This 1925 built Tudor Revival, listed on the heritage inventroy but not designated, sold last summer. It’s one I’ve always been fond, of, but it’s usually overshadowed by it’s neighbour to the east, the Low-Martin House.
The new owners slapped a giant Lapico Renovations sign on the front lawn. [be warned if you click the Lapico link, the site is built with flash and has annoying music that loads with each page – turn off your speakers first, before cliciking]
The place has been gutted. Roof removed, and the inside reframed. Seeing as Lapico specializes in “new” homes, they along with the new owners, hopefully have the sense to restore the tudor elements, and allow it to continue to blend in with the neighbourhood.
I have heard that many people in the neighbourhood are nervous & concerned about how it will look once it’s done.
Hopefully the finished product looks like it did before, and not like a stucco clad suburban cookie cutter. We’ll definitely have to keep an eye on this one.
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Ah! you should have warned me before I scrolled down to the rest of the post… here’s hoping they have the good sense to restore it properly!
Pretty negative spin on this post.
The lady spent close to $400,000 buying this house, and is spending $250,000 more rebuilding it. There was a story on the news about their efforts, how rough the house was when they bought it, and what they are doing to bring the shell of the building back to life and maintain its historical style.
Perhaps you should talk to the owners and see if you can get some pictures of the renovation, and keep the followers of this site up to date.
I like the old Tudor style house, It would be interesting to see what the finished product looks like when it is completed, especially the interior. Anthony Lapico is known for being a contempory style builder, Most of his interiors are simple white modern minimalist design. I wonder if he will retain much of the original interior details of this house or will the interior be gutted and renovated and redesigned with contempory finishes.
Wow. Serious undertaking. I’d heard about this, but haven’t passed by. Thanks for the pics.
Lapico has built many more traditional style homes (Georgian etc.) than he has contemporary homes. Quality builder that uses quality trades. Ultimately though, the final outcome will be what the customer wants.
wow it looked ok to me in the first picture….was it rotting>? did it need alot of work? wow they say old homes are built better? i have proof….lol
hopfully alot of the interior workwork was saved..if possible.
Scary.
The previous owners had restored this home beautifully with alot of TLC and were passionate about Old Walkerville, it’s too bad that some people can come in to this old community and have no regard for it, very sad.
Plenty of comments from people that have no idea of what the finished house will look like.
Now that is very sad!
It is totally heartbreaking what they have done to that beautiful house. The rain has been pouring in for weeks. Joe, I could care less what the finished house will look like but I’ll bet it doesn’t match the original for charm, character or quality. The bottom line is, IF YOU WANT A NEW HOUSE, BUY A NEW HOUSE. I’m sure not going to mix my words here, this is historical vandalism. That house was in immaculate condition before this happened.
Edward:
I would guess if the house was immaculate they would not have started this renovation.
Historical Vandalism? That’s your opinion. And you know what opinions are like.
Joe, you must work for Lapico. There are hundreds of houses in Toronto that are immaculately “restored” that meet this same fate every year. Someone with too much money and no respect for history that likes the neighbourhood either guts them or demolishes them so they can have their charmless new monstrosity in an otherwise charming neighbourhood. And you are entitled to your opinion too but Lapico could have built them a very nice new house in LaSalle. IF YOU WANT A NEW HOUSE, BUY A NEW HOUSE. I will be one of their new neighbours and trust me, most of their neighbours here in Walkerville will never speak to them.
Edward:
With your thinking all houses would have coal fired boilers and knob & tube wiring.
They are taking an old house and renovating it. What’s wrong with that?
You don’t know what the place is going to look like, so what are you slamming them for?
I am sure if you do not talk to these folks they won’t lose any sleep over it.
I really wonder how much experience Lapico has doing renovations and home restoration. I would expect that an experienced contractor would have covered the house with a tarp and have the roof rebuilt as soon as possible, The trusses at sitting out in front of the house waiting to be installed. The house is getting damaged from the having no roof and all the rain we have had in the past few weeks, this is causing the wood the rot and other structural damage to the house.
From what I have seen of Anthony Lapico, his only specialty is building new homes, And about 95% of these new homes seem to be built of the same plan with different exteriors, Drive around Lasalle, It is easy to spot a Lapico home.
Joe, judging by how closely you are monitoring and rebutting on this thread, *someone* is losing sleep over it!
John:
Another country heard from.
Joe, My 1927 house no longer has knob and tube wiring and the coal fired boiler is long gone. But it does have full plaster construction, beautiful gumwood trim, leaded glass windows, and character that does not exist in new houses. The woodwork in that house would cost more than the entire amount of Lapico’s modernization to replicate. Their drywall and MDF looks good at first but is just cheap junk that will not last. Like I said, if that’s what you want, buy a new house. There’s nothing wrong with that. It just turns my stomach when someone thinks that stripping and RENOVATING an old house can improve it. What is their track record in historic restorations? Speak up Joe, what is it?
I am not sure what the outcome of this project will be but it sure looks like a way to build a new house without going through the formality of getting a demolition permit on existing structures.
Edward:
You put new stuff in your house?
WANT A NEW HOUSE BUY A NEW HOUSE.
You must work for Lapico if you know what is going to go into this place.
http://www.markeugeni.com/Featured/1989ontario.htm
Follow this link here and judge for yourself, This link shows the before photos of the interior of the house. I think that the house looked imaculate before the renovation, I am not sure if there were some major stuctural of mechanical issues with this house.
Joe, your silly argument is akin to trashing an antique classic car and bolting on some new 2011 unmatched body panels because it needed an oil change. You’re the styrofoam-stucco guy, right?
Edward:
I can appreciate all types of architecture, new or old. Some are more pleasing to the eye, but all may have their place.
I do not assume to know a person just from these posts. Remember when you assume you make an ass out of you.
Joe, that may well be but Walkerville along with few places (yes folks, few places) in Windsor have a certain architectural charm that makes the neighbourhoods what they are.
Now if there was a vacant lot and a house was bult to match the surrounding area then have at it. But nothing worse than demolishing beause “it is easier” or any other reason.
I have a turn of the century house and wouldn’t re-do my front entrance until I found a pair of antique doors. I have now been restoring the doors to their original look as well as having Miller’s mill all new oak for the surrounding front entrance both indoors and outdoors so that it looks like it did when the ouse was built.
The remuddling by the assholes who did it in the late 1980s has cost me even more money because they screwed it up.
I too like all types of architecture but people shouldn’t plop down houses or businesses with modern buildings when the area isn’t like that at all. Andrew has posted a house on Windermere that is out of place.
While you are correct we don’t know what this will look like. Tearing out existing original trim is shameful on a good day.
Hopefully they re-use the original trim and doors. Some of those lead glass french doors are gorgeous! I need a pair so if the owner has them and wants to part with them let Andrew know. I will buy them immediately because my house is missing a pair.
Thank you to the previous Windsorite person who listed the link of the virtual tour of this beautiful home, as you can see it was restored beautifully despite what this new owner has to say to justify the distater she has created in this beautiful quiet neighborhood.
lapico homes is so great!! and if people have the money, spend it! cant wait till its done!! And Edward get a life and stop being so jealous your house probally sucks compared to this and stop trying to be a wana be just cause you did not get the job!
I haven’t seen any posts recently on this project. I would love to see some updated photos now that the addition is complete and the new roof has been sheeted. My understanding of the project, when I had a very nice chat with the new home owner, is that she is in love with Old Walkerville and the charm of the period homes. She had waited years to find a house like this and wants very much to embrace the neighbourhood and the roots of the area. That is why the renovation is as extensive as it is. The foundation was in terrible condition and had to be repaired. The walls were completely empty and had zero insulation. When the ceilings and floors were examined, many of the supporting joists were damaged from prior renovations and no longer were structurally sound. Yes there is a new addition. Yes the roof is being replaced. I think the neighbourhood should be thankful that such a caring owner bought the place. Many times old homes look wonderful on the outside but are not up to continuing their life for another 90 years. It sounds like Ms. Clarke really wants to give this house the investment and care it needs to do just that. I for one could never buy a 90 year old house devoid of insulation and have the vision (or budget!) to breathe the life into it it deserves. Has anyone else here spoken with the new owner and understood what her plans are or why she is going through such extensive efforts? Let’s not rush to judgement. Lapico won Ontario Builder of the Year from Tarion a few years ago – that is a MAJOR builder award. I am guessing that he likely knows what he is doing. Windsorite Man – rain on exposed lumber for a few weeks isn’t going to rot it – have you seen any new home being built in the spring? Airflow and time will evaporate the water. Again, I am sure a builder of Lapico’s ability and experience understands construction basics. As my name implies, let’s Wait and See. (Btw, the roofing contractor was on the roof the other day waterproofing the new roof for slate! I don’t see too many other homes with slate – any of you neighbours with new asphalt shingles on your old homes have issues with your own modernization?) I also see a lot of nice new vinyl windows in many of these “old” homes in the neighbourhood so let’s stop throwing stones and give the project the benefit of the doubt, as the original post suggests. I also understand Ms. Clarke owns a window company and has gone through the efforts of pulling the period windows that couldn’t be replicated to restore them. Doesn’t sound like a trashing of a historical home that some seem to have implied here without even discussing the project with the homeowner. So for a third time, let’s Wait and See!
I’m very afraid of how the end result will be for this house. Old or not, restoration is NOT harder than retrofitting. Living in Toronto now; I’ve seen too many older stately mansions in Forest Hill here become suburban stucco schlock with no historical redeeming value or sense of pride at all. On my next visit down, I’m going to do a drive by.
This job is sure moving Slooooooooooooowwww. I can’t believe that in 4 months all the contractor did was put up the roof trusses and sheathing, most experienced contractors that I have come across would have had that small amount of work completed in less then one month. I also can’t believe that the windows haven’t been installed yet.
Eva October 24,2011 12:30pm
Altering an older home can take an unpredictable amount of time to finish so let’s just give it that. Rather than harp about someone who is lovingly restoring a property, why don’t we comment on the 1970 style homes that dot the Walkerville area. These inappropriate eyesores detract from the neighborhood far more than any temporary restoration.
As small business owner in the area I am disappointed at the negative comments on this blog. I think the owner of this property deserves respect for taking on a project of this magnitude.
RIGHT ON PERRY GIRL!
Yeah ok whatever. The negativity is posted because most of us who own heritage or turn of the century homes know you don’t need to gut it to the brick work to do any refurbishment or restoration. There was a lot of original wood in that house (which I hope they saved) including doors, lead glass etc that makes that house a unique one.
What does being a small business owner have to do with anything? Perhaps you should be upset as well because this has been slooooow as Windsorite Man point out.
In this city the vast majority of Windsorites don’t even bat an eye to the destruction of our heritage and the uniqueness of this city. Now we look like Windsor was founded in the 1960s. So forgive us for going on the offensive. We just know how this city is run and what damage has been done to it. We are skeptical at best now.
I can’t believe the lack of hobbies people in this neighbourhood have. It’s the new owner’s house. They bought it, they can tear it to the ground and build a McDonald’s if they want. If you so desperately want to “save” these houses, then buy them yourselves. What business is it of yours what they do with THEIR house? They seem to be putting it back together as it looked originally. How do you know why it is taking so long? The fact that you’ve created a blog to begin with speaks volumes to the myopic world people in this neighbourhood live in.
So if a house goes on the market in Walkerville, I guess the neighbours should only “approve” of the new buyers through some sort of review process, just in case they may want to renovate? The sellers should not accept full price for the sale unless the new owners meet the criteria of everyone else around them in terms of desirability and restoration preference. Get a life!
Two words: PROPERTY STANDARDS
And how is a $1,000,000 reno project going to hurt property standards, just because someone in the neighbourhood doesn’t like the owner’s tastes?!? It isn’t even done yet! Stop sticking your nose into other people’s business. Your view point isn’t the only one in the world. Diversity makes the world go around.
No, they can’t tear it to the ground and build a McDonald’s if they want. From the days of Hiram Walker over a century ago, Walkerville has always been a controlled development neighbourhood. It’s been like this before you were even born. If you want to suggest they have a right to tear it down to build a McDonald’s, you can get the fu-ck out of Walkerville because you’ll never get it.
I wonder if you’re that shady contractor rehabbing the place. Last time I saw something happen like that, it was about about a shady contractor who fired all his workers and kept collecting money each month from the owner without doing any work. A year later and after a loss of a lot of money because of the contract he signed, he had to hire another construction outfit to finish the job and he never got his money back from the original contractor. Go get a conscience, scumbag. I don’t care about your dispute or your scamming of the owner. It’s pissing everyone off! It needs to be boarded up and in compliance with the property standards bylaws already.
I’m glad you feel everyone’s viewpoint counts, “Wow”/rgm. Does that include other commenters on the blog, the neighbours who are concerned about an eyesore on their street, or just yourself? Diversity is great, but that means you’ll have to take your lumps too.
Andrew
I was wondering, Is there any law that prevent homeowners from renovating a historic home any way they wish to ???. Can some just buy up any historic, changes the roof line, style of windows and clad the home with Grey Stucco, Etc…
Is there any law to protect historic properties. I was just wondering ..
Windsorite man, unless the house is designated, no.
The planning act allows municipalities to implement design guidelines and restrictions on materials in designated areas or neighbourhoods, but Windsor had not chosen to implement any to date.
Great! I’m tearing down my classic 1977 4 level side split and building a $1 million dollar McDonald’s restaurant. Neighbours will get newsletters soon!
@David – Shady contractor? What do you know about this project, the timeline, or Lapico Homes? As far as I know, Lapico Homes is one of the best builders in the area. His homes are certainly stunning and he builds for some of the biggest names in town. Why is the project moving slowly? I have no idea, and neither do you I am guessing. “Scum bag” and “ripping off the client” are pretty harsh words for something you know nothing about. Why don’t you ask the homeowners if they have any issues with the project or what the delays may be caused by and then post what you find out. Don’t talk to the contractor, but their client directly. Maybe we will all be enlightened and then be able to discuss this more rationally.
The families who live closest to the work site are the most affected. The transition is an ugly process and it does affect those closet to the house. I’m sure, when finished, the home will be beautiful. It is not our responsibility to judge why or how it is designed and decorated on the inside and I’m sure the owner is not intending to compromise the integrity of our neighbourhood. But the one truth about any neighbourhood is knowing how to make friends, not enemies. It would be my recommendation the homeowners make a personal effort to discuss the process and timing with those most affected…the next door neighbours. Unlike the ‘letter’ that was distributed…we don’t really care about the ‘green’ initiative or the use of recycled materials. All we want to know is when the job will be done so that our neighbourhood can look less like a construction zone. More importantly those of us who are immediately adjacent want to be assured that the job will get done and we can enjoy our area again. Realistically there is no reason for this job to take this long. The responsibility for this lies with the owner. I hope the owner understands that this long term project does affect people around them and that little to no respect has been afforded them for this inconvenience. So figure out a way to be a good neighbour so that when you finally move in you can make friends.
I for one applaud the homeowner, and I wish I could see the before and after pictures. It’s seems extreme, but unless any of the detractors can prove that the structure was completely sound and without defect before the renovation, what are you complaining about? It’s too bad we don’t see more of this, assuming it was put back together using as much of the original material as possible. Why do it, if you’re not going to do that?
These old houses are just that…OLD! Old technology, old materials. Nothing lasts forever, but now you can bet that this house will outlast any other one in the area, unless they get a similar treatment.