Like many Senneville properties, the house at 84 Senneville Road, built in 1900, has a dry stone wall running along the street. Many of these walls have deteriorated over time.
Leonard Chase, who bought the property in 1990, rebuilt the wall. He took as much care as when he restored the
house and ancillary buildings, which were in a deplorable state at the time of acquisition.
To redo the wall in 2022, Mr. Chase commissioned John Bland of Baie d’Urfé, a craftsman with a passion for stone.
Mr. Bland took six months to complete the 300-foot project. Unlike other similar projects, he used only the original stones, without trimming or cutting them – much like solving a puzzle.
Mr. Chase, who is an art director by day, compares his wall to a work of art. The lines are pure, the touch is soft, but the whole looks majestic and powerful.
Our heartfelt thanks to him for showing us the way. May many Sennevillians be inspired to preserve this aspect of our heritage in a similar manner.
