Cornwall_2016_10_19

One last tour in McMaze’s haunted house

The haunted house was built in the 1920’s and was left vacant by the Campbell family. “They left everything in it, even the saucers and cups,” recalls Stephen McDonald. — photo Francis Racine

FRANCIS RACINE Francis.Racine@eap.on.ca

the man expertly makes his way through several obstacles and ditches, before reach- ing a big, empty field. Standing tall as it has for the past hundred years or so, is the haunted house. Made of old timber and with tin shingles, a commodity for that time, the Campbell farmhouse has stood partly empty since the mid 1960s. It’s surrounded by trees and generates an aura of mystery. To its side is an entrance to the house’s basement. “My father knows a lot about it, but I don’t,” said Sandy. “It’s before my time.” But before he can enter the house, he comes across twomen, hard at work taking apart a different house.They’re Steven Jupe and Shawn Kisielius and they both represent Canadian Barn Hunters . Together, they dis- assemble older buildings and use the same material to rebuild houses. The duo is working on a house that even

It’s obvious, by the many attractions at McMaze, that the McDonald family worked hard over the past 16 years. The many corn mazes and well decorated trails abound on the family farm, located just outside of St. Andrews. Although most of the attractions are geared to families, one venue, abandoned for now a couple of years, was anything but welcoming. Far away on the McDonald’s property, stands an old abandoned building that used to entertain hundreds of visitors every year. “Our old haunted house is go- ing to be demolished,” expressed Sandy McDonald, whose idea at 14 years old spawned McMaze. “I’ll go show you what it looks like.” Aboard a small four wheeler likemachine,

The house was converted into a haunted house by the McDonald family and was quite popular, before it was shut down some years back. — photo Francis Racine

predates the haunted house. “This here was built in the 1820s” said Jupe, while standing near a colossal piece of carved timber. “Can you imagine that there’s not one piece of metal in this house?” The structure was abandoned after the family built what would become the haunted house. “It was constructed the old fashioned way,” explained Kisielius. “They would cut

them all and shape them all in a way that they could all fit together.” The roof, having long ago collapsed, de- stroyed the floor as well, which led to some interesting discoveries. “I’m thinking that they got here in the fall,” said Jupe. “Because it seems they built it fast. It wasn’t even. As you can see there, they added rocks under their foundation to try to even it out.” After they conclude disassembling it,

Le Journal, Cornwall

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Le mercredi 19 octobre 2016

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