A beloved family home, art studio, and gallery
is set to go on the market after over 50 years.

Iconic Jarratt Property for Sale

Kerslake Pottery Studio in Jarrett, at the corner of Line 10 North and Horseshoe Valley Road, has just been put up for sale at the asking price of $1,195,000.

The four-bedroom, two-bath, 2600-square-foot home is on a one-acre lot and has a drive shed and barn studio/gallery as well.

“The older part of the house was built in the 1800’s,” said owner Heather Kerslake. “The front addition was built likely around 1910 and actually served as the post office and general store at the time.”

The Gothic style addition is similar in style to other additions in the area at the time, leading Kerslake to wonder if it was a cost-effective way to add extra room in that era.

“When we bought the house in 1972, we were told that the local schoolteacher rented the room above the store. Apparently, villagers would gather at the store to listen to the hockey game, and the teacher heard a lot of local gossip floating up through the floorboards!”

Roger and Heather Kerslake bought the property in 1972 when Roger, a UK-trained ceramic artist, accepted a position on the faculty of Georgian College.

“We bought it because it was what we could afford,” laughed Heather. “It was in really rough shape and needed a lot of work, but it had the barn, the land.”

She added, “When Roger said, what do you think, I said, oh my gosh of course!”

Over the decades the Kerslakes who work in ceramics, lived in the home, they added many custom touches to make the home theirs.

“We bought terra cotta tiles to do the floor in the kitchen, when they were all the rage,” said Heather. “They cost us $500, so when we came to do the floor in the sunroom, we decided to make our own. It was fun…a lot of work, but a lot of learning and opportunities for creativity!”

The pair also made the tiles that go up the back stairs, the smaller bathroom tiles, and the smaller tiles on the kitchen backsplash.  Heather also made a little roof tile for the back of the house, which is a potter throwing a pot.

The original owners ran the property as a farm, and had cows in the barn, and on the field behind the house. A while after the Kerslakes bought the property, the Ministry of Forestry “did a reforestation thing,” recounted Heather. “They were offering trees at one cent a tree!”

Roger and Heather bought 3000 trees! “Thank goodness for the Georgian College students, we had a burger and beer day and planted trees all up and down the rows made by tractor wheels in that field. That was a lot of trees!”

Over the years, the pair added kilns to the barn and fixed up the space above it to make a gallery. They held an open house to sell their work on Thanksgiving weekend, and when some Barrie artists decided they wanted to expand a Thanksgiving Studio Tour to Medonte, the Kerslakes were the first artists and location they reached out to. The pair were a favourite stop on the Images Thanksgiving Studio Tour until just a few years ago.

“I was so glad the Images organizers reached out to me this past year, so we could be in the tour one last time, again,” said Heather. “We have a lot of work to sell, and it was lovely to see everyone, and share the space with Xavier Fernandes, a local woodturner and friend. We had a really fun weekend.”

Unfortunately, Roger has been having some mobility issues, and it is time to sell this beautiful rural property.

“It’s really been amazing to live somewhere for so long, and to watch it transform into what it is today,” reflected Heather. “It’s a privilege. It’s a very special, creative spot. It’s our hope that it will go to people who value that creative energy, and the history of the house. We have been so lucky to be here.”

Kerslake Pottery Studio and Gallery at 3270 Line 10 North, Oro-Medonte, is for sale through Csumrik and Associates. You can find the listing here.