- 174 Roxborough St. East
- WHAT: A three-storey Rosedale home built in 1891, with five bedrooms, 4-1/2 bathrooms and a full three-storey turret. The property backs on to parkland.
- LIVING SPACE: 4,700 square feet plus a lower level.
- Lot size: 52 by 172 feet
- ASKING PRICE: $2,299,000
- TAXES: $ 16,800 (approximate 2008)
- AGENT: Mara Bossio, Central Park Realty Inc.
AMENITIES: The house at 174 Roxborough St. East, which is listed on Toronto's inventory of heritage properties, has been painstakingly restored and maintained. One of its key architectural features is a turret whose rooms connect to all three floors.
There are three wood-burning fireplaces: in the living room, dining room and master bedroom. Ceilings are more than 12 feet, and in the principal rooms have impressive cornice mouldings. There is a grand entranceway with a stained-glass window, which matches one in the kitchen.
The kitchen is new and has stained maple cabinetry by Bellini with carved details and granite countertops. Outside the kitchen, a large deck features the same stained maple cabinetry. The garden off the deck backs on to a park.
The master bathroom is spacious and well-appointed, with a glassed-in shower, free-standing claw-foot tub, and cabinets imported from Ireland.
The home has more than 4,700 square feet of living space, and the rooms are spacious. The living room measures roughly 13 by 24 feet , and the dining room is nearly as large. Both of these rooms have oak hardwood floors.
A garage and driveway accommodate several cars.
There is central air conditioning, while the heating is forced-air gas; a second furnace was recently added. The slate roof has been refurbished, the interior was recently painted and redecorated, and new broadloom was laid.
The owner has had new cedar entrance doors installed, while flagstone steps and a cobblestone driveway were put in as part of a landscaping of the front.
In the late 1890s, when Benjamin Thomas, pastor of Jarvis Street Baptist Church, resided at 174 Roxborough St. East, he would have enjoyed a beautiful view of the Rosedale Valley from his home's most singular architectural feature - its turret.
And no matter how humble this man of religion was, it's easy to imagine that he also enjoyed the prestige such an architectural symbol afforded.
Today, the home is a magnificently preserved example of Toronto's heritage (and, indeed, is listed on Toronto's inventory of historic properties). Displaying a combination of Romanesque revival and Queen Anne architecture, the house still sits prominently on a high spot in Rosedale.
The turret still gives the facade an arresting appearance, while each of its three high-ceilinged levels provides a discreet sitting area.
"The tower would have provided a view down the valley to the east, but [it]was also a icon of power and a generally popular architectural design feature at the time," notes Scott Weir, an associate at ERA Architects Inc., the firm that conducted a heritage conservation district study of South Rosedale, where the home is situated.
The magnificent dining room - brilliant scarlet with its own wood-burning fireplace and a table seating 12 - has undoubtedly been the scene of countless family gatherings since the home was built in 1889. Current owner Sue Drake makes it the centre of her family's celebrations, when the avid cook and entertainer says the table usually is filled to overflowing.
A look inside the kitchen - a warm and welcoming room fitted out in handsome stained maple cabinetry with ornate carved details - confirms a love of food preparation. Bottles of exotic oils, spices and other ingredients stand on the black granite countertops alongside the most modern kitchen implements. There is a stunning stainless-steel exhaust hood over the stove. A stained-glass window, matching one in the front entrance, colours the sunlight streaming into the room, which opens to a large deck.
"The kitchen was one of the features of this home that I fell in love with," Ms. Drake says. "I do cook all the time and we have had some wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations here. The deck also gets well used."
Protected by a natural canopy of trees, the deck boasts an imposing cabinet filled with glasses and entertaining supplies. Underneath it, white birch firewood is stored for the home's three fireplaces. Matching the cabinetry of the kitchen, the large cabinet gives the outdoor space the feel of an added room. An outdoor candle chandelier, ivy twining round it, adds the perfect touch.
"I have always liked old houses," Ms. Drake says. "I love the quirkiness and the interesting features, in particular the high ceilings. I knew within minutes that I would buy this home. At the time, the woodwork was all dark … but now it has been completely redecorated, more than once and there is a lighter feel, because of the colours.
"The walls in some of the principal rooms and halls are a pale taupe with a tinge of green and the woodwork, although it looks like white is actually a shade of yellow. The broadloom, all new, is a shade of pale taupe, too, which picks up the other colours."
The house has the distinction of being listed on Toronto's inventory of heritage properties. "Being part of a designated heritage conservation district, in addition to the prestige of the recognition, seems to add to the value of real estate," notes architect Catherine Nasmith, president of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario and editor of Built Heritage News. "When a district is protected, you know what happens around you is controlled, you know what will happen to other houses in your neighbourhood."
With about 4,700 square feet of living space, the house has large and wonderfully proportioned rooms, starting with the grand entranceway. Light streams through a bay window in the living room, where the ceiling is more than 12 feet high. A fireplace that once burned coal has been fitted out to burn wood.
Upstairs, the master bedroom has its own fireplace with a marble surround, as well as a stunning private bathroom with a glassed-in shower and a claw-foot enamel bathtub. But the highlight of the ensuite is the custom cabinetry - large and small vanities with a matching wall decoration, all imported from Ireland. These are complemented by countertops in Verdi Quartzite, which have a natural, soft finish and a mottled greenish hue.
"I enjoy reading decorating books and watching HGTV," Ms. Drake says. "I go to all the major antique shows and scout for pieces I like. The one large mirror hanging in the hall belonged to my grandmother. The other one was purchased in Brighton, Ont."
The home's other four bedrooms - located on the second and third floors - are quite large. The sloped ceilings of those on the top floor give them a cozy and inviting feel.
Despite the early fall heat, the house is cool, thanks to central air conditioning. All of the mechanical systems have been updated or replaced.
"The roof is slate, and it was inspected and tiles were replaced," Ms. Drake points out. "We had the old [furnace]boiler refurbished and a second one added to provide extra main-floor heat. We have redone the landscaping and added a fountain, and the front doors - beautiful examples of B.C. cedar with a pink hue - are brand new."
Special to The Globe and Mail