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■ By David LeaOAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF

A piece of Oakville’s history hasnot only been saved but has been soldfor more than $800,000.

The newly-reconstructed Tovellhome was opened to the public lastFriday to give those interested achance to see how history can bemade functional for the present.

Originally built in 1868 by Dr.Anson Buck and later purchased byWilliam Tovell Sr., the Tovell homewas located on Lot 27, Concession 1,south of Dundas Street where itserved as a stage coach stop betweenToronto and Hamilton.

Two years ago, Dawn VictoriaHomes purchased the land the Tovellhome sits on as part of a housingdevelopment project. With the Tovellhome not fitting in with the type ofhouses owner Donald Husack hadplanned for the area, he was present-ed with a choice — tear it down orrelocate it.

He chose to relocate it, but withthis decision came problems.

“The structure was in very poorcondition. So, it wasn’t worth movingit as a whole. It was better to disas-semble the house and then rebuild itwith some new materials,” saidHusack.

Utilizing the talents of HeritageArchitect Ian McGillivray, as well asthe historic architecture businessTimeless Materials Co., the Tovellhome was taken apart, transportedand reassembled in the Joshua Creekarea of Oakville.

“What you’re seeing in the house isall original to this house. The floor-ing, all the beams that are in the cor-ners are all original to the house,”said Husack.

“We took thestones out of theoriginal founda-tion, had them splitand then installedin this house here.There’s actually acorner stone that,at some point,someone had put 1883 on it. It’s atthe front corner of this house.”

Although much of home’s historicmaterial has remained intact certainareas have been improved upon forthe 21st century.

“The windows are not the origi-nals. They’re replications and verygood ones, too. You wouldn’t wantthe original windows in the house.They were just too drafty,” saidHusack.

Proper insulation in the walls andthe addition of a garage and laundryfacilities are some of the other mod-ern touches Husack has added.

By all accounts the replica was ahit with all who came to see it, par-ticularly Myrtle Tovell, 87, the previ-ous owner of the original Tovellhome.

“I’m really pleased. I think they

did a terrific job,” she said.“Another special thing they did

was move the tree on the cornerthere from a row of trees my husbandplanted along the border of the oldproperty.”

Now living in Delmanor GlennAbbey Seniors Community, Tovellcame with her daughters DorothyKingston and Shirley Dolby, to seehow much is left of the home sheoccupied for 60 years.

“I can’t believe all this, I reallycan’t,” said Tovell,noting how thehardwood floor shewalked on in thereplica is the samefloor she had walkedon for over half acentury in herhome.

“It brings tears tomy eyes.”

Tovell’s daughters had a similarfeeling of déjà vu as they walked thehalls of the two-storey home.

“This is just the way it looked,” saidDolby.

“It’s really neat that they were ableto preserve some of it. So many farmhomes are just being torn down.”

Dolby says understanding thatdemolition would not be the Tovellhome’s fate helped her mother withher decision to sell.

“I think it made it easier for momto leave knowing that this was goingto happen,” she said, gesturing to thestructure around her.

The home also went over well withthe Oakville Historical Society’s HarryBarrett who all too often is forced tofight developers to save Oakville’s her-itage.

On this occasion he foundhimself singing the praises ofone.

“I’m very impressedbecause he’s done a terrificamount of work on this

house,” he said.Husack alerted the Oakville

Historical Society to the factthat he wanted to preserve theTovell home and worked close-ly with them throughout themoving process.

“It just proves the fact thatyou can do it,” said Barrett.“He said, ‘I can move it and Ican make money,’ and it’s nottoo often a developer will tellyou that.”

In perhaps the greatestreview of all the replica of theTovell home sold for over$800,000 to an Oakville couplewho, Husack says, will trulyappreciate it. “They’re into vin-tage houses.”

For Husack keeping a pieceof history alive while at thesame time updating it for themodern world just makessense.

“The thing with a historicalbuilding is that it has to have apurpose when you’re done,” hesaid.

“There’s no point in restor-ing something that has nopurpose because it’s just goingto fall into wreck and ruin.This one has a purpose now,it’s going to a family that isgoing to live here.”

Builder goes the extra distance for history

ASHLEY HUTCHESON / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER

PRESERVING HERITAGE: Myrtle Tovell stands with her daughters Dorothy Kingston and Shirley Dolby infront of original beams that were extracted from her original 1918 home on Third Line and Dundas Street. It was dis-mantled and rebuilt in a Joshua Creek home designed by heritage architect Ian McGillivray.

“It’s really neat that theywere able to preserve someof it. So many farm homesare just being torn down.”

■ Shirley Dolby