House of the Week: $2.5 million to get into one of the Annex’s classic Victorians
ADDRESS: 78 Madison Avenue
NEIGHBOURHOOD: The Annex
AGENT: Margaret Bertrand, Chestnut Park Real Estate Limited, Brokerage
PRICE: $2,495,000
THE PLACE: A three-storey Annex history lesson. Designed by famed Toronto architect R.M. Ogilvie and built between 1899 and 1901, this house retains its Victorian charms thanks to its original chandeliers and sconces, large fireplaces and hardwood floors. Like many houses on Madison Avenue, 78 embodies what most people think of when asked to picture “Toronto architecture.”
BRAGGING RIGHTS: The two-storey veranda, with a pagoda-style roof, is rare. It’s even been written about in the book Old Toronto Houses by Tom Cruickshank. Put a set of swinging chairs out front, sip some cocoa, and you’ll feel transported back to the genteel 1900s.
BIG SELLING POINT: Still in a book club? There is no better place to offer excuses for not reading Pride and Prejudice (or maybe one of the books by neighbour Margaret Atwood) than the sitting room in this house. Complete with deep red walls, an oversized Persian rug and an upright piano, the space screams Jane Eyre. The only thing missing is Mr. Darcy (but we’ll take Graeme Gibson in a pinch).
POSSIBLE DEAL BREAKER: If the house doesn’t come with the furniture, it might take years to develop the eclectic style so prevalent in the house. Prepare for a lot of weekends spent antiquing.
BY THE NUMBERS:
• $11,101.46 in taxes • 112 years old • 5 washrooms • 3 bedrooms • 3 storeys • 2-storey veranda
