This property has been SOLD.

To Settle the Estate of Roy Stevens

For over 50 years Stevens Furniture has been a part of the Waupoos community. Roy Stevens was known far and wide as an artist, inventor, craftsman and local historian. The variety and artistry of work that was produced in his shop/studio was museum quality. Perhaps his best work is the salvation and reconstruction of the Hayes Tavern. Along with his wife Margaret, they saved, restored and created a Prince Edward County landmark.

An 1838, fully restored home located in Waupoos Ontario, the heart of the Prince Edward County wine region. This stunning, 3 bedroom, 1 ½ bath, 2,200 +/- sq. ft. Greek revival home is of timber frame post and beam bent construction and was originally constructed in Consecon, Ontario, some 45 kilometers away, but still on the large island of Prince Edward County. Built in 1838 for Richard Hayes, the home was used as the Hayes Tavern and Inn, which is historically referred to and known. An addition was later added and the Inn became Porters Hotel. The building fell abandoned over time after 1920 when this and many Ontario communities voted for the “dry” option virtually putting the Tavern and Inn out of business. It was in 1966 the visionary Roy Stevens sought after and was given the rights to the building. He saved it and moved it to its current hilltop location at the entrance limit into Waupoos, Ontario.

The original portion of the inn, built as Hayes Tavern, has been the Stevens’ home in Waupoos since 1966. It was dismantled carefully by measuring, drawing and numbering each individual piece like a massive 3 dimensional puzzle. There was no computer assistance available at the time of the project. The puzzle sat in neatly numbered pieces at the Waupoos site until 1973 when Roy Stevens began rebuilding the Hayes Tavern to painstaking exacting detail. The floors in the 2nd floor bathroom have never been painted, exposing the numbering system used by Roy. This detail is evident throughout the home including in Roy’s handmade plaster molds which were used to reproduce the original ceiling moldings, cornices and rain gutter water heads from historical precedent. The exterior paneled cornices, 3” thick interior doors, original baseboards and trim, flooring, a front door with intricate fan light and side light windows and décor to match the era are just some of the features in this house. Some of the most unique features are the 16 original oil on board landscape paintings inlaid into the wainscoting in the parlour/dining room. The 16 original paintings were saved, cleaned, stored and replaced during the finishing stages of the parlour.

Roy continued his passionate lifetime journey of restoring the home until his recent death in May of 2008. Roy and Margret Stevens have occupied this plot of land in Waupoos for 50 years and raised 3 children on this site. The original family home, before and during the re-construction of Hayes Tavern, is still on site and has been used since 1983 as a studio and workshop. This building was the family home and the home of Stevens Furniture from 1958 to 1983. This unique space contains living quarters with a massive fieldstone fireplace, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, storage areas and a spacious workshop with an attic loft above. There is also an attached garage. This space could have many potential uses to a new owner. Stevens Furniture operated uninterrupted in this location from 1958 to 2008.

 Please take the time to visit the different sections of this web site and read the many book articles, news stories and clippings. Please also view the historic and recent photos of this property, including photos of the neighbourhood working bees that began as Roy, family and friends erected the house. The story of this house and of Roy Stevens offers a remarkable inspiration to anyone who has ever been told that you can do anything if you put your mind to it.

This property will be offered for sale by public auction with a minimum opening bid of $250,000. The contents of the home will also be sold by public auction on the same day as the house. The contents include a 50 year collection of antiques and other collectibles, art, woodworking tools, Margaret’s car, some of Margaret’s art, a few of Roy’s inventions and Stevens family memorabilia. Most of the items were collected from inside Prince Edward County. There will be no opportunity to view the contents in person until auction day. Some photos of the contents are available for viewing on this web site now to give you a sense of the sale. A more detailed listing will be available the week of the auction.

Real Estate Open House: Saturday, September 13 and 20 from 11 am to noon.

Real Estate Auction: Saturday, September 27 at 10 am, on site

House Contents Auction: Saturday, September 27, immediately following the sale of the real estate. There will no opportunity for in person viewing of the contents of the home until 8:30 am the day of the auction.

Please click here to view the House Contents Auction page

If you are interested in purchasing another historical property, please click HERE to read about a historically designated home in Bath, Ontario.