The Case of the Disappearing Back Staircase — Springside Hall — Finlayson Series

Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum 1920s (that sidewalk is sunk deep into the earth- some of it was removed for the walkway in the 90s)

2013

1981 Linda Seccaspina photo-Argyle Street side

I love mysteries, and I love challenges especially history ones. This week I was contacted by Richard Finlayson (his Aunt was Lucinda May Finlayson Raeburn who owned my home for a long time) and the whole world about the history of my home opened up again. As a child, Richard had been to my house several times. May Raeburn was his grandfather’s sister. He remembers many details of the remarkable house, Springside Hall, ( Hi Diddle Day home) on Lake Avenue East in Carleton Place.

As some of you know there are few photos of my home or info except what the McCann family sent me and thanks to Jennifer Fenwick Irwin from the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum. We could not figure out why there were few photos of this home until the flea market find in Smiths Falls two years ago. So it is with great excitement when I find out something.

When we moved here in1981 the Summer Kitchen was torn down and we had a big hole on the Cambell Street side to deal with. The carriage house was also in the same rotten condition and that had to come down too. This is what happens to old homes if they are not taken care of and there is little you can do to save them without having money pockets deep enough to go to the ocean.

back staircase when we bought the house– 1981

Back staircase 2020

There was a back staircase, but it was a simple wood staircase painted white with a basement style window at the top. I never thought anything of it but when I was pregnant with Schuyleur 35 years ago Angelo decided to change it and took out three feet of stone wall beside the back stairs to build a new one. Again, nothing was found, so life moved on. Until— Friday when Richard Finlayson contacted me who remembered them as a child.  He remembers there being a secret stairway off the dining room that was almost like a tunnel.  The last time he was in my home was 1967 and he was 11 years old. His memory remembers a small (almost cupboard size) door off the dining room. It had a small narrow staircase that went to the second floor. As children it was like something from a childhood book. It may have been removed before we acquired it Richard said as I would guess it was an original servant stairway? For a child Richard said, Springside Hall was an amazing place. 

So I began to wonder where the secret stairway was. I have two little doors off the dining room. One is now the bathroom under the front stairs which I found out were changed when the Crams moved in during the early 1900s. Suddenly the light bulb went off.

For years I had wondered about the weird little cupboard almost directly under the back staircase. It is a closet now, but it has a small perplexing extra space heading nowhere, and “L” shape and I could never figure out what it was. Now I know. It was the beginning of the “tiny tunnel” back staircase. Why was it so small and hidden?

tiny little offset inside the L shaped cupboard and you can see the drywall to the right where the old tunnel staircase went

In older homes, a large household staff was often required to stay out of sight. The solution was a separate staircase in the back just for the servants to use. Obviously the Crams were not happy seeing the servants if it was that small.

One Mystery Solved– More to come– thanks to Richard Finlayson

A Houseful of Whimsy- Springside Hall 1982

Do You have a Hidden Room in Your Home?

What Did Adam Dowdall Find in My Carleton Place Yard?

The Story of a Local Family -Finlayson- Richard Finlayson

The Sundial of Springside Hall

Then and Now Springside Hall 1920s-1930s Photos

Reusing the Past of Carleton Place — The Morphy’s and the McCann’s

October 13, 1977 George W. Raeburn of Lake Ave East— Artist and C. P. R. Man

My Neighbours –Photos of the Cliff- McCann House and Springside Hall

Update on the Time Capsule in Springside Hall

The Spirits Are Alive and Well

They Once Lived in My Home– The Cram Children — Margaret — Angeline “Babe” and Arthur

They Once Lived in My Home– Arthur Cram

The Morphy Cram House — Springside Hall

The Hi- Diddle-Day House of Carleton Place – Puppets on a String

Glory Days in Carleton Place– Linda Seccaspina

So Where Does the Water come from Under my House?

The Ghost Lovers of Springside Hall – A True Love Story

Do You have an Archaeological Find in Your Carleton Place Basement?

Feeling Groovy by the Lake Ave East Bridge

October 13, 1977 George W. Raeburn of Lake Ave East— Artist and C. P. R. Man

What if You Had a Fire and No One Came?

Just Another Day in Fawlty Towers — Part 2 — To Hell and Back

Just Another Day in Fawlty Towers

Dumbwaiter Calamities of Crockery

While You Were Sleeping —-The Storyland Bunny Moves to the Hi Diddle Day House

The Mystery of the Springside Hall Carriage House Door — Donovan Hastie

Photo Donovan Hastie

Another mystery solved about Springside Hall, Lake Ave East in Carleton Place

Hi Linda, I just found out from my dad this weekend that the door in this pic is from the Raeburn carriage house. He used to store his Jaguar there and ended up getting the door with the original hardware. It’s now (since the early 80’s) the main entrance to our cottage. — Donovan Hastie

Photos of the Carriage House

Son of Albert Cram in front of carriage house 1920s- Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum

carriage house 1920s on side- Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum

Cecil on the Campbell Side of the house. My house in the background.–Photo-Susan McCann ( Carriage House is white building in back)

Susan McCann’s Father burning leaves. Remember those days? You can see Springside Hall with the original fence. When we bought it- it had a white picket fence. Originally, there was concrete pillars with pipes as a fence. The carriage house is in the back and we tore it down in 1988 as it was falling down. You can see the white summer  kitchen on the back of the house. That was not there in 1981 when we bought the home. There was just a hole in the ground where it had been, and we built the stone addition and garage where it was. Photo-Susan McCann –( Carriage House is white building in back)

A Houseful of Whimsy- Springside Hall 1982

The Story of a Local Family -Finlayson- Richard Finlayson

The Sundial of Springside Hall

Then and Now Springside Hall 1920s-1930s Photos

Reusing the Past of Carleton Place — The Morphy’s and the McCann’s

October 13, 1977 George W. Raeburn of Lake Ave East— Artist and C. P. R. Man

My Neighbours –Photos of the Cliff- McCann House and Springside Hall

Update on the Time Capsule in Springside Hall

The Spirits Are Alive and Well

They Once Lived in My Home– The Cram Children — Margaret — Angeline “Babe” and Arthur

They Once Lived in My Home– Arthur Cram

The Morphy Cram House — Springside Hall

The Hi- Diddle-Day House of Carleton Place – Puppets on a String

Glory Days in Carleton Place– Linda Seccaspina

So Where Does the Water come from Under my House?

The Ghost Lovers of Springside Hall – A True Love Story

Do You have an Archaeological Find in Your Carleton Place Basement?

Feeling Groovy by the Lake Ave East Bridge

October 13, 1977 George W. Raeburn of Lake Ave East— Artist and C. P. R. Man

What if You Had a Fire and No One Came?

Just Another Day in Fawlty Towers — Part 2 — To Hell and Back

Just Another Day in Fawlty Towers

Dumbwaiter Calamities of Crockery

While You Were Sleeping —-The Storyland Bunny Moves to the Hi Diddle Day House

October 13, 1977 George W. Raeburn of Lake Ave East— Artist and C. P. R. Man

Today I was looking to find some more information on the Carleton Place daredevil Jerry Armstrong and I came across George Raeburn’s obituary. I live in the home that once belonged to George and May Raeburn on Lake Ave East and have written many stories about it.

Last year Blair White gave me a folk art oil painting that George Raeburn did of his home The Morphy Cram House/ High Diddle Day home. He had given it to Blair a good many years ago. When I die I want it to go back to the White family and have Blair’s son Ben look after it until he can pass it on. I met May Raeburn once and also met Burt when she passed on.

The far second floor room is still called Bert’s room, and George’s painting hangs with pride in my dining room. I never complained when the C.P.R. train once came down that track because Mrs. Raeburn once told me:

“Every time I hear that train I know it’s my families bread and butter coming down the track”.

October 13, 1977        George W. Raeburn – Obituary

George Williamson Raeburn died at Carleton Place and District Memorial Hospital on October 13, 1977. Mr. Reaburn was born in Dalhousie Mills, Ontario on June 26, 1893. He first worked for the Bank of Ottawa and the Bank of Commerce at Parry Sound, Ontario and later at the Canadian Pacific Railway, Chesterville and Winchester and since 1938 at Carleton Place. In 1922 he married Lucinda May Finlayson of Almonte and they had one son Bert, presently in Yellowknife, NWT.      Mr. Reaburn was very active in the Chesterville United Churchand Zion-Memorial United Church of Carleton Place and was clerk of session for many years. His other interests included the Carleton Place Scout Group Committee and he was a driver for the Cancer Society. He was a member of Chesterville Lodge No. 302 A.F. and A.M. and was Worshipful Master in 1923. In Carleton Place he was active with St. John Lodge No. 64 and Maple Chapter No. 116 RAM. The service was held from the Barker Funeral Home, Carleton Place with interment in Boyd’s Cemetery. He is survived by his wife, May of Fairview Manor, a son Bert and daughter-in-law Marion of Yellowknife and two grandchildren Stephen and Sarah Leigh, also, of Yellowknife and by a brother-in-law, Edgar Findlayson of Carleton Place. Pallbearers were Andrew Dickey, Wilf Hogan, H. B. Montgomery, George Nobes, Renhart Springer and Stewart White. Honorary pallbearers were Lloyd Allen, Stewart Cavers, Hub Dopson, Jim Hammond, Mac MacCauley, Frank Moon, Mervyn Morris, Cecil Ruttle, Eric Simpson, Herb Sinclair and Earl Willows.