HomeMy WebLinkAbout416"Article copied from the Pickering News Advertiser, Wednesday, August 21, 2000.
The way we were -- The Hermitage
This building on Kingston Road West was built in 1899 as a gymnasium for Pickering
College. After a fire in 1905 destroyed the main college building, the property was
bought by E. L. Ruddy of Toronto and converted to a lavish mansion, which the Ruddy
family used as their summer home until 1960. In 1987 the Hermitage was razed by fire
and destroyed. Hermitage Community Park now occupies this site. The well in the park
is a replica of the artesian well shown above.
Grand daughter of E.L. Ruddy sent us the following information March 12, 2007.
According to Mr. Ruddy's daughter, Mary Sims, he purchased the Hermitage in
approximately 1911. It was a summer residence as the building had not been
winterized. The Hermitage consisted of about 700 acres and was noted for its 400
head of Aryshire cattle. The grounds and gardens were lavish. Except for the windows
and the furniture the interior of the house was not. Mrs. Ruddy had the painters from the
[local] sign company paint patterns on the walls of the bedroom. One of those painters
became a member of The Group of Seven."