Issue 82 - Vern Myslichuk, owner of the Low-Martin house in Walkerville

Harry Low was a machinist, but he made a fortune as a rumrunner during the years of prohibition. Legend has it there is a photograph that shows Harry sitting at a table which is completely covered by large stacks of hundred dollar bills. It is possible the photograph might be somewhere in Harry’s old house but Vern Myslichuk, owner of Better Made Cabinets and the new owner of the venerable Low-Martin house in Walkerville has yet to discover it.

If it is anywhere inside the 84 year old home, there’s a good chance Vern will find it because he is moving in and for the next two years (and probably longer) he will be spending endless hours intimately restoring the charm and elegance of this historical old home. (Actually Vern will be living in the Coach House while the restoration proceeds.)

Unquestionably the Low-Martin house is the most unique home in the City of Windsor. With its crazy rolling roof (designed to imitate the waves in the sea), its thick stone walls and leaded glass windows it is one of the most recognizable homes anywhere and owning it has been the object of Vern’s dreams for many years.

“I used to park my car on the street and just sit and stare at the house.” He said. “I dreamed of owning it but when it came on the market in 2008 I was not able to purchase it, the timing wasn’t right. Then I heard it had been sold, my heart sank.”

But when the home was surprisingly put up for sale in 2012, he was not going to let the opportunity slip by again and he bought it. Due to dignified visitors including Al Capone and Meyer Lansky the historical value is immeasurable.

“The stories these walls could tell,” mused Vern as we entered the home through the servant’s door. I asked if he had encountered any ghosts, or found any cash stashed in some secret place - he grinned and said, “No.”

“Are there any secret passage ways?” I asked, hoping he would lead me to some paneled wall that would slide open revealing a hidden staircase or dark tunnel.

“Maybe a couple,” Vern answered cautiously, but for obvious reasons he wasn’t going to reveal them to me. We entered the kitchen and what catches the eye immediately is the huge, antique, multi-door porcelain ‘ice-box’ built into the wall. It’s the size of two modern refrigerators and though it shows its age here and there, the shiny white porcelain and the chrome door handles and hinges are in excellent condition.

I asked if it still worked, expecting that it didn’t and wondering if Vern was simply going to leave it as a fascinating showpiece. He answered, “I have not had the time to check it thoroughly but I intend to get it working and as with the original refrigerator and this original kitchen sink, restore it completely.

Vern also pointed out a small box on the wall by the kitchen sink with four small buttons, numbered 1 to 4. “It’s the buzzer system the Low family would have used to contact the servants in the kitchen. Each number represents a room or part of the house, such as the dining/living area or one of the second floor bedrooms. It will also be restored to working condition.”

The tour continued and my eyes were darting hungrily about, trying to catch every detail of the lavishly built home. As we walked from room to room across oak flooring, through arched openings, past French doors and under ornately decorated plaster ceilings which left me to marvel at the craftsmanship I was surprised to find that overall the home is in fantastic condition. I was expecting it to be in a much poorer state.

That’s not to say there are not obvious and serious problems. There are necessary upgrades and repairs to make the home livable again and there is a huge amount of work and costs required to replace the antiquated boiler, upgrade the electrical system and restore flooring, woodwork and water-damaged ceilings. However, much of the work - although it will be very time-consuming - is cosmetic. For instance, Vern is going to strip off the paint and restore the original finish of the impressive limestone fireplace in the family room, as well as restore the now colourfully painted ceiling moldings to their original cream shade. He knows the original colours because of his own research and his contact with Low’s descendants who have provided him with photographs of the original home.

“The most important thing to me is to retain the home’s originality,” he explained, adding, “This is a restoration not a renovation.” A restoration Vern expects to take two years. Most of the work he is doing himself but he says he will have help. He will rely on the people and capabilities of his own company, Better Made Cabinets and his company’s extensive experience and thorough knowledge in all things wood, along with this help Vern is confident he can do 80% of the work.”

As the tour continued I realized I would not - for lack of space - be able to write about all the extraordinary things in this house. But I will not leave it to just your imagination to visualize the inch-thick kiln-fired ceramic tiles in the bathrooms, or the marble coved ceilings and porcelain pedestal sinks. By the way, there are five bedrooms and six bathrooms - all the bedrooms have an ensuite and the master bedroom has a shower complete with six chromed shower heads for a full body wash!

You also do not have to try and imagine the deep richness of the walnut wainscoting, or the solid feel of the hard-wood flooring laid over a four-inch layer of cement on top of a two by ten sub-floor. By the way, every room has wood flooring and only once did I hear the floor creak. You do not have to imagine the twisting walnut staircase, the winding handrails, and curved glass windows. You don’t have to imagine all this because Vern wants to let the public see the home and see the progress of the restoration by providing public updates as the work continues.

For now, he is concentrating on the exterior, such as stripping and then painting the nearly 100 window and door frames. He hopes to have all the exterior work completed by the fall.

There are very few homes or buildings in this city that have such a steep and intriguing history as the Low-Martin house, and perhaps only Mackenzie Hall and Willistead Manor are as readily recognizable. But while the latter two are in public hands, restored and maintained with public funds, Vern Myslichuk is undertaking the restoration of this significantly historical home on his own. It is a mammoth task but for Vern it will be a labour of love and he’s prepared to do it in phases so it won’t overwhelm him. Although it will cost him a small fortune - he will do as Harry Low did back in 1928 - Vern will spare no cost because this is his ‘dream home’ and he intends to enjoy it for the rest of his life. It is what he has longed to do - to retain the home’s uniqueness, restore its remarkable beauty and preserve one of this city’s most recognizable landmarks with one of its most intriguing, fascinating and historical past!

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