Does anyone out there Recognize this house in/near Amherstburg? I need some County help today… 
From “The Detroiter” (the publication of the Detroit Chamber of Commerce), May 18, 1925:
BEAUTIFUL RIVERFRONT HOME FOR SALE
This property which is suitable for a summer or year round home or for a clubhouse, is situated on the Canadian shore of the Detroit River, facing Bob-Lo Island steamboat landing, on Sunset Drive, below Amherstburg – one of the very finest locations on the whole river.
The property consists of a 14 room fieldstone and shingle residence on a lot having a river frontage of 167 1/2 ft. and a depth of 340 ft. with water lot to channel bank.
Fruit and shade trees, sandy beach, boating, bathing, fishing, electricity, purified city water, hot water heat, garden, country taxes, etc. The commerce of the Great Lakes passes within a stone’s throw of the beach, and presents an ever interesting and ever-changing panorama. One hour from Windsor ferry by auto, electric railway or speedboat.
This frontage will probably double or triple in value within a few years if the Detroit-Windsor bridge is built.
Does the house look familiar to anyone? Is it still standing? There must have been some renaming over the years as I can’t find a Sunset Drive in Amherstburg. Anyone got any ideas?
geez Andrew, my gut is telling me this is the place where they would have the huanted house every year at least in the mid 80’s. i’m almost positive it was right across from the dock, and in a group of trees.
OR ohhhh….i think i might have just found it (searchin’, remeberin’ and typin’ lol) yup, i got’er. has to be.
Andrew, if you go on live search maps with a birds eye veiw (it’s a bitch for A’burg, you can only get birds eye down by allied chem and work your way down, slowly) head for dalhousie street, south of the coast guard station between pickering drive and sandwich. it is EXACTLY across from the landing on boblo itself, there is some body of water quite a ways feet back behind the house. it seems to have retained most of it’s property, but the front lot right on the river is built on, and the extreme end of the back yard has a lowrise, 2 story apartment complex of some type.
looks like feild stone on the bottom and shingle on the top (but beige now) and it’s GORGIOUS.
i would assume this portion of dalhousie was named sunset at some point since it is quite aways from fort malden.
love it when i find stuff like that!
Why don’t you try the phone numbers listed in the ad? 79? Geez! Did they just invent telephones the week before?
Andrew I believe it is still standing. If you follow the road that the Coast Guard is on south. Around the 90 degree bend you will notice this house sits on the left side (east)of the street near the convent. They used to have a large greenhouse or out buliding that I think has since been removed.
It is now a B&B called The Castle or something like that.
A Google search for “Amherstburg castle” does come up with a result appearing to be identical to the home in question:
http://www.glo-con.com/property/property_no/AD4_11988/
Yep, that house is still standing, and it’s well kept. It’s known as the “Argyle Castle” on Dalhousie St. I believe it’s a bed & breakfast, but I may be wrong.
Nice article in The Drive magazine (starts at page 36):
http://www.thedriveonline.com/pdf/issue25-dec03.pdf
Thanks everyone. I knew if it was still around, you guys would know…
Scooter that link was interesting, it talks about a fire in the 1920’s, I wonder it that was before or after the sale above?
That house is just around the corner and down the road from me a little bit. Never been inside it, but that home always invoked thoughts of a haunted mansion when I was kid every time my parents drove past the place.
That beautiful house is known as “Argyle Castle”. If I remember correctly, the exact address is 495 Dalhousie. I toured it years ago when it was up for sale and in need of many repairs. The ballroom on the third floor required new plaster. A beautiful home that must have been spectacular in its’ day.
drove by it today….It’s a match..
Andrew,
The house still stands exactly where it was across from the Bob Lo Island dock.
Better news… I was just looking at it today (June 18, 2009) and it is for sale…. $640,000.00 Canadian… asking price. I guess the advertisement was right. The value went up a bit. Not sure if the beach property is still assigned to it at this time.
House is currently for sale for $539,900. Guessing it needs a lot of work, things like replacing wiring, insulation, paint, etc.
Its is called the Argyle Castle
It is a beautiful Victorian style house on the waterfront on Dalhousie Street…
I found some pics and a descripton of the house on a real estate web site ( http://markeugeni.com/2945normandy/495dalhousie.htm )
Hi, Ive lived in that house from 1985-1986. Yes it was always the place to go for halloween candy. we had a bear skin rug in the front foyer. the fireplace has a drop floor in the front of it to allow host to retreive wood from the cellar by crank. spiral staircase led to the top floor. it had 28 rooms. an office half way up the main stairs. the parlour room that you see to the right is haunted by a man who smoked cigars. if you read in that room he would peer over your shoulder. the attic had a secret passage in two ajoining closets. i have a pic of the house with spirits that i will email you if you want.
please send me some photos, i love old houses..ive seen pics of the outside but none of the inside. There is just something intriguing about old houses. Every corner has a story to tell. Some I guess you don’t want to hear.
Thanks