open for everyone to see. It’s part of the city-wide “Doors Open Hamilton” annual event sponsored by the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario Hamilton Region Branch.
The big gate across the driveway — with a sign that says “this is a private residence and is not open to the public” — will be pulled back. And for the first time in memory, people will be free to traipse through 7,250 square foot country mansion, as well as the four acres of surrounding grounds.
The Christian think tank, Cardus, reached a memorandum of understanding with the City’s General Issues Committee in December and is moving closer to completing a long-term lease to use the property as a head office. Amid those developments, the group received spe- cial permission from the City to open the doors for “Doors Open.”
Cardus spokesperson Dan Post- ma says the organization is propos- ing far more public access in the future. “We have told the city and the trust that we expect to be open every week day so anyone who wants to use the grounds or visit the office is welcome.” In addition, four open houses would take place each year, although there would be park- ing limitations on the property and surrounding streets.
Cardus is budgeting $1 million for restoration and upgrades as well as $100,000 in annual maintenance. That’s all pending a final deal with the city and Ontario Heritage Trust.
But, through it all is a bonus for heritage lovers this weekend. The
estate will be one of 31 in-person “Doors Open” locations around Hamilton, after the annual event had to go completely virtual for the past two years because of COVID-19.
What a remarkable turn of events for 2022 with such a large number of buildings to visit. After so much pandemic-induced cabin fever, has a new fever broken out to open every door possible?
I got the chance to take an advance tour of Balfour Estate last week (check out the video at thespec.com). And while the place definitely needs some major work, it was well worth the visit.
“Chedoke,” as the property is also known, is one of the last remaining 19th century escarpment estates in Hamilton.
The Georgian/Italianate building has a three-storey main house that was constructed with escarpment rubble limestone between 18361838. The 1850s saw additions of an east and west wing. In the 1920s, a sunroom was added on the west side.
The first floor contains common areas, with family bedrooms on the second floor and servants’ quarters above that. At various times, as many as 20 people lived in the estate. Floors are tongue-and-groove hardwood and there are many notable wood designs throughout. Nearly all rooms have fireplaces.
One of the most interesting architectural features is an octagonal “widow’s watch” belvedere on top of the west wing.
The grounds are lovely. Some tree trimming along the brow would provide some stunning views of the lower city.
There is a carriage house that has a leaky roof and some pest control issues. But, the main building is generally sound, Postma says.
The property, which has a long Indigenous history as an Iroquoian village circa 1280 A.D. to 1350 A.D., was acquired by William Scott Burn in 1834. He started building the original manor house two years later.
After a series of other owners, Hamilton Spectator proprietor William Southam bought the house in 1910 as a wedding gift for his daughter Ethel May Southam and her husband St. Clair Balfour.
St Clair died in 1959 and Ethel May died in 1976. As part of the donation agreement, the Balfour’s daughter Wilson Elizabeth Baxter lived in the house until her death in 2013.