Inside The Historic Paisley Ontario Stark House Before Renovation

Okay, what's up guys here? We are very special adventure today behind me is something called the Stark house This is a very very old historic house in the town of Paisley, Ontario Known as the Stark home guys this house behind me has been in the same family for several several several Generations, and I do believe they also ran and owned the Paisley mill, which is right over there I'll show you this in a minute after being in this family for several several years and generations the family finally decided to sell the property and they sold it to a couple from Hamilton, Ontario who are now going to take this property and Convert it into like a bed-and-breakfast or accommodation type place the same two people actually purchased the Paisley mill And they've invited my wife and I to come and stay they bought the Paisley mill during kovat And they've actually already renovated three floors and turned it into very nice accommodations, so now thanks to them guys here We are we're gonna check this place out with permission. We're gonna go inside There's all kinds of really cool stuff left behind we get to see it before they start the demolition before they start the renovations Which will take place starting next weekend, so here? We are today guys Let's take the drone fly around a little bit show you guys the property cue the music cue the intro see you guys inside For generations this property overlooking the Teeswater One of the most influential industrial families in Paisley, Ontario Just beyond the farmhouse stands Starks Massive water-powered operation that once ran day and night producing flour Moved Preserving the story I've been given exclusive All Right here it is guys. This is the Stark farmhouse. It's on a huge piece of property I'm hoping that the rain dies down so I can get my drone out and show you guys What's going on here? And how big this property is is a huge farm over there, and then we're gonna go inside and get out of the rain Okay, let's go so the probably the most Impressive thing about this house that we're in is how Preserved it is for such an old house, and so while it hasn't been lived in for several years The family has owned it and used it for Several generations, and I'll have more of that information for you guys as we go on Through my narration, so let's just get to it guys. There's all kinds of stuff We have old photos still on the wall check this out Nice big old kitchen here, I'll show you guys out the back door There's a beautiful view of the water. It's a pretty Gloomy day today do pretty gloomy day, so you can't really see it, but Anyways, let's go guys There's a lot to see here in this really really old house So we'll start at the front There's somebody's snow suit snowmobile suit here Wow So here's your front door Still got the skeleton key in the door see that So the people who bought it well they got a lot of work to do because they are gonna have to Keeping in mind. I believe this is probably a heritage building So there's lots of rules that you got to remember when it comes to working on heritage properties And the people the Stark family they still have a lot of their stuff here that they haven't quite picked up yet But so that's what we're gonna make it interesting because there's still quite a bit of things here We got here some old records Admirals daughter says here's looking up your hatch Love it Wow Got more here There's a look at the foyer Go upstairs a little bit this room here has the most stuff right here Lots of old and cheeky things and I'll have to confirm, but they might be keeping this stuff to incorporate Into the the building once they've finished renovating it somebody's birth certificate James Nelson Stark born December 14th 1894 Wow Crazy as I said we are in Paisley, Ontario. You know we have a couple of British flags here Here's a picture of the family right out in front of the house This is incredible guys to have the opportunity to see all these old things that have been left behind here by the family Got a bed over there antique tables antique chairs Wow so the the woman and her husband who bought this place they have been following me for quite some time and You guys might remember I did a video recently of my friend Rachel and Dave of a house that they bought and in that video I had something to say about if you own a property that you might want me to come by and check out to Drop me a line, and then sure enough about a week later. They contacted me Here we are These old records look at today. I don't want to mess around with too much stuff in here And there's a lot see the rocking chair there is so much going on in this house guys Look at these you put these you put these in here. I think and then you look at it through the through here. Yeah It's pretty neat Call these things everything's so old guys Wow All right well, let's continue on with our tour How about I will I'll stop talking for a few minutes And I'll start reading you guys some history so you guys get a bit of a better understanding of where we are And why we're here For generations this farmhouse overlooking the Teeswater River was home to the Stark family one of the most well-known families in Paisley, Ontario While the nearby mill became the center of their business operations This house was the center of everyday life a place where multiple generations of the Stark family lived Worked and watched the town around them change over the course of more than a century The home stood through some of the biggest changes in rural Ontario history Long before modern roads and highways this property would have been surrounded by horses wagons Livestock workers and constant activity tied to farming and milling operations nearby family interviews recorded in 1972 described winters where snowshoes were sometimes the only way to travel in summers filled with road work farming Harvesting and life along the riverbanks below the house The property also survived multiple disasters In the early 1930s the original barn on the property burned to the ground shortly after harvest season destroying nearly everything stored inside according to Nielsen Stark Embers from the fire blew directly over the roof of the house while neighbors formed a bucket brigade from the river to keep the home from catching fire The house survived and another barn was later purchased from a nearby property Dismantled piece by piece moved here and rebuilt before winter arrived The Stark property was once far larger and busier than what remains today Historical accounts describe barns, grain storage buildings, livestock operations, gardens, and pathways connecting the house to the river and nearby mill property The house itself became a quiet witness to generations of family history, economic change, devastating floods, the decline of small-town industry, and the gradual disappearance of traditional rural life in Ontario Today much of that world has disappeared The wagons, livestock, workers, and constant movement that once surrounded this home are long gone But the house still stands Carrying with it the stories of the family who lived here in the history of a very different era in Paisley's past Okay, guys I hope I was able to get you guys enough Information to learn why we're here and what the importance and the relevance is of this house So let's go and check out the upstairs. We'll go up the back stairs here. All right It's not very often that we get this kind of an opportunity guys to check these kinds of places out with total permission As much as we want to see It's nice and easy to not have to have early worry and just be able to relax, you know Look at these old rooms Stickers on the wall These are old stickers guys. Wow Been here for decades Look at these skates And then there's a fishing net. I bet you there's stuff like under the floor boards and like so much stuff Just like hidden and buried Installation, no real storage in there It's all this stuff, eh? Everywhere you look there's just little things. Hey, here's a book Tobacco Road And then you've got a door lock system here. You've got a handle Wallpaper just peeling away There's several rooms up here So many they must have done a lot of skating on the lake in the back there shutters Stuff that I'd have no idea what any of it is another old table Wow Look at this thing little oven or stove top quick meal stove company st. Louis That's cool. I've never seen anything like that There's a baseball on the floor or a baseball bat Every room has a just a little bit of something guys every room another little stove. Oh Wow What's going on here? anything in the trunk It's Tools and stuff. I love this guys. This is so neat Just with so much interesting things left behind Not left behind but just still here This would be from the mill probably five roses flower Which again I'll show you guys the mill later on in this video when I make my way over there. You got a bed here Look at this giant saw This house is massive Wow We got a ball here Baseball to go with the baseball bat maybe Look outside there's a big barn over there, too Somebody's belt. We've got three more rooms up here still to go Wow Check these out guys O'Keeffe's extra old stock And we got a grolsch We got a baby portrait back there. I can't wait to ask the the people who brought me here what they're gonna do with all of this stuff that's been left behind if They can reuse it in any way if they have any plans This is a nice room Another bed or at least the headboard Little frames Okay, so now we'll go back down the main staircase here Look at the windows how big this is Okay, so here's what I'm gonna do now guys I'm gonna do some some cinematic footage I'm gonna go outside and do some panning shots of the house when I come back inside I'm gonna do panning shots of several of the rooms and things that are left behind here And then I'm gonna narrate more stuff So I probably have more History and I can tell you more about the family and tell you more about the plans and the future to this place Because I don't want to get it all wrong So I try not to not try to not memorize this stuff before I get here. I'd rather read it to you guys in My narration so that we can talk in real time and then I'll read you guys the history So I'm gonna go back do some panning shots and I'll read you guys some more information about this place the past present and the future Plans don't leave though. Be right back one of the more fascinating parts of the Stark family story is just how Connected they were to nearly every part of life in Paisley during the late 1800s and early 1900s The family wasn't simply operating a mill. They were tied into transportation Farming livestock feed lumber grain storage and even commercial development within the town itself Historical accounts describe the Stark operation owning multiple grain elevators Including storage directly near the railway station in Paisley During the height of wheat production in Bruce County railcars carrying Western Canadian grain would arrive in town while locally grown wheat from surrounding farms was brought in by horse and wagon The Starks employed their own wagon teams to move grain and flour between the railway in the mill property The family also operated a large sawmill on the property which supplied lumber for farm equipment manufacturers Furniture factories and local construction projects throughout the region According to Nielsen Stark some of the lumber was shipped to companies like Massey Harris While furniture factories in places like Southampton and Hanover also relied on local lumber production The sawmill itself employed around 13 men before it was destroyed during the flood of 1929 Another interesting detail from Nielsen Stark's recollections involves the family's role in preserving older ways of life Well into the 20th century While many mills modernized with electricity the Stark Mill continued operating entirely on water power for decades Nielsen described the constant stress of monitoring river levels Removing planks from the dam during floods and watching water conditions overnight to prevent damage to the machinery and buildings The Stark family also became known locally through commercial buildings in downtown Paisley Nielsen recalled that his grandfather built the Stark block in 1903 on the village's Main Street during a prosperous period for the town The building became part of Paisley's growing business district during the years when the village economy was booming from agriculture milling and railway traffic The history of Paisley itself helps explain why operations like the Stark property became so important The village sits at the meeting point of the Saugeen and Teeswater rivers Making it an ideal location for water-powered industry during the 19th century By the late 1800s Paisley had become a busy milling and farming community filled with blacksmith shops grain elevators, sawmills, hotels, churches, and railway connections serving the surrounding countryside Many of those industries slowly disappeared throughout the 20th century as highways replaced rail transport Industrial agriculture replaced smaller farms and large commercial mills out-competed independent family-run operations But the Stark property survived through many of those changes Remaining one of the last visible reminders of the era when small Ontario river towns Depended on local industry and family-run businesses to survive After more than a hundred and fifty years in the hands of the Stark family, this historic property is now preparing for another new chapter According to the new owners the opportunity to purchase the house came from the final member of the Stark family to own the property Someone who still held a deep emotional connection to the home and its view overlooking the mill pond below Having already purchased and begun restoring the historic mill several years earlier The new owners recognized the rare chance to reunite the farmhouse and mill property once again Reconnecting two sites that have been tied together for generations Their vision is not only to preserve the house, but to restore its historic character while giving it new life for the future When the Stark family sold the home They removed the items they wished to keep and told the new owners that everything left behind could stay with the property That means many of the objects Furniture, fixtures, and pieces of history seen throughout this video will not simply be discarded But instead carefully incorporated into the final restoration and future design of the home itself Plans for the renovation include preserving many of the home's original heritage features Including the windows and exterior siding while also rebuilding the large veranda that once overlooked the property Inside the massive farmhouse will eventually become two separate four-bedroom living spaces designed for short-term stays Allowing visitors to experience a piece of Ontario's rural and industrial history firsthand Even the future of the old barn remains part of the dream While no restoration plans are finalized yet The owners hope one day to bring the structure back to life and perhaps even return animals to the property once again For a house that has witnessed generations of family life. This isn't the end of the story for the Stark house It's simply the beginning of its next life The Paisley Mill welcomes guests for short-term and long-term stays Retreats and rural getaways inside one of Ontario's most unique restored mill properties And now with the Stark house entering its next phase of restoration Visitors can follow along as this historic farmhouse is carefully brought back to life To book a stay at the mill. You can visit paisleymill.ca To keep up with the ongoing restoration of the Stark house and Paisley Mill Follow the Paisley Mill on Facebook and Instagram for updates on the property's next chapter