Even though Halloween has just passed, it still feels like a perfect time to share another ghost story.

One that stands out is the tale of the Bird family of Bracebridge, Ontario, and the mysterious history of Woodchester Villa. A house known for both its striking architecture and its lingering ghostly rumours.

In April of 2024, my mother and I took a trip to Bracebridge to explore this unique historic site. It was Easter weekend and our first road trip of the season. The Spring thaw had come early, but spring itself hadn’t quite arrived yet. The trees were bare, and the grass was still brown, giving the whole day an autumn feel.

It was fitting, since we were there to visit ghosts.

Woodchester Villa. Bracebridge ON ©2024

Henry James Bird

Built in 1882, Woodchester Villa was the dream home of Henry James Bird, a successful wool mill owner who made his mark in Bracebridge, Ontario.¹ Henry was born on January 3, 1842, in Woodchester, England, the youngest of eleven children.² He learned the wool trade in his home country before spending time in Australia and the United States, eventually settling in Canada in 1867.²

Before finding his footing in Bracebridge, Henry worked for the Rosamond Woollen Company in Lanark County.² A few years later, he bought a mill in Glen Allan, but after a terrible flood damaged the property, he decided it was time for a change.² Tragically, before he could make the move north, his first wife, Sarah Jane Fraser, and their two young children died of tuberculosis.² In 1872, Henry moved to Bracebridge, where he opened the Bird Woollen Mill beside the falls.²

Henry quickly became a respected businessman and community leader. He served on the town council and helped bring new public utilities to the growing town, including its first water and fire protection systems.² His success and civic pride eventually led him to build his grand home, naming it “Woodchester” after the village where his story began.²

Woodchester Villa

Although Woodchester Villa was ahead of its time, it’s also long been tied to strange happenings that add to its eerie charm. The house was closed during our visit, but we spent plenty of time admiring its design and reading the educational panels scattered around the property. They helped us picture what life might have been like for the Bird family living within those walls.

I wandered around the grounds with my camera, hoping to catch a flicker of movement from inside. We didn’t see any spirits, but the landscape itself felt charged, as if the past still lingered quietly on that secluded hilltop.

Woodchester Villa is one of Ontario’s finest examples of an Octagonal house.¹ The eight-sided design was inspired by Orson Squire Fowler, an American phrenologist and author who believed octagon homes were healthier and more efficient than traditional square houses.¹ Bird fully embraced this philosophy, creating a three-storey home that blended innovation with comfort.²

Inside, the villa featured some impressive amenities for the late 1800s, like indoor plumbing supplied by rainwater tanks on the second floor, a ventilation system that circulated air throughout the house, and even electric lighting, which was rare for the time.²

Woodchester Villa. Bracebridge ON ©2024

For all its beauty and history, Woodchester Villa has a reputation for being one of the most haunted spots in Bracebridge. Behind its restored walls, many believe something otherworldly lingers.³

Stories tell of a spectral woman and two ghostly children who seem to wander the rooms.³ Visitors and staff have reported hearing the soft cries of a baby, the quick steps of little feet on the upper floors, and the faint sound of a woman’s voice singing somewhere in the distance.³ Cold spots are often felt throughout the house, especially near the basement stairs. Some have also described the air growing so cold they could see their breath, even in the middle of summer.³

While no one can say for sure who these spirits are, many believe the ghostly woman could be Henry Bird’s first wife, Sarah Jane, accompanied by their two young children.³ All three died of tuberculosis before Henry moved to Bracebridge. Perhaps, as Andrew Hind suggests in Muskoka’s Most Haunted 2, their sudden, tragic deaths left them unable to rest, and they followed Bird north to the home he would later build.³

The idea is both eerie and oddly touching. If the spirits truly belong to Henry’s lost family, Woodchester may represent the life they were meant to share, their love quietly echoing through the halls, long after death.

Bracebridge United Cemetery

After exploring the villa grounds, we visited the nearby Bracebridge United Cemetery, where Henry James Bird and his family are buried.

After some searching, we found the graves of Henry, his second wife Mary Matilda Bird, and several of their children, including Margaret Elizabeth and Catherine.

The cemetery was quiet and calm, yet the connection between the villa and the family’s final resting place added an eerie layer to our visit. Standing at Henry’s grave, I felt surrounded by history and maybe something more. Whether it’s the family’s hardships or the strange energy tied to their home, the Bird story seems to linger beyond the grave.

Bracebridge United Cemetery, Bracebridge ON ©2024

The Bird family’s story and their haunted home remind us how easily history and mystery can intertwine. Whether or not you believe in ghosts, there’s something about Woodchester Villa that still feels alive with the past.

For anyone interested in cemetery tourism or dark local history, this hauntingly beautiful site is well worth the visit.

Thanks for reading!

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References:

1. Woodchester Villa, Bracebridge | Ontario Heritage Trust
2. Woodchester History | Bracebridge The heart of Muskoka
3. Muskoka’s Most Haunted 2 by Andrew Hind | Book