Prince Edward County - Loyalist's descendants sell 203 - year-old family homestead September 22, 2005, by Community Press

For the first time in 203 years, the locally famous Redner family homestead, located in the village of Rednersville, in Prince Edward County, is available for sale.

The farm lot on which the Redner house stands was granted to Henry Redner in 1802. Now six generations later, Bernard Redner, in his 100th year, is offering the home for sale.

With 11 children spread all over the continent no one is able to take over the property and the five-bedroom, 3,200-square-foot home. By coincidence, for the first time in 156 years, the Rednersville United Church is also available for sale, both being offered by Gordon Auctioneers & Realty Inc., a Kingston based real estate auction firm.

Family members still proudly display the Crown Patent for the land which was granted to their patriarch in 1802. The village of Rednersville grew around the family plot. A staunch United Empire Loyalist and one-time member of the New Jersey Volunteers, Henry Redner originally lived in a log cabin on the property. After the cabin was destroyed by fire, his grandson, James Redner, built the current stone house across the road from the water in 1840. The 165-year-old home contains most of its original features including 24” thick solid stone walls, spacious principal rooms, original baseboards and trim, hard and soft wood floors, deep window ledges, original archways and ten-foot ceilings. Prince Edward Cty. - Loyalist�s descendants sell 203 -year-old family homestead September 22, 2005, 9:00 am by Community Press

“Step into the centre foyer and you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped back six generations in time,” says Gordon’s Senior Marketing Consultant Manson Slik. “It’s a grand stone home, rich in detail and Prince Edward County history, written about in several local books.” The house sits regally on a hilltop above the Bay of Quinte, offering a commanding view of the water. Lined with lush, mature pear and apple trees, the 22-acre property could support more fruit growth, making it a possible location for aspiring winegrowers looking to establish a northern county winery, or a small private estate winery.

The house will be sold by FaxBID™ Auction on Wednesday, October 5. On the same day, Gordon’s will also sell the nearby Rednersville United Church, located a stone’s throw from the home. James Redner, the prominent businessman who built the stone house in 1840, was part of a five-man fund-raising team credited with erecting the church in 1849. The charming grey stone church features the original 11-foot-high stained glass windows, 27 pews and original pine flooring. Upgrades to the 19th century structure include a bell, donated in 1938 and an addition, made by moving a church from neighbouring Demorestville, nearly doubling the building’s size. A 1983 renovation added an extra 1,000 square feet and included a modern kitchen and bathrooms. Earlier this year, the church closed its doors and the congregation merged with the nearby Albury Church. “The church is being sold by the congregation,” explains Slik. “While the church and the house have some deep-rooted shared history, it’s purely a coincidence that they’re being sold at the same time and that our firm was hired to offer both properties. It is a pretty unique situation; offering 359 years of combined Prince Edward County history in relatively the same place.

“Both buildings have strong and direct historical ties to the very same man that built one property and assisted to build the other, in the village that bears his family name.” Slik says, “It is really kind of eerie actually.” While both auctions will be held on October 5, they will be conducted separately.

Open houses for the Rednersville United Church are scheduled for 5 to 6 p.m., Wednesday, September 28. Open houses for the Redner family home are scheduled for 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the same day. Bids on both properties are due by 9 a.m., Wednesday, October 5.