Lount’s Castle – The Oaks – built 1883 Barrie Ontario
Original Owner – Judge William Lount
25 Valley Dr. – Barrie
Known as Lount’s Castle, originally christened The Oaks, the Victorian Second Empire style brick house was built in 1878 by Judge William Lount. The house features a mansard roof with the original coloured slate roofing tiles, ornate windows and a full ballroom on the third floor. The original porches and conservatory are long gone. However the cherry wood newel post and grande staircase continue to grace the front entrance. The building is currently divided into 8 apartments with the ballroom used for storage.
Judge William Lount built the home as a summer house in 1883. Lount’s father George was the Simcoe county land registrar and his uncle was Samuel Lount the hanged leader of the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion.
Lount’s Castle – 2009 – 25 Valley Dr. Barrie, Ontario
Gallery Insert
In the News
- Lount’s Castle has been sold – but not for the regal price its owner sought.
- “The building is naked, with no protection under the Heritage Act.” – Caroline Smith
- Last month, city politicians refused to add the two homes to a heritage registry.
Jul 07, 2009 MPP built city’s only castle
- Certainly, there are few homes in Barrie that can boast ties to a figure more prominent in Barrie’s history than William Lount.
