Ancestral Roofs

"In Praise of Older Buildings"

Friday, January 18, 2013

Love and Loss - Villeneuve Castle

looking up from Picton Bay
 Mom and Dad took great interest in the historic and beautiful buildings of their town. They were especially pleased to live on Bridge Street overlooking the treed hillside where stood the Castle Villeneuve.

They were 'first on the scene' with their Instamatic the morning after the explosion. Just recently I found these photos and wanted to share them with folks who still mourn the loss.


 In the 1986 propane gas explosion, a patron of the (then) restaurant was killed. The building could not be allowed to stand without some kind of retribution, and was quickly demolished.


The six acre property which slopes down to Picton Bay marina has been for sale forever. The Lester Group  which is handling it (one simply does not 'sell' a property this special) has assembled some of the history on their website. I guess in time the property will fill up with McMansions, and the castle will be nothing but a name...bragging rights.





It will always be there for me, part of the scenery we drove by on the way to 'town'.  I still remember the matching gatehouse which stood along Bridge Street. It stood for many years after the castle was demolished. I remembered to look recently and it has disappeared. Wonder how long ago?













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6 comments:

  1. Must have been a magical sight in its heyday.

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  2. Oh and the setting was magical, a curving drive down from the gatehouse to the edge where it sat, and huge trees everywhere. Interesting to have had insights into the conceits of the wealthy and powerful in a wee town like Picton in the day.

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  3. Loved your line about it always being there for you. I often wonder why I care so much about historic places that "don't make it"(to be charitable about it). Last week a fine c.1810 mansion in Pictou, NS was demolished. The large house was built of stone brought from Scotland, where many of the earliest settlers were from. It had been a fixture of that town, almost from its inception. Try removing that from your individual or collective memories.

    http://www.parl.ns.ca/pictou/norwayhouse.html
    http://museum.gov.ns.ca/imagesns/html/40528.html

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  4. I'd best make plans to get back to some of your favourite towns before they disappear.

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    1. Well, Annapolis Royal has lasted 400 years, I'm sure it'll be around for a few more. But your point is well taken. I think a trip next summer is in order. On the way down I'll finally make a stop at Upper Canada Village and see what people are talking about.

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  5. I remember having lunch there in the '70s. A tragic ending that should not have happened. Never store propane inside!

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