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Abandoned Cat Lady House
Arson House in Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Jun 26 2012
| Recent status | Arson |
| Location # | 4972 |
The Cat Lady’s life
This was the home of Flora Fern Noak Miller. Flora was born in 1909 to Guy I.S. Miller and Laura Miller (nee Noak). The family most likely lived in Middlesex, Vermont. Flora had three other siblings, brothers Herbert and Irving and sister Grace. Her family moved to Quebec in 1914.
Flora married Simon Ernest McCullough in 1934.
Around 1970 Flora moved to Walker's Line and had a home constructed on her property. Now retired, she operated a hobby farm in which she raised horses, ducks, and geese. By this time Flora was a senior citizen and sought assistance from the neighbors to clean the barn and to feed the animals. Some of the neighbors owned the horses that resided on the property.
Flora sought to build a second house on the property that was closer to the main road so that she wouldn't be snowed in during the winter. The old house would be given to a younger couple who would assist in the upkeep of the property which was slowly deteriorating.
Flora died in 1999 at the age of 90.
Cathouse after flora
The house had several items around the house, from television to photographs, and letters written to loved ones, The house was home to a lot of cats, as the house had a lot of cat pee, fur, as well as many cat-themed items, from toys, statues as well as posters and paintings of cat.
The house looked pretty and personal, the cat lady sure seemed like a lovely person that decorated her house in a way an artist paints the canvas, some might consider it old-fashioned, but maybe that’s how cat lady flora was.
Fire at abandoned Cat Lady House
As time passed, The house grew popular among the local people, and with no one to preserve the property, it was vandalized, and some used it as a property residing, several items from around the house were stolen, walls were scrapped. Around 2016 or so, there was a fire, most possibly an arson that caused the whole house to collapse, the cat lady house is no more.
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No Word of A Lie. I'm really emotional looking at this location. Just so sad! Also, I fear I may be a future Flora...
This make me sad. What a beautiful house this must have been in it's prime. Fern seems like a lovely lady.
I'm so upset about this. I was literally just planning a road trip to this area to see this house in the next couple weeks. Why are people so violent and terrible?
Cat Lady house burned down. http://www.680news.com/2016/02/02/fire-rips-through-abandoned-burlington-home-barn-saved/
I need to stop waiting so long visit places. F****** C********* taggers and vandals.
Went back again. The place has been covered in graffiti and the sun room has started to colapse.
The unfortunate reality of sharing this hobby with others. But wouldn't be half as enjoyable without the sharing, IMHO. So we bite the bullet.
Yea I didn't see them either, the last gallery that has them is dated May 2013, so I guess they were taken sometime after that.
Superss - Are the wheelchairs gone now? I swore I saw them in someone else's gallery
[deleted]
•11 years ago
[deleted]
It appears the one that was contesting the Will was Fern's daughter, who she had given up when only a few months old. Fern sought her out in 1988 & they met in 1990. Fern moved out to BC to be with her in 1991 but returned after only a few months because she wasn't bonding with her daughter or her Grandchildren. Fern felt that they weren't really interested in getting to know her.
Found this kinda neat old photocopy from 1982 paper. Wonder what kind of stuff Fern was selling back then. (look in Garage Sale Section) http://images.ourontario.ca/Partners/MPL/MPL002500549pf_0698.pdf
I can't read all the location comments, but I'm guessing an issue with location leaking is occurring. Just wanted to add in a thought. Growing up in the Halton Region and my Father working for the Board, they pretty much only hire students to maintain properties. This makes me wonder if maybe in discussion with peers they disclose it without even realizing which leads to vandals making their way
It's also the trickle down effect. Moving beyond the original explorer, loose lips blah blah. Only takes one person in a given circle to breech the barrier so to speak to those with other intentions. Friends of friends of friends and the location will be sunk. One wants to share, but like with any information, two with knowledge can be one too many. Alas.
Sad how much has changed since i was here in March. From no graffiti, to tagging everywhere.
To Riddim's point though, who has posted it's coordinates elsewhere? As far as I know this is the only place where it's actual location has been published - am I wrong?
Seeing all the tagging leads me to believe there's a leak or taggers with FM access. Not a place you'd just stumble upon while out tagging.
In the last two years, just think what a persona this woman has been for Ontario explorers. I feel like I have shared in her life so much and if anyone says "cat lady" here or on other sites, it is incredible. Everyone knows her.
I don't have words to describe how sad this is. I have yet to visit, but I'll be making a trip out soon. DIIV, let's go together. This place is a bit creepy.
Just noticed all the pictures on the fireplace weren't there in phrenzee's album a year ago. Same goes for the wheel chairs. Someone tried to "creep" this place up a bit.
this house really shook me up. just her things were every where. cane at the door ,wheel chair at the t.v. working music boxes, how to cope with illness abd surgery books on the kitchen floor. i have never felt so bad for somone. all the calendars still say augest 2000 . even the sticky notes of phone numbers and stuff were still on yhe lamp . i really cant get over this house
this.place has gone downhill over the past few years. its been trashed and a lot of value has been stolen
this.place has gone downhill over the past few years. its been trashed and a lot of value has been stolen
Def a mystery! Even sadder is judging from the unclean cat litter and such I think the cat was left behind to die after the owner died. That's just cruel.
"How is this left?" I was completely baffled too Rejex... Much like many of the places we have discovered on here...
did anyonbe else notice the dead skelton cat on the floor of this place? .. i made this an adult content location.
Went to this house and it is AWESOME. I dont know if anyone noticed but if you stand in the middle of the green room you will ecco but the others around you wont hear it. (I forget the scientific term for it)
Halton Explorers thanks for the historic detail on this place, I've been meaning to get back in just to see it and see what it's condition is.
Ferndale farms.... I have known about this place for years! The story goes as fallows, there was apparently two wills, one says its left to the family and the other one says to the conservation. I Use to work for Conservation Halton over 4 years ago and we use to maintain the driveway in the winter months for emergency services. I am unsure if they have every come to an agreement.
What an amazing looking home. I lived in Burlington for a long time and my school bus went right past this house, I never would have guessed it was empty. Does anyone know if it's still boarded up? I'd love to try and get in there to take some pictures.
Locked up tight now, can access the glass room surrounding the house but every door to the house themselves are locked
Went there today with my mom, finally got to explore the whole house. I took my mom because this place reminds me of my grandmothers how's a lot, and my mom notice too before I even said anything, the fake flowers and the organized hoarding of family stuff I felt like I was at my omi's mouse
Nice pictures OAP, I happy that the place looks unchange. I plan on visiting this place some time soon again, hope what ever animal was there that scared me off won't be there next time
what a shame. Surely this was a beautiful house at one time. breaks my heart to see the difference between when RandR went and Codi. Some people are so incredibly disrespectful, damn scrappers!
I'm glad you got in codi, great pics thanks for sharing them and your experience.
I saw that in my research too..but I purposely didn't post that pic of her for fear that it would give away the location. I guess that didn't matter because the wrong person found the place out.
Then it's gone. I'll be posting soon when I can find the bloody time which seems like never right now. You'll see where it was for sure.
I drove up the whole thing I park right next to the house. My car the only one on the property
The big boat of a car was in cut grass in clear view as you approached up the driveway. I think there was another one off to the left a bit into the field.
i could be wrong from the look of it was the car about perpentular to the garage or was it in the field near the shed. i didn't go up there as it didn't seem intresting and there was a concrete pad right by the garage so i assumed that was where the car was.
The car is gone too? It was there just last Tuesday! Huh, seems this place is on a fast decline. RnR noticed some changes in the small time in between his visits.
the lawn mower is gone the car is gone. and the place was a mess. i heard some russling upstairs so i didn't venture up there. but its like night and day from R&R and Phrenzees pictures vs mine. like a bomb exploded...
I was there not even a week ago. When I get around to posting we can see if there is a difference in the level of mess and whatnot. In codi's pics there does seem to be new vandalism.
I know Dallas, it's pretty concerning...or its coincidence. I really don't think any of my descriptions of the place gave its location away, nor do I think the few people who I gave the location address to had anything to do with it....unfortunately this is a part of dealing with what we do :(
I wish they had taken the damned cat hair and barf and other cat waste products with them. I came out half covered in cat hair!
Cool cremation certificate Phrenzee! There must be so much more waiting to be discovered here with each person's explore. A different drawer, a different envelope opened. Seems like an exciting place.
I do think they were using the newspaper to wrap whatever items they were taking. Given the state of the place and the many personal items that were still there, combined with the cardboard boxes we found, newspapers and what I noticed to be gone..it was no doubt scrapped. And look at Phrenzee's pics..the light fixtures were there, and yesterday they were gone.
Yup, and the newspaper from June 2012 was just a tad odd, eh RnR? Maybe the scrappers took a break to catch up on the news.
Guys, what Adriana saw was scrappers - while someone is indeed tending the lawn here, this place is definitely abandoned and just left to rot. I went yesterday and everything is still there, except the sink, light fixtures etc.
We went here to explore today, got up the driveway, and noticed a white pick up moving in the grass around the back where the garage is. We turned around and got out there. As we were driving down the road and looked back, we saw that a trailer was hitched on the back of the truck. Not sure if it's the owners clearing out....or someone else there clearing out, stealing!
Man, any kid growing up in that place would have some serious issues! Nice find.
Holy nauseating wallpaper !, man that is wicked sick. Probably the reason for the cat vomit . Good perseverance Freak.
Thanks PCB and everyone else. This place gave me a serious explore hangover, I came home mentally exhausted, I had a whole day of exploring planned but after this one..I knew that no other explore would top that place, so I called it a day and retired home for Jack & Coke's and a Son's of Anarchy marathon whilst writing up my post and editing my pics.
My 2nd time through your gallery and I can't help but feel that there is so much life in this place. The personalized cards, the sketch pad; I would love to see every page of that book. This is a true gem of a location. Looks like this place would take an overnight trip with a sleeping bag to truly take it all in.
3 years ago
My husband is from the area of Burlington. He went here when it was “freshly” abandoned. He has no photos but he told me everything was in pretty great condition. Too bad arson got at this. One bad apple turns things into crap I swear.