Water's Edge - Cobourg's Historical Mansion

The Ultimate Collectible

i) General Charles Lane Fitzhugh's Waterfront Splendour on 3 Acres (260' Frontage on Lake Ontario)

Try as it might to beat rival towns into the backcountry with a railway of its own, Cobourg was doomed from the start. Beginning in 1854, the venture was plagued with engineering problems, and when the causeway over Rice Lake foundered only a year or so after it was built, so did the railway. But out of the fiasco came something positive: American steel tycoons who had made the trip to survey their iron mines up north got to know Cobourg well, and it wasn't long before the picturesque town on the shore of Lake Ontario found new life as a resort for city-weary Pittsburghians. They called their adopted town "the Newport of the North," and their legacy remains today in the glamorous mansions they built as summer homes. .

Ravensworth is typical of the breed: opulent, never shy and, with its grand and boastful countenance, oh so American. Designed by architects from Cincinnati for General Charles Lane Fitzhugh in 1897, it is actually only half the package: A companion house, identical in every detail, was built for Fitzhugh's son. It burned down in 1976.

If Ravensworth looks a little Georgian, or perhaps Greek, it's no coincidence. It was built at a time when architectural fashion, inspired by the American centennial in 1876, was taking a fond look back to the colonial era. Suddenly, Georgian symmetry, with its balanced proportions, was back in vogue and made all the more imposing with Greek columns and porticos. The genre has come to be known as Colonial Revival and was a hit well into the 20th century, even among Canadians.

The revival houses are usually more exaggerated than their older cousins and easily distinguishable, inside and out. Ravensworth is more restrained than some.

Page 87 Old Ontario Houses - Traditions in Local Architecture Tom Cruickshank

(i) Soaring Ceilings (ii) Fireplaces in Almost Every Rooms (iii) Original Tapestry Wall Treatment in Living Room w/Possibly Sterling Wall Scones

(iv) Paneled Library that took two imported Master craftsman a year to complete (v) Original Chandelier in Centre Hall

(i) Custom Kitchen: Centre Island w/Grohe Double Sink & Kitchenaid Gabeurator [in addition to the other Grohe Double Stainless Sink w/Built-in Brushed Stainless

Soap Dispensers (2x)] , 1½" Thick Polished Granite Counters, Stainless Appliances, Ceramic Floors, Ceramic Backsplash, Pot Lights, Walnut Cabinetry

(ii) Master Bedroom with Fireplace (Unusual to have MBR in a Century Home) with 6 piece Ensuite Water Spa:

Glass Shower, 6 jets Whirlpool, Marble Floor, Marble Wainscotting w/Border, His/Hers (or His/His) Double Sink, Pot Lights..

(iii) Augmenting Matching Period Moulding Throughout

(iv) Winterized Sun Room w/Ceramic Floors & Gas Stove

(v) Finished Basement: i)Recreational Room w/Wet Bar ii) Wine Cellar iii) Vault (Original - idea for additional Wine Cellar) vi) 5 Piece Bathroom (Foot Shower) v) Workshop vi) Gym

(vi) Third Floor Guest Quarter w/Expansive Office (43' 5" x 20' 2")& Additional Separate Heating System

It's also unusual to have a Century Home of this stature in Northumberland to have town water, sewage and cable!

Tap into what the cognoscenti have known for several years, a little bit of insider information if you will - Port Hope and Cobourg are turning into bedroom communities of Toronto. Just an hour of highway driving east of Toronto on HWY 401, they are rare in Ontario towns that have proactive Heritage Conservatories that prevent bulldozing of Century Homes for Parking Lots - "managed growth" is a term that comes to mind.

And it is a good thing. Together with Grafton, steeped in history, they were the playgrounds of the Rich and Famous since the early 1800's. That would explain all the majestic estates in the surrounding countryside. With the proximity to Rochester via ferry, a lot of American steel money had poured into the area.

Northumberland County, wherein lies Port Hope and Cobourg, benefits from the growing trend of "city folk" moving out from the hustle and bustle in the "big smoke" to somewhere quieter and safer. With the Internet revolutionizing the way we do business and communicate, many have taken advantage of what telecommuting has to offer. When we placed the Director of Marketing for a major National Bookstore in Grafton 7 years back, he traded his home in North York for a 100 acre farm with a restored Century Home that once belonged to the Masseys for $550,000. I am sure it's at least double now.

Northumberland County is only part of this phenomenon of "managed growth", although Port Hope, being the closest, has positioned itself to be a gateway of sort. Port Hope, indeed, is unique with it's water frontage, Yacht, Golf and Country Clubs, developed cultural events and mildly eccentric denizens. Cobourg has an active Marina and cafes and shops with more contemporary flair. (They even have sushi every Saturday night at The Oasis!) We have the Big Apple in Colborne that opens year round attracting millions. And Brighton turning into a well received retirement community - great success in the development of Brighton-by-the-Bay by a REIT. Then Prince Edward County, with picturesque Picton, is turning into the other Wine Producing region. After selling The Hillcrest in Port Hope to an area Spa, I see a few more popping up that provide a variety of alternatives and choices. Another client from the U.K., now a good friend, is setting up another one in Brighton. I am sure this will be quite special - as influenced by her background as a hotelier in Africa and her son as an impresario in the entertainment/music industry in the U.K. and New York. Then there is Trenton and Belleville, led by one of the most dynamic Economic Development Boards in the person of Chris King; and Kingston, which is experiencing phenomenal growth.