HERITAGE PLANNING SECTION
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES COMMISION
In
1999, the Heritage Section won the OPPI Award
for Planning excellence for their work on the
Unionville Heritage District Plan.
The Heritage Planning Section, of the Town of Markham Development Services Commission, consisting of a Manager - Heritage Planning, Heritage Planner, Landscape Planner and Engineer co-ordinate and implement the Town’s activities and policies involving Heritage Conservation Districts, individual heritage sites and the Markham Heritage Estates Subdivision. The Heritage Section processes all development applications in heritage conservation districts. They also provide technical assistance to Heritage Markham (L.A.C.A.C.).
Heritage Section staff also perform a public outreach role. They provide assistance to both residential and commercial heritage property owners by answering questions concerning the Town’s heritage conservation policies and procedures, providing information on conservation or restoration techniques, and assisting property owners with applications for financial assistance from the Town of Markham Heritage Loan Fund.
Town of Markham Heritage Display
HERITAGE CONSERVATION DISTRICTS
 Colborne Street, Thornhill, February 2000 |
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The first heritage conservation district in Markham was the eastern half of the Village of Thornhill, and was created in 1986. Divided along Yonge Street in the 1970s by municipal amalgamation, the other half of Thornhill is located in the City of Vaughan. In order to provide consistent heritage guidelines community wide, the Thornhill district designation was completed in conjunction with Vaughan. Today, the heritage district is a major factor in providing a sense of community in Thornhill. |
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The history of the Thornhill community dates back to the 1790s, when Governor Simcoe advertised lots along Yonge Street. Eventually a village was established and named after local merchant, Benjamin Thorne. The village was the largest milling centre north of Toronto until the repeal of the British Corn Laws and the decision of the Simcoe railway to by-pass the village brought an end to its prosperity. As a result of these events, much of the architecture in Thornhill pre-dates the railway era. |
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| Colborne Street, February 2000 | ||
The district is characterised by one and a half storey Georgian frame cottages, with some early 20th Century Arts and Crafts cottages. There is a commercial area along Yonge Street. The character of the area is enhanced by mature trees along the streets and the abutting public valley-lands of the Don River . The highlight of the district is the quaint residential street of Colborne Street. Lined with picturesque vernacular cottages, picket fences and mature trees, a walk along this street can bring a sense of a step back in time to the 19th Century. |
 Thornhill Village Commercial Area, Yonge Street Former Grice General Store, built, c.1850s |
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As with all of Markham’s heritage districts, the drive to preserve Thornhill was very much a result of community-based efforts. Individuals, such as the late Canadian Architect Napier Simpson, who restored such buildings the Red Cottage and the Edy House, were driving forces in raising awareness of the community value of heritage conservation. The Thornhill community continues to celebrate its heritage each year when it hosts the annual Thornhill Village Festival, along Yonge Street and Colborne Street. |
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The Edy House, c.1845 (moved from Yonge Street Vaughn in 1966) |
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Markham Village Main Street, 1999 |
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| Markham
Village, designated in 1991, is Markham’s second heritage conservation district. As with Thornhill and Unionville, the district
encompasses the entire historic urban area of the village.
Since Markham Village was for many years the industrial and commercial centre of
the township, it is today one of the largest heritage conservation areas in Ontario.
The Henry R. Wales House, c.1845 |
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| The village was founded in the early 1820s near the Rouge River, as a small hamlet in the vicinity of a grist and saw mill, a tannery and an inn. The community was originally named Mannheim and Reesorville by the early German settlers; but by 1829, when a new post office was opened, the community was called Markham Village. With the coming of the railway in the 1870s, many new industries began to flourish. Among them was the Speight Wagon Works, one of the most successful manufacturers of its type before the advent of the automobile. |  |
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The Speight Wagon Works, c.1914 |
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The focal point of the heritage district is Markham’s Main Street, which is lined with historic commercial buildings and homes from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The District also includes the former communities of Vinegar Hill, located on the south bank of the Rouge River, and the former incorporated village of Mount Joy, located to the north of the Railway Station. |
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| Main Street Markham North, 1995 | ||
| Immortalised in numerous paintings, the most famous home in Markham Village is the Wedding Cake House. This was once the home of James Speight, the owner of the carriage works. This building is individually designated within the district and is also protected by a Heritage Conservation Easement. |
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The Wedding Cake House, Main Street, built c.1871 |
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Away from the Main Street, the Markham Village Heritage District also contains a number of quiet and attractive heritage residential areas, such as this one on Church Street. Conservation and new development in the heritage area is guided by the District Plan.
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| Houses on Church Street, Markham Village, 1999 | ||
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Unionvillle Main Street, July 1998 |
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| The most
recently designated heritage district in Markham is Unionville, which was created in 1998. Famed for its picturesque, winding village Main
Street, and its well-preserved collection of late 19th and early 20th
Century residential and commercial buildings, Unionville has now become a major Greater
Toronto Area (G.T.A.) tourist attraction.
Unionville Heritage District Continued… |
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The history of Unionville dates back to the late 1700s, when the area at the centre of Markham Township became a meeting place for the Berczy Settlers. Later with the establishment of the Grist Mill, known as Union Mills in 1841 and the arrival of the railway in 1871, Unionville became a service centre for the surrounding rural community. Much of the architecture from the mid-to-late 19th Century survives in Unionville to this day, and has earned the community a reputation as one of the preservation jewels of the GTA. |
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Unionville Main Street, 1900 |
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 Unionville Festival, 1999 |
The plan to widen the main street was abandoned, and in the early 1980s a bypass was built around the village, guaranteeing its long-term preservation. The Unionville Festival continues today as a celebration of the rich heritage of this community and a reminder of why heritage preservation is so important from both cultural and economic perspective. The Unionville Heritage District covers the entire former Police Village. As a result, there are a variety of styles and types of residential, commercial and institutional buildings to be found in the community.
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| The preservation of the community is very much a result of community participation. It all began in the 1960s when the then County of York Government proposed to expand the width of the street to four lanes. Fearing that this would destroy Unionville’s unique character, the community rallied and established the Unionville Festival in protest; to raise awareness of its unique heritage character |  |
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Unionville Main Street, Decorated for the Christmas Season, 1996
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Buttonville Study Area
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Woodbine Avenue, Buttonville, February 2000 |
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In addition to three heritage districts, the Town of Markham also has a heritage district study area comprising all of the hamlet of Buttonville. The Town is currently in the process of studying this area for full heritage conservation district status. As a district study area, the Town continues to review all development applications in Buttonville for conformity with the heritage character of the area.
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Former S.S. #5, Buttonville, now the York Regional School Board Heritage Schoolhouse, built c.1872 |
Map of Buttonville, Heritage Study Area |
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