"What’s so special about Muskoka, anyway?” Imagine yourself trying to answer this question for someone who’s never been here before. Would you go straight to the iconic landscape, or would you try to explain the cottage vibe? Would you talk about the region’s vast network of interconnected freshwater lakes, or what it’s like to return year after year to a place inextricably entwined with your memories of childhood?
Is Muskoka a place we go, or a story we tell?
For most of us, it’s almost certainly both. And for a new Lake Muskoka listing, Maggie Tomlinson and Andrea Cartwright know that they’re not just representing their clients in the sale of their property, they’re helping them to pass the story of something precious into new hands.
“This property was part of an 80-acre grant in the late nineteenth century,” explains Maggie. “Eventually, a parcel was severed and purchased in 1912 by three sisters who built a cottage there.” The sisters enjoyed the cottage for the next couple of decades, and later rented it out to the current owners’ great grandmother. In the 1930s, their grandfather, then the bachelor boyfriend of the woman who became their grandmother, purchased the property. “At the time, much of the lake was available,” says Maggie, “but he wanted this particular piece of land because of the way it sat proudly on the granite and had such long, unobstructed views across the water. It was so quintessentially Muskoka.“
Located in the celebrated Beaumaris corridor just off the north point of Pine Island, the spectacular 2.47-acre property undoubtedly has something magical about it. It enjoys a wealth of rolling granite, towering pine trees, and hearty juniper bushes. From its treasured rocky point it beholds a breathless view across Lake Muskoka, basks in sunlight through the afternoons, and evening after evening witnesses the priceless marvel of splendid, unhurried sunsets. Soft summer lake breezes drift across the land, keeping the air fresh and the mosquitos at bay. “The land is absolutely exceptional,” says Maggie. “Even for this region.”
While it may have become something of a cliché to invoke the Group of Seven in reference to Muskoka’s landscape, in this case it’s more than justified. The property counts none other than famed founding Group of Seven member A.Y. Jackson among its past visitors. In fact, Jackson was a regular guest here over two decades and a beloved friend of the owners’ grandparents until his death in 1974. In their guest book, his handwritten notes trace not just his gratitude for their hospitality (“Prefer this to a room in the Royal York!”) but also the contours of his life as an artist (“A happy holiday before moving on to Great Bear Lake”). He and his hosts enjoyed summer picnics with the children on the islands of Lake Muskoka and heading off together for “sketching days” after which he’d stand a painting or two on the cottage fireplace mantle to dry out.
From its treasured rocky point it beholds a breathless view across Lake Muskoka, basks in sunlight through the afternoons, and evening after evening witnesses the priceless marvel of splendid, unhurried sunsets. Soft summer lake breezes drift across the land, keeping the air fresh and the mosquitos at bay.
The original cottage built by the three sisters has seen a number of modifications and renovations over the decades but retains the original framing and elements typical of Beaumaris in its heyday in the 1930s, such as cedar shingle siding and open dovetail rafters. It includes four bedrooms and two bathrooms, as well as an open-concept loft with a small balcony and an enchanting view over the lake. By the water, a gazebo provides an ideal sheltered spot to enjoy the summer weather, while a two-slip boathouse includes an upper-level deck with glass railings as well as a slip-level guest bedroom and three-piece bathroom. Additional buildings include a workshop with bunkie potential and a storage shed near the parking area. With 265 feet of frontage on coveted Lake Muskoka, the cottage property enjoys paved access and is a convenient eight-minute drive from Bracebridge and a five-minute drive from Beaumaris.
Chestnut Park Real Estate Limited, Brokerage
110 Medora Street, P.O. Box 444, Port Carling, Ontario P0B 1J0
Maggie: Ph: 705-644-9283 • [email protected]
Andrea: Ph: 705-380-1183 • [email protected]
