Ontario Travel: The Port Hope Historic House Tour

Описание: October 3, 2009 was another ideal day for a country getaway: the Port Hope Historic House Tour, now in its 44rd year, is a highly popular event that attracts visitors from all across Ontario. Port Hope, a picturesque town of about 16,000 people just about an hour east of Ontario, boasts a main street that is been designated as the best preserved 19th century streetscape in Ontario.



Ten buildings were on the itinerary, and if we hurried we would be able to see most or all of them. We started with the Capitol Theatre just around the corner from Walton Street. Built in 1929, this Art-Deco era masterpiece was completely renovated in the mid-1990s. It is Canada's last functioning "atmospheric theatre", a former movie palace whose painted roof gives the impression of a night-time sky, complete with clouds and twinkling stars.



Just about ten minutes away we visited two Victorian-era properties, a single-family dwelling owned by an artist, that featured a gorgeous terrace with lakeview, and a few steps away a spacious 1860s townhouse, also beautifully renovated, that was originally built for managers of a Victorian-era mill. Then we moved on to an even older 1850s Georgian style property, located on a hill, whose interior revealed ownership by an artist who had a real passion for collecting birds of prey and animal skulls. His paintings that adorned the hallway were magnificent, and the large backyard was gorgeous.



We continued on to a gigantic Greek Revival mansion, also built around 1850 that has recently been converted back into a single-family home after having been split up into five apartments in recent years. The property is still undergoing the final stages of an extensive renovation. With most of the house complete, we were truly impressed by the historic detailing, the tasteful interior decor and state-of-the-art amenities.



It was time for lunch now and we had found out that four local churches were offering lunch at the reasonable price of $10 per person. We chose St. John's Anglican Church for lunch where we were in for a real treat: an English-style high tea, completed with finger-sized sandwiches, cookies and scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Dozens of hungry house tour participants were coming in to enjoy the friendly service and great food provided by the ladies of St. John's.



After lunch we continued on to a gorgeous 1840s-era property that until its recent restoration had literally been in shambles. Owned by a designer, the property was impeccably decorated and I just loved the two outdoor porches on the first and second floor. From here we made our way across the Ganaraska River to have a look at a Victorian-era row-house from the 1860s.

It was now after 3 pm and we had to hurry since we were trying to catch at least two more properties. We briefly walked to the west side of town to see an apartment in the former Dr. Hawkins School that has recently been converted into 17 condominium apartments. We walked up the carpeted stairs of this 1895 school building to the top floor to enter a 3500 square foot condo apartment. Just as we turned right to walk from the foyer into the kitchen we all gasped and said "wow!". The entire eastern front of the apartment features a row of windows that open up to a gorgeous panorama over the Ganaraska River Valley and the entire town of Port Hope, against the backdrop of the surrounding rolling hills.



We then rushed to the car and drove to the western end of town where we managed to squeak into the Penryn Park Mansion, a stately 1859 structure with high gables, dormers and long finials that features a 3-storey tower. Next door is the Billiard House, a retreat from the main house that was built around 1900. The main mansion is used now a popular destination for weddings and meetings and its grand architecture shows a glimpse of mid 19th century upper class country life.



Punctually at 4 pm the doors closed and the volunteers of the Port Hope Historic House Tour closed the doors and the event was over. It was an awesome event and we are definitely planning to be back!