Gatehouse of the Elsie Perrin Williams Estate

Gatehouse of the Elsie Perrin Williams Estate

Description
This picture-perfect cottage stands just inside the gated entrance to the Elsie Perrin Williams Estate at 137 Windermere Road.  It was for many years the home and office of the groundskeeper who looked after the magnificent grounds of the property, extending south from Windermere Road down to the Medway Creek and east toward Western Road.  It was reputedly designed by Elsie Perrin herself, daughter of the Perrin Biscuit manufacturer, when she was 15 years old. It was built around 1895, long before the Spanish Colonial estate house was erected on the property in 1918. 

Threats:
The gate house is owned by the City of London and has been vacant since Bill Rosborough, the last grounds and gatekeeper, lived out his life tenancy in 2017.  It is in stable condition and maintained by the City, which is quietly working to determine a better future for the building.  In its current condition, it would require some interior improvements, such as a new kitchen, to make it livable again.

Recommendations:
Possible uses for the gate house are a working studio for a photographer or other independent artisan such as a stained glass artist; a spa or retreat centre; or as office space for a business professional.  Its proximity to campus suggests an ideal residence for Western University’s rotating Writer in Residence program.