House of the week: $3.5 million for Yorkville mansion built in 1879

House of the week: $3.5 million for Yorkville mansion built in 1879

ADDRESS: 24 Elgin Avenue

NEIGHBOURHOOD: Yorkville

AGENT: Gay Louise MacLeod, Chestnut Park Real Estate Ltd.

PRICE: $3.495 million

THE PLACE: Built in 1879 by Robert Smarr, one of Yorkville’s foremost developers in the 19th-century, this semi-detached residence still sports the high ceilings and original mouldings, trim and hardware of the Romantic Era. Of course, the property has been carefully renovated and restored over the past 20 years to include modern touches, like the spacious contemporary kitchen overlooking the terrace. The spiral staircase leading from the family room to the second floor dates back to bygone days of live-in help, but the master bedroom’s dressing room and third floor suite will certainly come in handy for modern comforts.


BRAGGING RIGHTS: Few Yorkville dwellers can say they live in one of the mansions built before the neighbourhood was annexed to Toronto in 1883.

BIG SELLING POINT: Unlike almost all Yorkville homes, 24 Elgin Avenue has that real estate triumvirate of private drive, backyard and garage.

POSSIBLE DEAL BREAKER: The basement is unfinished, which means the sound of the kids playing Rock Band will carry through the whole house via century-old wood.

BY THE NUMBERS:

• 5,989 square feet
• 5 bedrooms
• 5 bathrooms
• 5-car parking
• 3 storeys
• 2 fireplaces
• 2 staircases
• 2 front porches
• 1 dressing room
• 1 statue