HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1979-03-29, Page 1•
Clinton XewsRecord
1 14th year—No. 13
Thursday, March 29, 1979
Second section
Brucefield's "Castle" nearly fully restored
What attracted a young family of three
to a 20 -room house that had been built as a
replica of a Scottish castle prior to 1843
and had been vacant for 20 years?
"Sheer ignorance," laughs Jane Ben-
sette as she relaxes in the spacious high-
ceilinged family room of the Bensette
home north of Brucefield. "We knew it
would take a lot of work, but I don't think
we realized how much," she adds more
seriously.
Originally from Windsor, Earl and Jane
Bensette bought the house and five 6cres,
10 years ago. For eight months, they and
their son, Erin, who is now 12, lived in
London while they made four rooms of
their new home livable. Later they lived in
the four downstairs' rooms while working
on the rest of the house.
Water, hydro and heat had to be in-
stalled, and a new slate roof was needed.
Windows and shutters were smashed.
Bensettes found shutters strewn over the
fields and even in the cistern. Verandas
and balconies needed strengthening, and
damaged brick work had to be replaced.
Each room of the house had to be
completely renovated. The plaster on
ceilings and walls was cracked and fallen;
floors were rotten and ,doors were broken.
Closet space was lacking. In spite of the
abundance of rooms, only one closet was
included.
An unexpected problem was posed by
the type of paint used in the kitchen and
dining room. The lime, milk and salt
mixture, known as old-fashioned
whitewash, was as hard as metal.
Although it had been damaged through the
years, the paint was impossible to remove
completely from the walls and ceilings and
had to be covered Instead.
"My husband likes something dif-
ferent," explains Jane, "and he--
learned
e- learned how to do everything in this house -
carpentry, bricking, roofing, installing
water and hydro. The only things he didn't
do himself were install the heating system
and septic tank."
After 10 year of hard work, 14 rooms on
the two main floors are finished, but more
changes wait to be made. Although Ben-
settes admit some of their enthusiasm has
waned, they still enjoy the privacy the
huge house affords them and they ap-
preciate its unique and durable ar-
chitecture. Evidence shows no expense
was spared when the mansion was built.
The window sills, Bensettes were told,
were imported from Scotland.
The house was built on a firm foun-
dation; in fact, the foundations are 21/2 feet
to 3 feet thick with a double layer of brick
on the basement floor. The walls in the
main part of the house are triple -bricked,
22 inches thick, and even north walls are
seldom cold. The back part, in which the
kitchen is located, must have been added
at a later time, because the walls are only
10 inches thick, and no basement is below
it.
The wood floors were five inches thick;
five inch pine ,was used for the library
floor, and cherry and walnut made up the
winding staircase in the front hall.
Twelve -foot ceilings make some of ,the
rooms difficult to heat, but four fireplaces,
two upstairs and two downstairs, help.
Each room contained at least one chiTh-
ney, and elderly neighb' -s, who attended
a party in the mansion L /ears ago, recall
22 stoves burning Wood at the same time to
keep the guests warm.
Bensettes have tried to maintain the
unique architecture of the house, while
renovating it to suit their own tastes. The
modern panelled kitchen utilizes dark
wood in the, island cupboards and floor to'
ceiling hutch. Massive dark woodwork,
fireplaces and high narrow windows with
inside shutters add warmth and charm to
the rest of the house, especially the
library, family room and master bedroom.
The outside walls were sandblasted a few
years ago to return the bricks to their
original light colour.
photos
and story
by Elaine
Townshend
In the 1800s, Huron Copnty residents
must have been impressed by the replica
of the Friarton Brae Castle with its im-
posing tower at the front and the servants'
quarters, which burned decades ago, at
the rear.
"ThP Castle" as it was called was bought
by thk Jyids on family in 1867 Although no
records are available prior to that date, a
tombstone on the property is dated 1843
and Bensettes presume the house was built
before that time.
From 1949 until 1969, the house was
vacant but still attracted curious sight-
seers. Even classes of university students
came to study the remarkable ar-
chitecture. For a while after the Bensette
family mov4d in, people were unaware the
house was occupied and Jane recalls a few
incidents of intruders walking into the
house without knocking.
"The Castle" still draws the attention of
passersby. Several carloads of people
have asked.to be able to tour the house - a
request the Bensettes politely refuse.
"We don't become annoyed with
people," explains Jane, "because we
understand their curiosity. We know it's a
unique house, but to us it's a private home
and we value that privacy."
Abandoned for nearly 20 years, the Castle, north of Brucefield is now
"early fully restored, thanks to ten yeats of hard Work by the Earl and
Jane Bensette family. Lacking heat, hydro and water, the house had also
been subjected to vandalism, vermin, and neglect. The family has
carefully retained the basic architectural beauty of the home, modelled
after a Scottish castle. But the house isn't open to the public.
Fireplaces are common throughout the now nearly fully restored
"Castle" north of Brucefield, with four scattered throughout the house.
The Bensettes have kept the original flavor this fireplace in the family
room, but have made it more energy efficient, by adding glass doors.
The huge Castle is full of ekamples of fin craftsmanship that ould be impossible and
nearly priceless to replace today, such as these full-length inside shutters on the bay
window. The Bensettes have spent thousands of hours painstakingly renovating the 100 -
year -old home.