Hillary House is facing an uncertain future.
The 162-year-old house is a national historic site, known as one of Canada’s best remaining examples of Gothic Revival architecture.
The Yonge Street property is the former residence and workplace of four physicians over time: Dr. Walter Geikie, Dr. Frederick Strange, Dr. Robert William Hillary and Dr. Robert Michael Hillary.
But as Geoffrey Dawe co-president of the Aurora Historical Society reported to Aurora council in June, the house built in 1862 needs a lot of work.
Estimates gathered by the society put the total cost of repairs and maintenance over the next 10 years at $1.2 million, more than the largely volunteer-run society can afford.
“The historical society finally came to the realization, we intellectualized the realization that we felt years ago, that we just don't have the money to maintain this facility in the way that it deserves,” he said in an interview with AuroraToday.
Cost of restorations
The Aurora Historical Society, which now runs and owns the building at at 15372 Yonge, bought the property in 1981, and since that time has spent about $750,000 on maintenance and repairs, according to Kathleen Vahey, curator and manager of the site.
While Hillary House is recognized by the federal government as a national historic site, it does not get regular federal funding.
“I think it's a pretty big misconception,” said Vahey.
She noted the designation allows the society to apply for grants, but these are based on specific projects, and usually require cost-sharing, meaning the society would have to come up a portion of the project's costs itself.
Restoration work on heritage buildings is often more expensive, according to Dawe, due to the complex nature of the work, and “because there are very few contractors who actually work within that world.”
In addition, Vahey said some repairs that the society did when it took ownership of the house in 1981 are now having to be done again, like a recent renovation to the outside veranda.
She added that the restoration work has largely focused on the main level of the house.
What needs fixing?
The main floor, including the study and doctor’s office, is in better condition than the upstairs, according to Vahey, where you can see more signs of wear and tear.
There are also signs of where decisions have been made over the years about what to restore, and also where the eccentricities of the house’s previous owners have had their impact.
In the master bedroom, you can see some of the bare plaster where the wallpaper has worn away. In contrasting, the ceilings have fresh, white plaster. The ceilings were in bad condition when the society took over the house, which meant fixing them was prioritized, according to Vahey.
Also notable are the jaunty, sloping angles and curves that the floor, ceiling and window frame form with each other. Changes throughout the house’s lifetime have exacerbated these problems, according to Vahey. In 1900, the Hillary family cut a coal shoot into the basement for deliveries, causing the house to slope backward.
In the 1960s, Yonge was widened and the elevation of the house had to be adjusted, which is why there are steps down to the house, rather than it being flush with the road.
Down the hallway, the nursery is the “least restored" room in the house, and also the most recently opened to the public, according to Vahey.
There is bare plaster on the walls where the wallpaper has deteriorated. Replacing the wallpaper would involve going to the Ontario Heritage Trust, which oversee heritage buildings in the province, to ensure any new painting or wallpapering is “sympathetic to the time-period,” according to Vahey.
She said conversations are often ongoing with the trust about what work the society can do on the house.
While it is in better condition, the main floor needs work, too. An Italian marble mantelpiece in the drawing room has caused the floor around it to sink, which has required structural work in the past.
The building as it stands today was built in several sections, with a third addition at the back including a summer kitchen. But that part of the house is starting to sink, according to Vahey, and will require foundation work.
What’s in the future for Hillary House?
The Town of Aurora held an online survey, asking residents for their opinions on the future of Hillary House.
While a report on the results is set to come to council at its Dec. 2 committee of the whole meeting, Dawe said preliminary results showed signs of “strong support from the community.”
Both Dawe and Vahey said they were open to a range of possibilities, but one option could be similar to how the Church Street School is run, according to Dawe. The building is owned by the town, but the Aurora Cultural Centre uses the space to run its own programming.
The Aurora Historical Society also used to own the Church Street school, but could not afford the cost of renovations.
The society sold the building to the town, which covered the cost of the renovations, with the historical society also handing over the historical artifacts to the town, leading to the formation of the Aurora Museum & Archives.
Dawe would also like to make the house more accessible, to allow more people to use the building.
“There are some really cool things that we could do here if we were operating at full steam,” he said, noting the fact the house sits on over two acres of land, offering potential for outdoor programming.
As well as more funding, the society also needs more volunteers, with several recently “aging out," added Dawe.
While Hillary House faces several challenges in the future, Vahey remained positive.
“We do really envision Hillary House as a community hub, and as a centre for education and learning and for all ages,” she said. “Even if you've been here before, there are so many stories and so much learning that could happen in the house.”
