The Keefer Mansion has a history of ever-changing functions and currently, it awaits its next incarnation.
Built in 1885 by Hugh Keefer, it is a significant historic structure and its story can be found on the Keefer Developments Website.
The latest chapter began in 1999 when then owner Basil Griffis closed Maplehurst, the long-term care facility operating in the mansion. When he was unable to sell the property, he applied for a demolition permit.
Recognizing the immense heritage loss its destruction would bring, Thorold's city council of the day stepped in, blocking the demolition and purchasing the property.
In 2002, Thorold entered into an agreement with entrepreneur Phil Ritchie to restore the building to its original condition in exchange for a 30-year lease and small rental fee. Tied to that development was the revitalization of the former Provincial Paper property and another historic restoration project - the Welland Mills.
Second only to the Keefer Mansion in stature is the Welland Mills, which was built by Hugh Keefer's brother, Jacob Keefer. In 2001, Ritchie founded Keefer Developments and undertook those monumental tasks.
Once completed, Ritchie began operating a fine dining restaurant and inn at the Keefer Mansion as the lessee. The Book Depot took over the Provincial Paper buildings and Ritchie continued to own the Welland Mills, which houses office and residential spaces.
After 10 years, the businesses operating at the Keefer Mansion ceased.
In an interview with ThoroldNews, Phil Ritchie, president of Keefer Developments, described the current situation there.
"We've closed the full-time aspect of it. We've stopped running the full time B&B, restaurant and inn. Quite frankly, it was too expensive to run and there wasn't enough revenue so we had to shift gears," he stated.
He said that special events are still possible, and that interested parties could contact Keefer Developments for use of the facility.
"They would have to use a caterer but the kitchen would be available to them," he added.
Ritchie said they have pursued opportunities in renting out the mansion as a movie set and that has resulted in one episode of Murdoch Mysteries being filmed there last fall.
As for further efforts to operate a restaurant or brew house there, Ritchie says he feels there are many obstacles he hadn’t foreseen in the beginning.
“You're talking to a wiser man now,” he laughed. “We spent 10 years there in the hospitality business.”
For starters, the useable space is too small, he argued.
“The problem is the house is very deceiving. When you see it on the hill, it looks like a massive structure. First, the walls are about a foot thick. On the ground floor there is a double parlour, a small bar, a kitchen, a dining room that is large for a home, but small for a restaurant. On the second floor there are four bedrooms and two small office spaces. The third floor is economically unusable for business. The steep staircase is original and we were unable to get people to stay up there. There’s no elevator and there’s limited handicapped accessibility,” he explained.
Ritchie said that to expand the facilities would require a substantial capital investment.
He is, however, open to ideas to open new businesses here but stressed the right tenant must be found.
“We have had other restaurant operators look at it, but they also felt it was too small,” he revealed.
He continued, “Plus, the building is important to us. We went a long way to make sure to maintain the original layout, woodwork, structures, pocket doors and glass windows. You would have to make sure that whoever went in there would respect that. Not every business would do that. So we would be pretty fussy as to who uses the building. A lot of it is irreplaceable.”
“Parking is also an issue. There are only about 23 spaces. And people wouldn’t use the city parking lot below and walk up. A few would in the summer but not in the winter. You would need a steady occupancy rate of about 40 per cent to make it viable as an inn,” he explained.
For his part, Mayor Terry Ugulini said he would welcome the opportunity to work with Keefer Developments to establish a new business at the mansion.
“We gave it a good try. Business wasn't supported. We had some awesome events there and a lot of people who loved what we did, but it just was wasn’t enough,” Ritchie lamented.
Add to these hurdles the fact that the dining landscape around Thorold has changed.
“Dining has become very competitive. The Keg wasn’t there; Johnny Rocco’s wasn’t there and food costs have gone up a lot,” he noted. “The restaurant business is a tough nut to crack.”
“It has been the biggest challenge of my life,” he revealed.
But Ritchie said the heritage aspect and the considerable efforts to save the building and restore it should not be forgotten.
“We still work at maintaining the house in terms of the heritage components. It's an important property to our company - Keefer Developments - because of its heritage and connection to the Keefer families and its connection to the Welland Mills. I view that as another important Keefer stewardship.”
“We spent a fortune on that building and a lot of my years. I had a passion for restoration. I believe that Thorold’s history is so important, rich and significant,” he said.
In fact, Ritchie revealed that his investment in the home was "over seven figures."
But he hasn’t forgotten the efforts of volunteers at the time.
"People like Pam Minns and the conservancy group were so passionate about restoration, it was infectious.”
And he remembers others who pitched in.
“Alun (Hughes) had such a personality and was a smart guy. Paul Stevens and his wife were there almost every day, and he was about 85 at the time,” he recalled.
“The volunteers were a great help at the time, stripping wood, polishing hardware and cleaning up; but volunteers don’t write cheques for windows, furnaces and repairs,” he pointed out.
Keefer Developments has since taken on the task of revitalizing the old, original downtown area of Niagara Falls.
But Ritchie remains impressed by Thorold’s attitude toward heritage, saying, “In Niagara Falls, the passion for restoration and preservation is enormously different than it is in Thorold. Pound for pound, Thorold has more designated structures, more people that rally around and care about its history than Niagara Falls will ever have,” he stated.
“But the problem with heritage is, who’s going to pay for it?” he asked.
“We took on that expense. The Keefer House has been restored. It’s not going to fall down anytime soon. This chapter is the best it’s ever been looked after since it was built.”
Currently he's living there and using some of the office space.
The City will eventually reap the benefits of the historic preservation when the lease expires. There are debates over its cost to the City.
But Ritchie argued otherwise.
He recounted how John Hultink, owner of the Book Depot warehouse, described how projects progress through various stages, from A to D.
“John told me, ‘It’s a basic human failing that when somebody gets to D, they forget how hard it was to get from A, to B to C and just figure they were always at D.’ I’ve never forgotten that,” said Ritchie, “because people have forgotten how those buildings looked 16 years ago. If the City tried to do what I did, the math would have never worked."
