B E A U T Y R E S T O R E D : Tillsonburg’s newest bed and breakfast is a labour of love SEVEN GABLES
W hen a local realtor called Tillsonburg businessman Ed McLaughlin and told him he had a property he wanted him to see, he never dreamed it would be a run- down old house on Oxford Street. After all, he and brother Ewart are best known for investing in com- mercial and industrial warehous- ing through E & E McLaughlin Ltd. Nevertheless, he obliged and before long, he was on the phone asking his wife Maureen, to join him.
“The first time we walked through Seven Gables, it was pretty dark and dreary,” she says. “But at the same time, I could see the incredible po- tential. The woodwork, the leaded windows and the surrounding property were spectacular. Knowing what Ed had done with other heri- tage properties, I couldn’t help but get excited.” The people of Tillsonburg mean- while, were nervous. When a for sale sign—and then a sold sign
—appeared on the lawn of 64 Oxford Street, rumours began to fly. Long-time citizens worried that the Edwardian-era home built by E.V. Tillson (grandson of found- er George Tillson) might face the wrecking ball. Others speculated the new owners would opt to chop the three-story home into apartments or offices. Then there were those who used the occasion to reminisce about the good old days, wondering aloud what would happen to the home’s
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