HomeMy WebLinkAbout433"Article copied from the News Advertiser, Friday, February 19, 1999, written by
Marianne Takacs.
'No way to save' Pickering century building
Piece of history is now history
PICKERING — The community lost another piece of its history this week,
but everybody seems to agree it couldn't be helped.
The 150-year-old coach house next to Dunbar House on Dunbarton Road was
demolished Monday to make way for new homes. The remaining old residence
and the coach house, which is believed to also have been used as a blacksmith's
shop at some point, once belonged to one of Pickering's founding families.
""We're very sorry that the coach house had to come down, but there wasn't any way to
save it,"" says John Sabean, chairman of Heritage Pickering, the Town's Local
Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee, and vice-president of the Pickering
Township Historical Society. ""We did review the building. We would have tried to
preserve it if there were any way of preserving it. It was in such bad shape.""
According to Mr. Sabean, restoring the coach house would have cost hundreds of
thousands of dollars and wouldn't have left much of the original structure.
The property had belonged to the family of William Dunbar, who settled in the area in
the 1830s. His descendants remained here for about 150 years, taking on prominent
roles in the community.
""The Dunbars were both blacksmiths and wheelwrights,"" says Mr. Sabean,
which explains the two uses for the building just demolished. William Dunbar was one
of the founders of the village of Dunbarton, one of the originators of the Pickering
Harbour Company, an elder in the Presbyterian church, and, together with his sons,
apparently a participant in the Rebellion of 1837 as well.
While the carriage house is gone, the developer of the property has left Dunbar House,
which dates back to the early 1900s, in place. It's being renovated and used as a
residence. Mr. Sabean says he's pleased the house is being kept and praised the
developer, Gwillimbury Homes, for allowing it to remain.
""It's not that old a house, but it is a house that has been attached to the
See Pickering Page 4
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"PAGE 4 NEWS ADVERTISER FRIDAY EDITION, February 19,1999.
Pickering century building demolished, builder lauded for efforts
PICKERING From page 1
Dunbar family,"" he notes.
According to Tom Mohr, president of the Pickering Township Historical Society,
the developer invited Pickering Museum Village representatives to visit the carriage
house before it was demolished and take whatever they thought might be useful to the
museum village. Mr. Mohr was also disappointed about the loss of the building,
but agrees it was one of those situations where nothing could really be done.
""We really think the builder has gone a long way towards doing the right thing as far
as our heritage is concerned,"" he notes. Also among those disappointed about the
loss of the carriage house is area resident Kathy Bridges, who saw it being knocked
down Monday.
""I just drove by there and my heart sort of sank,"" she says, noting she has taught
local
history to elementary students and the Dunbarton property was one of the few pieces
of history still standing that could be shown. ""This is happening and there's not much
left we can relate to.""
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