Every House Needs to be Remembered– 41 Julian Street Mississippi Manor

This house at 41 Julian St. in Carleton Place will be demolished following an order from the municipality. Council members approved the move during the policy review meeting on Dec. 12. Over the years, the house has been subjected to numerous property standards orders, with the owner predominantly non-compliant. – Photo and Text– Tara Gesner/Metroland

Every week I get asked what happened to this house or that house, and sometimes it is darn right difficult to come up with the information. I am a firm believer that everything needs to be documented for the historians of the future, and especially for the kids with the cell phones that might be interested some day. So today I am documenting the house at 41 Julian Street in Carleton Place that is soon to be demolished for future reference.

My mother-in -law lives on Julian Street, so I pass by this home on a daily basis. When the owner lived there it was one of the nicest homes on the street for years. Then the home was abandoned and neglected for the better part of two decades.

I remember when former owner Mervin Visneskie owned the home in the late 80s and 90s and like anything else in life everyone has their personal opinion. Visneskie was famous for playing football for the Ottawa Roughriders, Sooners and the Edmonton Eskimos in the early 70’s, and rumour was that he was some sort of financial wizard.

Not all the history of the house is bad, and as Julie Sadler remembers: “Mervin had a beautiful convertible sports car that during any green Christmas he would park it in his driveway and fill it with a huge Santa, etc. The children loved it and he was always a very gracious host summer or winter”. At one point in the early 90s this house was even part of the Carleton Place St. Andrew’s Christmas House Tour.

But times soured for Mr. Visneske with personal and financial problems, and it was sold by the bank a few years ago in the hopes of being redone. However, it appears that the new owners took on more than they could chew, and the fate of the home fell into neglect and disrepair, and became a complete nightmare for the neighbours for years.

According to this article from 2013 the house has pretty much been vacant for 15 years prior to 2013. The once luxurious house on Julian Street turned into an eyesore, and became overrun with raccoons and rodents and literally became a firetrap threatening those who lived nearby. Les Reynolds, director of protective services, admitted the residence had been the subject of numerous property standards and yard maintenance orders since 2009.

Now the fate of the house on Julian Street has been sealed, and last Tuesday, December 12, 2017, the committee carried a motion to engage Metcalfe’s Robert Gourlay Equipment Rentals to demolish the house for $11,000 plus $90/ton, with all costs to be recovered from the property owner by adding the expense of demolition onto the property tax roll if required.

This isn’t the first or last time something like this has happened, and let this be a lesson to us all. As Dale Costello said: “personalities, stubbornness, and uncompromising situations has led to this home’s demise”.

Jeremy Stinson— If I was informed correctly, (it was before my time) Johanson Construction built the first few homes, and had already set prices… I want o say all the homes South of Brown street had to be blasted to get their basements in. Johansson went under and Iber took over.

Linda Gallipeau-Johnston— I think I told the story of Mr. Kettles blasting out on Pattie Drive when on one blast the stone absolutely rained down on the existing houses and all the men were out having quite a hee haw at what just happened – quality you say!!!!

Mary Ann Gagnon— My parents (the Dawsons) lived at 7 Brown St. In the same model pictured in the flyer.

Ray Paquette– The late Mayor Brian Costello once explained to me the development problems experienced by the original builder and how the Town had to take over the completion of the services to the sub-division and the sale of the remaining lots to Iber Construction of Stittsville from whom I purchased a home. Many of my neighbours living in what was referred to as “Johanssen Homes” purchased their homes from the Town in various states of completion and finished the homes. Perhaps some of your correspondents can add more to the story of “the Manor”.

Mississippi Manor–The Ottawa Journal
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Fri, Sep 24, 1976 – Page 51 and the other picture is 2017

Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun andScreamin’ Mamas (USA)

Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read. Also check out The Tales of Carleton Place.