1.15.2007

Innisfil Gothic

We've been very fortunate in central Ontario to have had Winter take a vacation until almost mid-January. With the first permanent snow on its way in, I took the opportunity to make a brief forray to a location in Innisfil I had my eye on before the exploration 'lean season' set in.

This beautiful gem is in plain view of heedless commuters, just west of the busy Highway 400 in Innisfil, south of Barrie. I suspect that before the highway was constructed in 1952, this house had road access to this paved precursor.


Some items among the detritus of personal effects left inside the house suggest that this may have, at one point in time, been a livestock farm, most likely a milk operation. Contrary to its working rural heritage, the front door presents to us with a shadow of its stately past.



Much of the structure is threatening to collapse into the basement. Sensing this danger, the stairs, which should have been here in the main hallway, took flight.






There is a saying that 'A wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountain top'. With the very unsecure boarding at this old dug well, I will speculate that any person falling down here would see the inside of an emergency ward.


Speaking of wells, I will further speculate that neither a dry well, crop pestilence, or diseased livestock drove the family from the farm but the matron's deplorable taste for frightening wallpaper.





Perhaps given her singular tastes, is what gave cause for the gentleman-farmer to heavily imbibe as evidenced by the poliferation of glass bottles of every shape and volume scattered throughout the location.




The area's early farmers, by necessity, had to be fairly independent. To this end, these rural folk had to fabricate or mend a good deal. As 'Red Green' often says, "If the women don't find you hansome, they should at least find you handy". From the numerous tools found on location here, I will assume that the man of the house was rather grotesque.


The area settlers used this early version of Windows which required no electicity.







Remember kids, Crack kills . . . just like a structurally unsound barn may.






From the look of this cast iron frying pan found underneath a bed mattress, things got quite hot in the bedroom.





I will leave off this post with some sage advice - A falling and depressed real estate market may result in a housing crash.



Happy & Safe Exploring !

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Another fine post. I just wish the pictures were bigger!

CopySix said...

I should have noted that almost all images posted here are presented as big-a$$ thumbnails. I invite you to click away to view the larger versions.

Anonymous said...

long time wathcer first time commenter! good stuff man! always enjoy your work!

Ryan Ademan said...

Sweet site...No archive? I guess I'll just have to keep tuned.

CopySix said...

Hey there Abandoned Dreams - Thanks for the comment!
As for a post archive - I'm a bit lazy - I have left all 25 post links on the left.
Eventually, I hope to roll these into one link page or perhaps a more conventional post archive.

Ryan Ademan said...

Fair enough. Im digging the cast iron pan. I removed one from a site that was being demolished back in the day and it still sits in my bedroom to this day. If a place is being demo'd I will take one small artifact to remind me of the place. Not for personal gain just a personal momento.

Anonymous said...

I think one of my favourite reasons for coming to your site is to groan over all the fabulous puns!

Laura Brown said...

I was at this one in September or something around there last year. I really liked that front door. Didn't know about the windows, being spaced that way for light when they didn't have electricity. You learn something every day. :)

Michelle B. Hendry said...

OK - so who is Ol' Dave?
Great images of a fascinating homestead.

CopySix said...

Absolutely unconfirmed but here is what some folks are saying . . .
'Old Dave' was the gentleman who grew up in this house. He married, and his wife and him spent a happy life together there. The wife passed away, and Dave completely closed himself off from friends, family and the community. Several years latter he finally passed away.
Somewhat a tragedy. :-(

Unknown said...

i grew up in the town just down the road from this site. and i think the last time m friend and i went to this place, was back in 2001. when we where there last the stairs were still there and the house was filled with ol' dave's effects. it was truly a time capsle. between the old clothing, magazines, and even his teeth in the fridge lol. i belive i have some old pic's of this place and if i can find them i will send them to you to post.

Unknown said...

hi i have found those pic's that i was talking about how can i send them to you? and i took them in 2005 not 2001 atleast thats what my pic's say lol also i have some from a high school in nova scotia and the collingwood drive-in. i wish i took some pic's of lister block in hamiltion that place was amazing. i haven't done this in years and you have sparked an old intrest that i will have to take up again.

wes .

CopySix said...

Host 'em and post a link Wes (imgur, etc.) - Thanks - u rock !

Unknown said...

ok so i think i got it.

http://imgur.com/a/ZBUeA