This is the earliest photo we have of the MacPherson house. We know that the MacPhersons took out three mortgages to upgrade the house. The result was a presentable Victorian building. But the house was unoccupied from the date of Cordelia MacPherson's death in 1993 until its purchase by the Marist Brothers in 1905. The taxi driver's advice to two Brothers who wished to visit the house was that it was occupied by the devil. "That's why we want to buy it!" they replied.

The annals of the Brothers indicate that the building was run down when they purchased it. However, it did house the grand piano used by Thomas MacPherson during the soirees held there.

The religious statue at the right of the building tells us that the Marist Brothers had improved the house, but tried to keep the facade facing the main road close to its original shape. The small blockhouse atop the section at the right was for a water tank to provide water for the occupants during busy times. The rear of the house shows a long addition.

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