KnightsBridgeCaledon

Unique Family Compound - less than 1 Hour from Toronto

History

In the words of Beverley Knight Stodgell

In about 1947, Mary and ‘Bud’ (Harry W) Knight were looking for property as a weekend place to take their 3 children. Mary had roots in this area. Ancestors, the Snells came to settle in what is now Snelgrove. Mary’s maternal grandmother’s family were settled in Caledon where her grand father the Reverend Alexander McFaul was the first minister at Knox United Church in Caledon for 32 years.

Harry W (Bud) Knight, was President of Draper Dobie and Company a Stock Brokerage purchased by his father Harry W Knight Sr. They were very successful in finding mines across Canada and Ireland and raising capital to finance them. Draper Dobie was sold to Dominion Securities shortly after Bud died at the early age of 53 in 1965.

They found 120 acres at 1st line 5 Sideroad in Caledon which had the stone house and a barn and bought it. It was good and sturdy but had no heat or indoor plumbing. Over the years improvements were made, a furnace, a bathroom, a swimming pool and everyone loved it. Then in 1956 they decided to build what is referred to as ‘the big house’. Beverley decided that it would be nice to be married there in June the following year having no thoughts about how our parents would pull this off because not only were they building a house but putting in the lake as well. This was no mean feat as the creek was there to bring in the needed water but the sides were woven by a group of Germans by hand using willow branches which were to grow into the sides to keep the sides from caving in and this was painstaking work, Because she was the first married she was given the little stone house. Betsy was next and they built her the Cedar House. Then David and Susan were married and their house went up. Both of those houses have had additions since then. Each house has it’s own uniquely beautiful view. The swimming pool was rebuilt, the tennis court constructed, a driving shed to house and service the machinery, the second pond was put in and stocked and the compound was complete; The Knights, 3 married children and 10 grandchildren. It was an idyllic place for everyone, as they all fortunately really enjoyed each other and were able to have their own houses. Later 2 more packages of land were purchased which brought the acreage up to 249 acres.
 

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