One of Toronto's most famously weird houses has been demolished
Fears that one of Toronto’s most peculiar homes was set to be bulldozed have been confirmed, as passersby have started to notice that the extravagant landmark is now being razed, bit by bit.
Locals are already mourning the loss of what was deemed the city’s “castle house,” a fairly compact but architecturally grand residence near St. Clair and Victoria Park avenues in Scarborough.
Bolster Ave Folly has been knocked down.
byu/TorontoBoris intoronto
The strange structure looks like something out of a different place and time, comprising a confusing jumble of ornate domes, turrets, parapets, statues, cornices, and other features caked in white plaster.
Around for some 50 years but abandoned and boarded up for the last few, some may know the building and its borderline offensive appearance as the Bolster Avenue Folly, though it technically sits at 110 Maybourne Avenue.
Or it did, until demolition began last month.
Toronto’s bizarre castle house could soon be demolished by new owners https://t.co/aOxitPZMJM #Toronto #TorontoRealEstate #RealEstate
— blogTO (@blogTO) November 15, 2021
Photos shared to social media on December 27 show a fence lining the perimeter of the corner lot, with only a small part of the house’s recognizable facade still holding on for dear life after the rest was reduced to rubble.
An excavator parked on the property spells out the final fate of the remainder of the crumbling edifice, which was purchased by a builder for $760,000 in 2018.
Bolster Ave folly. Odd collection of plaster & facade masquerading as a house near Pharmacy & St. Clair.
Now abandoned & awaiting demolition. I remember this place as a kid, used to ride my bike with friends to just stare at it.#Scarborough #Toronto #ArchtectureTO #AbandonedTO pic.twitter.com/0HvS9XGR75— Toronto Boris (@TorontoBoris) November 27, 2023
The 1970s bungalow was reimagined over the years by its longtime owner, Max Heiduczek, and included interiors as eccentric as its eye-catching exterior, with split levels, bright red and green carpeting, and an indoor pool, as well as archways, wallpaper and murals galore.
The realtor who sold the property to its current owner told CTV News at the time that it was “uninhabitable” and rife with water damage, mould, and caving ceilings.
After he let the place go, Heiduczek, in his ’80s, relocated to a retirement residence — hopefully somewhere far enough that he won’t have to see his never-finished dream home lost to the sands of time.