Woodchester Villa Lawns and Trees

SO MANY HOURS SPENT ON THE HILLSIDE LAWNS OF BRACEBRIDGE'S WOODCHESTER VILLA

IT WAS MORE THAN JUST A MUSEUM - IT WAS AN OASIS

IN THE LATE 1980'S, WHEN I BECAME SITE MANAGER OF WOODCHESTER VILLA, AND MUSEUM, IN BRACEBRIDGE, I WAS ALSO A "MR. MOM." ANDREW AND ROBERT WERE PRE-SCHOOL, AND SUZANNE HAD GONE BACK TO HER TEACHING JOB AFTER A YEAR'S MATERNITY LEAVE. I WAS ALSO AN ASSISTANT EDITOR OF THE MUSKOKA SUN, AND MUSKOKA PUBLICATIONS GENERALLY, SO I HAD TO PIGGY-BACK JOBS. I WAS ALSO A MUSKOKA CORRESPONDENT FOR CHAY FM, IN BARRIE. I HAD A LOT OF WRITING TO DO, WHILE LOOKING AFTER THE WEE BAIRNS.

WOODCHESTER VILLA WAS A HIGHLY ACCOMMODATING PLACE TO WRITE. THE CHORES OF MUSEUM ADMINISTRATION, ESPECIALLY IN THE SPRING AND FALL SEASONS, WERE PRETTY LIGHT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF RUNNING SCHOOL AND BUS TOURS. I DID THIS MANY TIMES WITH ROBERT IN MY ARMS, AND ANDREW HALF-HOLDING MY HAND. IT SURE MADE VISITORS COMFORTABLE, SEEING THIS FAMILY CONNECTION TO THE OLD VICTORIAN, OCTAGONALLY DESIGNED HOUSE, OF FORMER WOOLLEN MILL OWNER, HENRY BIRD. VISITORS AT FIRST THOUGHT IT WAS A HOUSEHOLD RE-ENACTMENT OF VICTORIAN PARENT-HOOD. I CAN REMEMBER, AT A CHRISTMAS IN JULY EVENT, SUZANNE DOING A BUTTER-MAKING DEMONSTRATION, WHILE HOLDING ONTO ROBERT…..BECAUSE HE WAS HAVING A BAD DAY. BUT MOST OF THE TIME, THE BOYS LOVED PLAYING BALL ON THE WOODCHESTER LAWNS. IT WAS TERRACED SO THAT IT MADE HIDE 'N SEEK MUCH MORE INTERESTING.

I USED TO, ON OCCASION, SET OUT SOME OLDER (NOT VALUABLE) TOYS IN THE FRONT ENTRANCE, OF THE HOUSE, FOR THE BOYS TO PLAY WITH, IN BETWEEN TOURS AND GUESTS, WHILE I WOULD USE MR. BIRD'S RESTORED OFFICE TO WORK ON SOME OF MY EDITORIAL COPY FOR THE MUSKOKA SUN. I DID THE SAME THING IN THE MUSEUM ANNEX, NOW THE CHAPEL GALLERY, WHERE I HAD A PLAY-PEN FOR ROBERT, WHICH I USED WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER. THE BOYS GREW UP IN A MUSEUM. THEN THEY CAME HOME TO ONE. IS IT ANY WONDER BOTH BOYS HAVE THEIR OWN ANTIQUE AND COLLECTIBLE ENTERPRISE, (MUSIC) HERE IN GRAVENHURST? THEIR PAST HAS DEFINITELY BECOME THEIR FUTURE.

IN THE SPRING, SUZANNE AND I WOULD BRING THE WEE LADS FOR A DAY OUTDOORS. WE WOULD RAKE AND CLEAN-UP THE PROPERTY, WHILE THEY PLAYED IN THE LEFTOVER SNOWBANKS FROM WINTER LANE-CLEARING. IT WAS A BEAUTIFULLY LANDSCAPED PROPERTY, IN THOSE YEARS, WITH GARDENS AND THE LARGE IRON FOUNTAIN, WHICH HAS SINCE BEEN MOVED TO MEMORIAL PARK, ON MANITOBA STREET. I'D BRING A COUPLE OF FOLDING CHAIRS OUT FROM THE OFFICE, AND WE'D HAVE A PICNIC, LOOKING DOWN THROUGH THE CATHEDRAL EVERGREENS, ABUTTING THE MUSKOKA RIVER, ABOVE THE BRACEBRIDGE FALLS. YOU COULD HEAR THE DISTANT ROAR OF THE FALLS, BUT IT WAS THE BIRDS AROUND "THE BIRD HOUSE" (WHAT WOODCHESTER WAS CALLED), THAT FILLED THE ATMOSPHERE WITH THE CHEERFUL SOUNDS OF EARLY SPRING. AH, THE CROWS. WE HAD A LARGE NUMBER OF CROWS THAT NESTED IN THE TALL PINES. THEY'D GATHER AROUND THE YARD, PICKING AT THE LAWN, OR SIT UP ON THE FOUNTAIN, WATCHING THE HUMANS DOING THEIR THING.

SUZANNE AND I UTILIZED THE GROUNDS OF WOODCHESTER FREQUENTLY, FOR MANY DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND SOCIALS. ONE OF OUR FAVORITE PRESENTATIONS, WAS THE "THEATRE IN THE ROUND" PEFORMANCE OF THE PLAY, "PAPER WHEAT," BY THE TOURING COMPANY FROM MUSKOKA FESTIVAL, BASED AT THE OPERA HOUSE IN GRAVENHURST. WE SET THE LARGE AUDIENCE IN A CIRCLE ON THE LAWN, BETWEEN WOODCHESTER AND THE PRESENT CHAPEL GALLERY, AND THE PERFORMERS WORKED THEIR MAGIC IN THE MIDDLE. IT WAS DONE TWICE IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, AND IT WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED. THE WEATHER CO-OPERATED, AND THE MAGIC OF VENERABLE OLD HARDWOODS, THE WINDSONG IN THE PINERY, THE SOUND OF THE FALLS, THE CROWS, AND BACKGROUND DIN OF THE DOWNTOWN TRAFFIC, MADE THIS A VERY DRAMATIC PLAY…..AS WAS THE IDEA. WE ALL ENJOYED THE PERFORMANCE, AND I WOULD HAVE ENJOYED MANY MORE, IF THE OPPORTUNITY HAD PREVAILED.

THERE WAS AN OLD WOODEN ARCHWAY AT THE TOP OF A STEEP HILLSIDE PATH, THAT I USED TO SIT BESIDE ON THOSE STILL-CHILLY SPRING DAYS, ENJOYING THE TINY BUDGET OF SUN THAT MADE IT WAY THROUGH THE THICK OVERHEAD BOUGHS. LOOKING DOWN UPON THE SILENT RIVER, JUST BEFORE THE DECLINE INTO BRACEBRIDGE BAY, WAS A POET'S DELIGHT. THE SOUND OF ANDREW AND ROBERT LAUGHING, AND HEARING THEM RUNNING ACROSS THE YARD, BROUGH LIFE BACK TO THIS FAMILY HOME, WHICH DATED BACK TO THE EARLY 1880'S. I THOUGHT ABOUT ALL THE BIRD FAMILY YOUNGSTERS DOING THE SAME THING, OVER THE GENERATIONS, AND THIS THEN WAS VERY MUCH AN HISTORICAL RE-ENACTMENT. AT TIMES, I DID LOOK BACK FROM MY PLACE ON THE HILL, EXPECTING TO FIND SOMEONE STANDING RIGHT BEHIND MY CHAIR. AT OTHER TIMES, I HEARD VOICES THAT WEREN'T FROM THE BOYS, AND ON MANY OCCASIONS, I'D GLANCE UP TO A SECOND FLOOR WINDOW, AND SWEAR THERE WAS A FACE LOOKING OUT. WOODCHESTER WAS A HAUNTED PLACE. NOT IN A FRIGHTENING SENSE. BUT MANY PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH THE HOUSE HAD EXPERIENCED HOUSEHOLD CURIOSITIES…..VOICES WHERE THERE WAS NO ONE PRESENT…..DOGS BARKING, WHEN THERE WASN'T A DOG INSIDE OR OUT, AND FREQUENTLY THE SOUNDS OF CHILDREN CRYING SOMEWHERE CLOSE, WHEN MY YOUNGSTERS WERE PLAYING WITH TOYS AT MY FEET, QUITE CONTENTED AND CERTAINLY NOT TEARFUL. I ALWAYS FELT IT WAS A LONELY HOUSE, MORE THAN ONE THAT WAS HAUNTED.

LATELY WOODCHESTER VILLA HAS BECOME THE SUBJECT OF DEBATE, AS TO WHETHER IT SHOULD BE RESTORED, AND RE-OPENED AS A MUSEUM, OR POSSIBLY EVEN REMOVED FROM THE HILLSIDE ALTOGETHER. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THE WRAP-AROUND VERANDAH COLLAPSED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF SUBSTANTIAL SNOW-LOAD, AND THE MUSUEM HAS BEEN CLOSED EVER SINCE. AS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL FOUNDERS, OF BOTH THE LOCAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY, AND THE CREATION OF A MUSUEM IN THE OCTAGONAL ESTATE, I FELT COMPELLED A YEAR AGO, TO OFFER MY ASSISTANCE TO HELP A FRIEND IN NEED. IN THE PAST WEEK, AFTER READING A SUGGESTION THE SITE COULD BE CLOSED FOR GOOD, AND THE HOUSE REMOVED, DUE TO THE EXPENSE OF RESTORATION, I WEIGHED IN ONCE MORE, AND VOLUNTEERED TO HELP ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF WOODCHESTER'S FUTURE. I THOUGHT IT IMPORTANT TO STAND-UP FOR THE MUSEUM THAT I HELPED LAUNCH. WITH THE GENERAL INDIFFERENCE OF THE LOCAL COUNCIL, TO ANYTHING I MIGHT SAY TO THE CONTRARY, OR BE ABLE TO ADVISE ABOUT, SUFFICE THAT AT LEAST THE PUBLIC KNOWS, OF MY SINCERE COMMITMENT TO A TRULY REMARKABLE HOUSE ON THE HILL.

YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF WOODCHESTER BY VISITING MY BRACEBRIDGE BLOG-SITE, AND TWO BLOGS ON MY GRAVENHURST BLOG-SITE.