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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, June 8, 2012 · 28 Historian lives in the shadow of Halton's first sheriff By Julie Slack METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP Cobwebs and a damp musty smell envelop the senses as visitors journey down creaky wooden stairs into a concrete basement -- the ceiling almost touching one's head. At the base of the stairs is a derelict concrete room, five feet by eight feet, or simply put, a jail cell. Flash back to more than 150 years. Halton County's first sheriff, Levi Willson, guards a prisoner inside the tiny holding cell from above, in his luxurious study/library, part of a grand redbrick Georgian home on what's now Regional Road 25. Historical records show 5576 RR25 was one of only a few houses scattered around the area and one of the most exquisite to be sure, given its sheer size. Today that home, set back 600 metres from GRAHAM PAINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER / @halton_photog the road, remains a stand-out, if only for the fact that its vast 25-acre property is an anomaly impressive structure: Halton County's first sheriff, Levi Willson, lived in this red within a growing Milton community where brick, Georgian home, located along on Bronte Road in Milton. high-density housing, with little to no yards, has Tomosky noted, showing similar houses in taken up much of the farmland of the past. The moved back home in 2011. This spring she held an open house at Willow research books she has collected. Halton Region dump is at the rear of the propGrove, as it was named back in 1835. On the exterior of the house, the windows erty. It's a large, two-storey, five-bedroom square once had shutters, as was common practice in Karin Tomosky lives in the house now with her husband Larry Chambers. Her parents had plan house with double thick walls made of the 1800s. On four of the windows, two on the north moved from Toronto in 1968 to the farm when hand-pressed Milton red brick. The design is Georgian architecture, tradi- side and two on the south, the shutters covered she was just a teenager. When her father, Walter Tomosky, died, she became the owner and tional of homes in the early 19th century, false windows rather than glass windows. This was done to provide more interior wall space while remaining consistent with the Georgian symmetrical architecture. "They'd place shutters there to make it look like a window was there," she said, pointing to the south-side of the building that was her original bedroom and is now the master bedroom. Twelve-foot ceilings, 12-pane windows and Bead and Reel scroll design woodwork at the top of some of the doors and eight-inch dimensional crown moulding with Bull's Eye corner carving around other doors, along with original plaster walls throughout, make visitors feel as though they're in a time warp. The original brick oven built in the first part of the house around 1828 is still operational. The 22 original interior doors with brass, ceramic or glass doorknobs bring people back to the days of washboards and clotheslines. None of the rooms had closets when Walter and Amelia Tomosky purchased the house in 1968, but as of 2011 two bedroom closets and a coat closet were added. Closets weren't used in the 1830s and people kept their few possessions in chests, armoires and wardrobes. Karin Tomosky has carefully managed to maintain nearly every aspect of the home, including the original black walnut banister staircase that she recalls her sons sliding down when they were younger. Her mother's carefully floral-wallpapered rooms remain as they did in the late '60s. See Halton's page 29 Friends of World Vision Presents A Fundraising Event for the Children of Montaña de Fe, El Salvador Rotary Club of Oakville Trafalgar It Takes a Village June 22-24, 2012 Fri. 4-11 pm, Sat. 10 am-11 pm, Sun. Noon-7 pm Sheridan College Trafalgar Road Campus FREE ADMISSION All raised proceeds will support the creation of an early childhood centre in El Salvador Ribs, Chicken & more Musical Acts Kid's PlayZone Crafters & Vendors Lots of Parking FREE Shuttle www.oakvillefamilyribfest.com Jessica Holmes Master of Ceremonies Susan Hay Global TV Keynote Speaker Suzie McNeil Recording Artist Performing $125 PROUDLY SPONSORED BY Ticket s PLATINUM SPONSOR HOST SPONSOR MEDIA SPONSORS Gala Dinner and Auction Rattlesnake Point Golf Club, Milton, ON 6:30p.m. Registration Dress code is casual elegant Tuesday, June 12, 2012 GOLD SPONSOR SILVER SPONSORS Epoch Times Home Digest Toronto Star To purchase tickets, please visit friendsofworldvision.com www.facebook.com/friendsofworldvision Bronte Movers