PHOTOS BY HAMLIN GRANGE
RESEARCH BY KIMBERLY VANEYK
Mrs. Strike lives in Bowmanville’s beautiful historic district, near Toronto. 
Her home, Ravenscraig, is outstanding – for its design as well as the people associated with it. 
Two former mayors lived here. This grand home hosted many receptions, dinner parties, Rotary gatherings and afternoon tea. Guests included prominent members of society.
How heartwarming then, that Mrs. Strike’s fondest memories focus not on those powerful people, but on the places in her home where her three sports-loving sons played. 
Historian Kimberly Vaneyk and I had the pleasure of visiting Mrs. Strike recently to learn more about her home. 
We loved the stories about her sons’ escapades. 
The grand entrance hallway where uniformed servants greeted dinner-party guests, took their hats and coats and ushered them inside? 
That’s where the Strike boys played basketball during winter, breaking only one piece of precious stained glass with their Nerf ball. 
The living-room/ballroom where guests danced? 
That’s where the boys practiced hockey. (They also played in the basement.) And why do you suppose Mr. and Mrs. Strike bought this grand home back in 1963? 
“Seems silly,” she says, smiling, “but our boys were in hockey and it was near the rink!”
The Strikes even built a skating rink for their sons and friends.
“Our own south lawn was always a big rink every winter since 1963. For the sides of the rink, we used doors, old boards, anything that could stop the puck! Everybody knew that rink.”
There was also the “Wounders’ Tournament” – won by the player who managed to throw most of his friends into/over the boards. 
THE DESIGN
In a town of grand homes, Ravenscraig is one of the grandest. 
The house’s Queen Anne style is rare even here in the historic district. Its turrets are eye-catching. 
Interior features are also distinctive. 
Designed for wealthy families who entertained a lot, special attention was paid to the movement of servants – and the flow between hallway, kitchen, dining-room and living-room. 
RAVENSCRAIG’S FABULOUS PAST
Ravenscraig attracted the famous and the fabulous, the wealthy and influential, the good and the great. Bowmanville’s former mayor, Dr. Hillier, and his family had Ravenscraig built in the late 1800’s. 
They entertained dignitaries from religion, medicine, law, business and politics. They hosted fundraisers and other projects to support the community. Mrs. Hillier herself knitted 500 pairs of socks for local soldiers during World War 1.
Subsequent owners of Ravenscraig included the Schon’s, who fled Austria just before World War 2.
Ravenscraig then became a focal point for the arts. Guests included well-known musicians, painters and European actress Methchild Harkness, the Schons’ houseguest.
A second mayor, Morley Vanstone, and his family lived here after the Schons. The Vanstones were a wealthy family who owned the local mill. 
Each family left its mark… especially true for Dr. Hillier, whose initials are carved in the fireplace mantel. 
~~
Warm thanks to Mrs. Strike for her gracious welcome, to historian Kimberly Vaneyk and to Hamlin Grange for the photos.
Cynthia Reyes 
What a lovely home. I love looking at homes that are loved and taken care of and have something special. Thanks for sharing, Johanna!
Glad you like it, Johanna. Thank you.
A good home, indeed.
Indeed, Aggie. A home where the kids can play sports inside and the grand lawn turned into a hockey rink feels like home to me.
Lovely home, photos and stories Cynthia. You have a nose for scouting out interesting people and places. Or maybe you’re just good at making them come alive in your stories. Thanks! 🙂
Hey Brad, I hope it’s a bit of both! Actually, I was laughing at myself when I read this. I so rarely go out that I tend to blog about everyone whose home I visit, and everyone who visits me at home! Yikes. I’m living vicariously through these people, I think.
As long as you’re smiling and having fun. You have a gift for story telling. And if you also gain by living vicariously, all the better. I do some of that too with my awesome stories. 🙂
What a beauty! Thanks for posting~
Thanks, Cindy. Are you back from SA?
What an amazing home and the stories are outstanding. Thanks for sharing. I love turrets!
Aren’t turrets so interesting? I think most children like them, and some adults like you and me too!
An interesting piece of history and beautiful home. Even the mantel of the fireplace has lovely carvings! Thanks for your write up, Cynthia, all very informative. 🙂
Thanks, Iris. The house as a work of art…
Beautiful home, Cynthia. Thanks for sharing the history. I love old homes and especially love turrets.
Hi Geralyn: You’re welcome.
They have such intrigue to them, old houses and turrets. I like the nooks and crannies (“for cooks and nannies”) that one finds in old houses.
Such a historic, stoic looking home. I can appreciate with only 1 boy how important it must have been to be close to the rink having to shuffle 3 boys back and forth. Beautiful home and pictures!
Thanks, Tina. Those three boys must have been quite rambunctious (I love that word) but bravo to the parents for letting them play indoors.
I love your outfit Cynthia, hot pink suits you! Mrs Strike has a beautiful home, I love the story of turning the front lawn into an ice rink, the boys were very lucky to have such an encouraging mum.
That colour does cheer me up, Julie. thank you for the compliment. I love that story too.
What a magnificent home. Thanks so much for taking us on a personalized tour, Cynthia! 😀
You are most welcome, Diane.
That’s quite a place. Beautiful!
Yup – quite a place, inside and out. Thank you.
What a beautiful house! I love the antique stained glass in the door and all the wood carving. Such a lovely home too. It sounds like all the owners have loved it and have enjoyed sharing it with their friends, neighbours and colleagues. Thank-you for the tour, Cynthia!
Thanks, Clare. Glad you liked Ravenscraig. There were many more fabulous features and stories that I couldn’t share here, including one amazing (good) thing that happened to Mrs. Strike and me while I was there. Brought me to tears almost. I will have to share that at another time.
How wonderful! I look forward to that. 🙂
How lovely to have a personalized tour through a home which has been loved and cherished.
I so rarely go visiting that almost every time I go out somewhere I write about it — and order my poor photographer to take photos! But this time, historian Kim got me invited to see this remarkable home, and I am glad she did. It was a good outing. Very, very gradually, I think I’m getting to know Canada’s history through its homes and larger-than-life personalities, as well as its “ordinary” families.
It takes a long time to know a country, doesn’t it!
It really does.
Beautiful house! I’ve always wanted to live in a house with a turret!
And then some houses have too many turrets. There’s one that I call “Turret Syndrome” because it has so many turrets popping out of it unexpectedly.
What a beautiful home, love it’s rich history and features. Thanks for sharing! 😊
You are welcome. I felt so privileged to have been invited to see it with Mrs. Strike and Kim.
The best part is that people really LIVED in this house–it wasn’t some sort of mausoleum! And the ice rink–my favorite part! I haven’t been able to talk my husband into one . . .yet!
So well said. Keep working on your husband – he may give in one day…. one day….
Absolutely beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Patrick. Wishing you a good weekend.
Such a beautiful old house and steeped in historic tales. Lovely.
How lovely to have somewhere as beautiful as this to look after. I bet it takes a lot of work. I’m not so hot with the duster 🙂
A beautiful home, thanks for sharing it Cynthia.
You are most welcome, Andrea. I’m wishing you a lovely weekend.
What a magnificent place. I was actually quite taken with that beautiful barn! p.s. Though where I live has been modernized, it’s from 1890 and shares the same pocket doors that I noticed in one of the photos – except their house has retained all of its original beauty. Pocket doors are such a wonderful thing. Thanks for sharing!
Jeanne
I love pocket doors too. Such a marvelous invention.