‘Out of this world’: Aberdeen Avenue mansion hits the market for the first time since 1950s

Eccentric woodwork. Ornate stained glass. A mirrored washroom that resembles the work of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.

Those are just some of the things you might notice on a walk-through of 276 Aberdeen Ave. - but you'd likely have to venture through it at least two more times to really soak it all in.

The yellow brick mansion, constructed in the mid-1910s, is situated on less than half an acre of property nestled between Locke and Kent streets.

It was designed by William Palmer Witton, who was born in Hamilton in 1871 and worked in the city as an architect for half a century, and built for Colonel Walter Bruce.

It's among the hundreds of buildings across the city that Witton had a hand in designing - some of which are still here. Those include 6 Ravenscliffe Ave., the Herkimer Apartments, the Playhouse Theatre, St. Giles United Church.

The mansion is one of the most recent properties to hit the Hamilton real estate market - and only for the first time since the 1950s, according to listing agent Zena Dalton.

This home has character that I've never seen in the other houses," said Dalton, who's been a real estate agent in Hamilton for three decades.

Listed for $2.1 million, the home spans more than 6,000 square feet of living space, which includes nine bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a sun room and an eat-in kitchen.

At the front door, you're greeted by stained glass that reads Fuimus," the Latin motto of the Bruce clan that translates to we have been."

On the main level, there are two ornamental fireplaces, one of which is housed in a double parlour featuring hand-carved and colourful ceiling arches.

There are built-ins throughout the home, extensive stained glass and a window in the kitchen that resembles a miniature greenhouse.

When you reach the second floor, the home almost becomes mazelike, with each room seemingly interconnected by a winding hallway. It's not hard to get lost, or turned around.

Each of the bedrooms come with their own dressing rooms, but since it's no longer the 1900s, they're also being listed as bedrooms, said Dalton.

For folks viewing the home, the coach house has drawn the most interest, she added.

Its exterior, complete with wrought iron trim and leaded windows, is shielded by a thick layer of foliage that makes it hard to see the front door. There once was a U-shaped driveway on the property, but it's since grown over.

Once you step inside, you step back in time to the 60s.

The walls and floor are carpeted. The living area is dominated by a sunken living room that circles around a brick fireplace. There are brass railings and the kitchen appliances are olive green.

Dalton said it's hard to know what kind of buyer will make a pitch for the property. It could be someone looking for an intergenerational home or an investor looking for an income property as there are apartments on the third floor.

It's going to be a different kind of buyer," she said. There isn't another house for sale like this."

The home needs some work and it's listed as such, said Dalton. The roof requires repairs, the carpeted walls in the coach house are dated and both buildings are in need of updates.

But if someone can see it as a blank canvas," it could be given a new lease on life, she said.

I think this house could be absolutely stunning, something out of this world really," Dalton added. It's a diamond in the rough."

Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: fhewitt@thespec.com