Finding a one-hundred-year-old golf ball hidden in the Keyhole House has led to the discovery of some fascinating golf history. During the dining room restoration, an ancient, brittle piece of canvas was peeled off the lath and plaster wall exposing a large hole. An unusual ball with the marking WHY NOT was found nestled in some old wallpaper in the cavity behind the wall. Research has confirmed that it is a vintage, mesh pattern, Henley WHY NOT golf ball (circa 1918). The WHY NOT brand was manufactured by Henley’s Tyre & Rubber Co Ltd of London, England, which was established in 1895.

A review of the deeds to the house indicates that the golf ball probably belonged to Reginald Edgar George Burroughs. Reginald was a prospector working for the Ontario Department of Lands and Forests at the time the ball was created. He lived at the Keyhole House from 1907 until 1923 with his wife Augusta and their two children, Nelson and Marion.