To answer a question that some of you may ask, the house is not haunted. And yes, I know what it is like to be 'asked to leave' after ignoring the disturbing activity another house's non-living resident directed at me. Better I think than being haunted, the Field House has a history with one very eccentric owner, who most of the longer-term residents of Tavistock have some familiarity with.
Six years ago, Katherine hosted the AGM of the KW community orchestra at our house (she was tired of driving to Kitchener for all her meetings, and decided it was time for the members to drive to her!) After dinner, the members got to business, leaving some of the spouses and me to entertain ourselves for an hour or two. One gentleman was rather earnest in getting a tour of the house, so we got drinks, and I took them around. While I certainly like the house, and think it is impressive in its own style, this particular gentleman was quite effusive in his appreciation: "Wow, David, these pocket doors, they are fabulous!", "Oh, look at the woodwork, the baseboards, and the moulding around the doors!" and "My God, the staircase is fantastic! And look at the stained glass windows!" were typical of his reaction. After finishing the tour, I asked "Now Vern, generally the reaction is a little more....ummm....tempered, but you seem very impressed with the house, I was wondering why" and he replied "David, you don't understand, I grew up in Tavistock, just the other side of town, and for the life of me, I never, ever thought I would get to see insinde old man Burkie's house! This is fantastic!"
From what I have heard, 'old man Burkie' (a certain Mr. Burcholz) was a very private man, to the point of telling kids not to walk in front of the house when they went by. He was a bachelor, who bought the house with his mother in the 'thirties, and lived in the house until he passed away in the mid-'eighties. He and his mother emigrated from Germany, and there was apparently some (mild) suspicion that he may have been a spy during the war. He worked in the import/export business, evidently of agricultural equipment, and had business dealings in Venezuela. Interestingly, before the war, Mr. Burcholz adopted a boy in town (a young teen, not an orphan, but close) provided him a home, love and guidance, a boy named Hilcox, who went on to marry and have a family of his own. On Mr Burcholz's passing, the house was willed to one of the two sons of Mr. Hilcox, who lived in it with his family for the next ten years.
Six years ago, Katherine hosted the AGM of the KW community orchestra at our house (she was tired of driving to Kitchener for all her meetings, and decided it was time for the members to drive to her!) After dinner, the members got to business, leaving some of the spouses and me to entertain ourselves for an hour or two. One gentleman was rather earnest in getting a tour of the house, so we got drinks, and I took them around. While I certainly like the house, and think it is impressive in its own style, this particular gentleman was quite effusive in his appreciation: "Wow, David, these pocket doors, they are fabulous!", "Oh, look at the woodwork, the baseboards, and the moulding around the doors!" and "My God, the staircase is fantastic! And look at the stained glass windows!" were typical of his reaction. After finishing the tour, I asked "Now Vern, generally the reaction is a little more....ummm....tempered, but you seem very impressed with the house, I was wondering why" and he replied "David, you don't understand, I grew up in Tavistock, just the other side of town, and for the life of me, I never, ever thought I would get to see insinde old man Burkie's house! This is fantastic!"
From what I have heard, 'old man Burkie' (a certain Mr. Burcholz) was a very private man, to the point of telling kids not to walk in front of the house when they went by. He was a bachelor, who bought the house with his mother in the 'thirties, and lived in the house until he passed away in the mid-'eighties. He and his mother emigrated from Germany, and there was apparently some (mild) suspicion that he may have been a spy during the war. He worked in the import/export business, evidently of agricultural equipment, and had business dealings in Venezuela. Interestingly, before the war, Mr. Burcholz adopted a boy in town (a young teen, not an orphan, but close) provided him a home, love and guidance, a boy named Hilcox, who went on to marry and have a family of his own. On Mr Burcholz's passing, the house was willed to one of the two sons of Mr. Hilcox, who lived in it with his family for the next ten years.
2 comments:
Your friend Vern (perhaps Vernon H.) has let the years cloud his memeory. Has he forgotten the great Halloween Parties for the neighborhood kids at "Birkies" house? Maybe he wasn't invited. His sister, Mary, was there though. Early sixties, what a great time in Tavistock!!!
What words..
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