Inhabiting a piece of GTA history
Unique 161-year-old Vaughan property has plenty to offer modern buyer
An 1855 house, believed to be one of the oldest standing homes in Maple, part of the city of Vaughan, is listed for sale for $1.5 million.
Tucked away in a subdivision, the house has a ravine lot and easy access to the Don River, forest trails and its own lush gardens lovingly planned and planted by the current owner. But its key distinction is its heritage pedigree.
Current owner Andrea Mathieson, who bought the property 20 years ago, said many of the original features remain, including floors and some windows, although the living room, which may originally have been two rooms, has been extensively renovated.
The home, one of two that is believed to have stood on the property, was built by Peter and Susanna Rupert, who raised various crops, livestock and 16 children there.
The family built Vaughan’s first schoolhouse, now at the nearby Black Creek Pioneer Village, and the Methodist Chapel, which held as many as 200 people and formed the roots of what became the Maple United Church.
The land was a gift from Peter’s father, Adam Rupert, who settled the area that was once known as Rupertsville or Sheridan. A refugee from religious persecution in Germany, he came to Canada via Pennsylvania, acquiring 200 acres around Rutherford Rd. near Keele St. The land stayed in the Rupert family for about 100 years.
The Rupert House was saved from demolition by the subdivision contractor, Jim Bunyon, who bought it for himself and renovated the kitchen and dining area. It was under his ownership that the Rupert House was designated a heritage property in 1985.
In one room, the original window has “H.C. Rupert” scratched into the glass. Mathieson’s office has original wainscoting and she sanded and stained many of the floors herself.
Although there are some limitations on what can be changed on the exterior — the front door, for example, must remain on the side of the house rather than directly facing the street — the interior can be modified to accommodate new owners, Mathieson said.
The house had been on the market for six months when she bought it for $225,000.
At the time, she said, “Nobody in Maple was buying anything old . . . they all wanted new.”
Mathieson, who lived about a kilometre away then, figured she would have to move to Caledon to fulfil her wish for an old house — “because I love the grace and charm of them.”
She also wanted old-growth trees, a good garden, proximity to water and a wild area where her dog could run off-leash.
The 2,200-square-foot Rupert home that Mathieson affectionately calls Grey Heron, has two bath- rooms, three bedrooms and a modern kitchen and dining room. But when she bought it, linoleum and indoor-outdoor carpeting had been installed to protect the hardwood and there was vinyl wallpaper in the bathroom and hallway covering Anaglypta that was in “mint condition.”
But it’s the living room that has been dramatically altered. It retains the original footprint, but now has a vaulted four-metre ceiling, cork floor and gas fireplace. The original wood hearth is behind the fireplace wall.
Even without air conditioning, the home remains comfortable in most heat waves, said Mathieson. Its double-brick construction ensures it stays cool for days and the extensive garden has many shady spots.
Remax realtor Leslie Burns, who listed the property on Oct. 20, says that, “Trying to find someone who can appreciate the rareness and uniqueness of this particular property has been a bit of a challenge.”
Vaughan-area buyers tend to look for brand new homes and pristine modern features rather than the charm of a heritage home.