Woodhill Farm

Adam Fergusson was an immigrant from Scotland, who was born in 1783, in Woodhill, Perthshire, Scotland. He had studied law, and became a magistrate, eventually becoming the director of an agricultural society, named the Highland Society of Scotland. It was this group that sent him to Canada and the United States to evaluate their agricultural capacities, and he had liked it so much when he visited, that he decided to move there and build his own house. He built his house for his family in Upper Canada, now known as Ontario, in the town of Waterdown. In 1834, he and a friend, James Webster, purchased 7000 acres of land, and established a town. He named it Little Falls, after the scenic waterfalls he found there. Later on, this town changed its name to Fergus, in honor of the man who founded it. In 1839, he was appointed to the Legislative Council of Upper Canada, and remained on there until his death. He had remained interested in agriculture, and imported cattle from Britain and established a competition, the Fergus Cup, for the best Durham heifer. He also was in another agricultural group in Canada, called the Agricultural Association of Upper Canada, becoming the first president in 1846. He was also a member of the Board of Agriculture of Upper Canada. He was a senator at the University of Toronto, and helped to establish the Upper Canada Veterinarian School, which is now the Ontario Veterinary College, a part of the University of Guelph. He suffered from a stroke in 1860 that left him paralyzed until his death in 1862.

After his death, his sons sold the house in 1871 to William Spence, who sold it in 1947 to John McColl. John made a few renovations to the house, and sold it in 1979, to Robert Elstone, who lived in the house until 2007, when he passed away.

On the property is a basketball court, a pool, three separate buildings, and the original ice house, built into the escarpment. The lower level of the house has been covered with boards, but they neglected to cover a screen door on the side, allowing for easy access. When you walk in, you will see a wood stove to your right, and when I was there, there was a bunch of film rolls on the floor and the countertop. A few rooms over, there is a Miller Bros piano, which still works, and managed to escape the vandalism. Also, in one of the hallways, a few bells sat on the upper half of the wall. One may not think much of these, but they are actually the original servant bells, so the family living there wouldn’t have to call for a servant every time they needed something. Going upstairs, I heard what sounded like wind blowing through a window, and when I found the source of the sound, it turned out to be the bathroom fan, still running. I tried a few lights, and most of them turned on, showing that someone was still paying for the electricity bills, or the city had simply forgotten to shut it off. I did not get a chance to explore the basement, as I was losing light. In one of the rooms though, was an old letter to Santa, and the Britannica Book of the Year, from 1952.

Overall, this house has a very interesting history, yet it is slowly being damaged by vandals. It was a very cool explore, and I recommend that you go see this place sooner rather than later.

Jan 26th 2021 - an email received reads:
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Hi there, I happened to read an article on your website about the Woodhill House in Burlington Ontario. I wanted to let you know that my family lived there from 2009 to 2017. During our time there we put in the new kitchen, the wood stoves , redecorated all 7000 square feet of that beautiful and historic old house. My husband and I and our four kids spent the best years of our lives in that house. So many wonderful memories with kids, friends and the four horses we had there. I cannot tell you the life and love that filled the walls of that beautiful home. Christmas dinners in that beautiful dining room, evenings spent in front of the fire in the living room and the parties and barbecues every weekend in the back yard. We had many many experiences with the spirits that lived there with us too. Never frightening… we always felt that they were happy that we filled the house with the laughter of children, the warmth of the fire in the winters and the sounds of our dogs running on the pine plank floors. The artwork on the wall in one of the upstairs bedrooms was painted by one of my daughters, a portrait of her horse, Ricky and the Santa letter was written by my son Madison and that was a picture of him when he was a baby. Sadly we had to leave Woodhill because the well eventually ran dry and stopped refilling due to the construction at the top of the driveway on Mountain Brow road. Living at Woodhill was the greatest adventure of our lives. We found out last July how the house had been vandalized , and was burnt to the ground. We all cried. On the kitchen doorway was a record of our kids height that we had to leave behind. In your article you have so many pictures of our kids and even my husband and I. If you want more information on the house and its property, please feel free to contact me. We learned all about its history right back to 1833 when the house was built. We loved Woodhill Farm and feel honoured to have lived there, taken care of it and became a part of its history.

Our family
"""

contact information is not disclosed for privacy

From Freaktography: Located in Southern Ontario this now abandoned country heritage home is the oldest farmhouse in its city, built in — 1833. Bayview Manor is the area's jewel of history, it sits within a gorgeous 75-acre setting that highlights this special farmhouse.
But Bayview Manor is on the endangered list. The House was submitted by the local Historical Society for inclusion to Heritage Canada Foundation's List of Top 10 Endangered Places.
The man who built this house situated it perfectly so that he could stand at the front door to see stunning views of rolling hills cascading down to the gleaming blue waters of the Bay.
City staff knows that this is not an ordinary farmhouse. Staff has recommended to city council that the manor be designated in accordance to the Ontario Heritage Act, which lists three measures for cultural heritage value.
One, there must be an historical association to the property Two, the location of Bayview Manor provides contextual value. Three, Bayview Manor illustrates design value. The name of the man who built this home is often found in our student history books. Originally from Scotland, he was a wealthy agriculturalist and politician, was sent from Scotland to Upper Canada to investigate agriculture and emigration possibilities. Very impressed, the man brought his wife and eight sons to the city in 1833, where he settled into his new home named after his original home in Scotland.
The man left his mark in so many places. Politics welcomed his integrity, intelligence and insights. He was appointed member of the Legislative Council of Upper Canada. Most significantly, he prepared resolutions for the 1859 convention that led to the constitutional changes eventually leading to Confederation. The builder was first to import pure-bred, short-horned cattle. He advocated for a central agricultural society, the forerunner to the Canadian National Exhibition, the largest agricultural fair in the world. He established a chair of agriculture at Toronto University, later the beginning of Guelph's veterinary school in 1863.
He proposed a provincial agricultural organization which later became the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. He paved the way for penitentiary reforms. Clearly diversified, he and a friend, bought more than 7,000 acres of land to establish and design the village of Fergus. Even so, his heart was in this city as he always maintained his principal residence of Bayview Manor.
He built a lovely home of local stone, covered with stucco. Its most recent owner, who has since passed away, honoured his home with period antiques and minimal changes since its original construction in 1833.
Some of Bayview Manors elements include original pine-plank flooring, two iron fireplaces, a servants' bell system, original trim details, fanlight transom, box shutters, panelled doors and moldings.
Bayview manor has recently been sold. Concerns are that it may be demolished. The manor is secluded so its privacy has kept the locals unaware of its beauty and significance. What can be done? Council members will consider their staff recommendations regarding the historical cultural value. City council was exceptionally astute when it made a decision to protect the manor against premature demolition by stating its intention to designate according to the Ontario Heritage Act. A number of appeals against this designation have been tabled and are in the process of being reviewed.
The designation of Bayview Manor is urgent for the city. The conservation of the farmhouse and its landscape are critical as superb examples of life in 1833. Even though the manor is a rural retreat, the Ontario Heritage Act's criterion recognizes its value. These same measures could also support the land as a national historic site. A designation will ensure this legacy will endure.
Woodhill burned down in July 2020