Winter Dreaming

It has been somewhat of a slow and warm winter so far for Toronto in terms of snow, let’s post a proper “wintery” photo for now.

Benares House is named after Benares (now Varanasi) in India, where the first owner of the house served with the British Army back in 1800’s.

Afire in 1857 destroyed much of the house, except for the family dairy at the back. The main construction is typical traditionally five bay Georgian.

With the added full width verandah, ornate pillars and the balcony on top, the unique color combination of white with a somewhat Caribbean shade of green and the light honey colored bricks, gives the house almost a tropical “New Orlean French Quarter” vibe.

What is not so tropical is that the house has 4 sets of double stacked chimneys. With a total of 8 chimneys, there is plenty of heating power for the brutal winter weather back in the days.

1507 Clarkson Road North, Mississauga