1440 Barkway Road
1440 Barkway Road
This property was registered to Faldien Metz on September 22, 1880.
The land was later sold to Diana Plewis and registered on May 1, 1888. There were other owners until Albert Taylor bought on December 21, 1959.
The original house (close to the present location) was built by Freeman Plewis, the son of James Plewis.
The barn was built by his son Leslie in a classic mortise and tenon construction with round wooden pegs holding the main joints together. Most of the beams are hemlock.
In the 1950’s the Plewis family often provided board for the local school teacher at Barkway.
Albert and Marguerite Taylor moved from Toronto and raised purebred Hereford beef cattle on this farm. Mrs. Taylor tended a large vegetable garden while Mr. Taylor was busy with his farm duties: ploughing, seeding, harvesting, and cutting wood for their large fireplace and kitchen woodstove. Albert was appointed to the South Muskoka Hospital Board. For two years he was a member of the advisory committee as well as participating in local farm meetings.
The property was later used to breed and raise prize-winning Limousin cattle after Mr. and Mrs. Taylor sold the farm to move into town. At that time the barn was renovated to include automated stall equipment in the stable.
The present owners purchased the farm in 1986, and continue to grow hay on the original fields. In 1988, 17,000. white pine seedlings were planted in various agriculturally unproductive areas under an Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources sponsored program of Managed Forests.
The barn abuts the Gartnersnake Creek (named after its shape), which is part of the Severn River watershed and downstream is a protected area for pickerel spawning in early spring.
This is private property without public access.