HomeMy WebLinkAbout1200 Whitevale (PLN 10-16)
CULTURAL HERITAGE PROPERTY
EVALUATION REPORT:
1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering, Ontario
SUBMITTED TO:
The City of Pickering
One The Esplanade Pickering, Ontario
L1V 6K7
November 9, 2015
SUBMITTED BY: Laurie Smith Heritage
Consulting
4 Bullock Avenue Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 1G8
613-863-8852 laurie@smithheritage.ca
In partnership with:
Amy Barnes Consulting
and
Chris Uchiyama Heritage
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
i
Table of Contents
1 Introduction to the Site ............................................................................................................................. 1
2 Methodology .............................................................................................................................................. 4
3 Policy Framework ....................................................................................................................................... 5
4 Historical Context ....................................................................................................................................... 7
5 Architecture and Design .......................................................................................................................... 9
5.1 West Wing (1870s) ............................................................................................................................... 12
5.1.1 Interior ........................................................................................................................................... 16
5.2 East Wing (1880s) ................................................................................................................................ 18
5.2.1 Interior ........................................................................................................................................... 20
5.3 Kitchen Tail ........................................................................................................................................... 23
5.3.1 Interior ........................................................................................................................................... 24
5.4 Garage ................................................................................................................................................. 26
5.5 Cultural Landscape ............................................................................................................................ 28
5.6 Archaeological Resources ................................................................................................................ 28
6 Contextual Background ......................................................................................................................... 29
7 Heritage Evaluation ................................................................................................................................. 30
7.1 Design or Physical Value ................................................................................................................... 31
7.2 Historic/Associative Value ................................................................................................................. 32
7.3 Contextual Value ................................................................................................................................ 33
7.4 Statement of Significance ................................................................................................................ 34
7.4.1 Description of Property .............................................................................................................. 34
7.4.2 Statement of Cultural Heritage Value .................................................................................... 35
7.4.3 Heritage Attributes ..................................................................................................................... 35
8 Recommendations .................................................................................................................................. 37
9 Sources ...................................................................................................................................................... 38
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
ii
List of Figures
Figure 1: 1200 Whitevale Road, Location and Boundary of Property Parcel (City of Pickering,
2015) .................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Figure 2: 1200 Whitevale Road, Context (Base map source: Google Earth Pro, 2015) ....................... 3
Figure 3: Front elevation of 1200 Whitevale Road, from Whitevale Road facing northeast (CU,
2015). ................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Figure 4: 1200 Whitevale Road, Current Conditions (Base map source: Google Earth Pro, 2015) ... 4
Figure 5: 1200 Whitevale Road as shown on Detail from J.H. Beers & Co. 1877 Map of Pickering
Township (Base map source: Beers, 1877) .................................................................................................... 8
Figure 6: View of 1200 Whitevale Road, side (west) elevation showing original two-storey
residence and kitchen tail (CU, 2015) ........................................................................................................... 9
Figure 7: Rear (north) elevation of 1200 Whitevale Road showing kitchen tail and 1880s wing (CU,
2015) .................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Figure 8: View of side (east) elevation of 1200 Whitevale Road showing 1880s wing (CU, 2015) ... 10
Figure 9: 1200 Whitevale Road, garage at rear of residential building (CU, 2015) ............................ 11
Figure 10: View from rear of 1200 Whitevale Road, facing east (CU, 2015) ................................ 11
Figure 11: 1972 photograph of 1200 Whitevale Road from the Architectural Evaluation of the
North Pickering Project (Pickering Public Library, 1972) ........................................................................... 13
Figure 12: Photograph from 1978 Newspaper Article on the sale of two local heritage homes
(Pada, 1978). .................................................................................................................................................... 14
Figure 13: Detail of decorative brickwork and wooden bargeboard along eaves, front elevation.
Note: pinwheel decoration below front gable (CU, 2015) ..................................................................... 14
Figure 14: Front elevation, flared hipped verandah with intricate fretwork (CU, 2015) .................... 15
Figure 15: Detail of verandah fretwork (CU, 2015) .................................................................................... 15
Figure 16: Detail gable end, west elevation, second-storey showing damage to frieze
resulting from stove pipe installation (CU, 2015) .................................................................................. 16
Figure 17: Staircase, west wing (CU, 2015) ................................................................................................. 17
Figure 18: West wall of front room, first floor, west wing (CU, 2015) ....................................................... 17
Figure 19: Basement, viewed from stairs (CU, 2015) ................................................................................. 18
Figure 20: Detail gable peak and dichromatic decoration, east elevation (CU, 2015) ................... 19
Figure 21: Projecting bay window, front elevation (CU, 2015) ........................................................ 20
Figure 22: Interior parlour showing moulded plaster cornice and door and window casings (CU,
2015) .................................................................................................................................................................. 21
Figure 23: Plaster medallion, parlour, with recent light fixture replacement (CU, 2015) ................... 21
Figure 24: East staircase (CU, 2015) ............................................................................................................. 22
Figure 25: Flooring at the top of staircases (CU, 2015)....................................................................... 22
Figure 26: Rear (north) elevation facing south, showing intersection of kitchen tail with original
farmhouse (CU, 2015) ..................................................................................................................................... 23
Figure 27: Interior, kitchen tail, east wall exterior door (CU, 2015) ......................................................... 24
Figure 28: Updated kitchen at rear of kitchen tail (CU, 2015) ................................................................ 25
Figure 29: Detail of pennies in wood flooring, kitchen tail (CU, 2015) ........................................... 25
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
ii
i
Figure 30: Garage, east elevation (CU, 2015) ........................................................................................... 26
Figure 31: Garage, front elevation, detail of west addition (CU, 2015) ............................................... 27
Figure 32: Garage, front elevation showing garage door and gravel driveway west of house (CU,
2015) .................................................................................................................................................................. 27
List of Tables
Table 1: Factors Indicating Archaeological Potential or Lack of Archaeological Potential ........... 28
Table 2 - Evaluation of the Cultural Heritage Value or Interest of 1200 Whitevale Road as Per
O.Reg. 9/06 Criteria 1. i., ii., and iii ................................................................................................................ 31
Table 3 - Evaluation of the Cultural Heritage Value or Interest of 1200 Whitevale Road as Per
O.Reg. 9/06 Criteria 2. i., ii., and iii ................................................................................................................ 32
Table 4 - Evaluation of the Cultural Heritage Value or Interest of 1200 Whitevale Road as Per
O.Reg. 9/06 Criteria 3. i., ii., and iii ................................................................................................................ 34
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
1
1 Introduction to the Site
Laurie Smith Heritage Consulting, in partnership with Amy Barnes Consulting and Chris Uchiyama
Heritage, was retained by the City of Pickering in April 2015 to undertake a Cultural Heritage
Property Evaluation of the property listed as 1200 Whitevale Road in Pickering, Ontario.
The property, also known as the W. Brignal House, is located east of the hamlet of Whitevale, on
the north side of Whitevale Road. It is a square parcel, 0.22 hectares (0.54 acres) in area,
comprising part of Lot 23, Concession V, Pickering Township, in the City of Pickering, Ontario
(Figure 1). The property is surrounded by agricultural lands with farmsteads dating from the early
19th to the late 20th centuries (Figure 2).
The main built resource on the property is a one-and-a-half-storey, brick house with a one-storey
kitchen tail at the rear, also in brick (Figure 3). The main house follows a T-shaped plan: the west
wing was built between 1873 and 1877 by owner William Brignal. The east wing sits perpendicular
to the west wing and was likely added in the early 1880s by subsequent owner John Tool. The
kitchen wing was likely added in the early 20th century by the Carter family, who owned the
house for 70 years from 1902 to 1972. Each wing of the house follows the “Gothic cottage” or
“Ontario Cottage” house type. The house features a dichromatic brick exterior, steep roofs with
centre- and cross-gables, decorative bargeboard in the gables, a wooden porch with intricate
fretwork, and a projecting bay window. A one-storey, wooden garage, clad in particle board
and built in the mid-20th century, is located behind the house to the northwest (Figure 2). The
house and garage are surrounded by a grassy lawn and a number of mature coniferous and
deciduous trees. A row of trees along the southern edge of the property forms a windbreak and
shields the house from the road. A gravel laneway runs from the road to the garage, on the west
side of the house (Figure 4). The house sits on a slightly raised elevation above Whitevale Road
(Figure 2).
The property is currently owned by the Province of Ontario and is managed by Ontario
Infrastructure and Lands Corporation. It is listed in the City of Pickering Municipal Heritage
Register (2008).
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
2
Figure 1: 1200 Whitevale Road, Location and Boundary of Property Parcel (City of Pickering, 2015)
LAURIE SMITH HERITAGE CONSULTING
1200 Whitevale Road
CON 5 N PT LOT 23
NOW RP 40R24276 PART 2
PIN: 26402-0062
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
3
Figure 2: 1200 Whitevale Road, Context (Base map source: Google Earth Pro, 2015)
Figure 3: Front elevation of 1200 Whitevale Road, from Whitevale Road facing northeast (CU, 2015).
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
4
Figure 4: 1200 Whitevale Road, Current Conditions (Base map source: Google Earth Pro, 2015)
2 Methodology
This cultural heritage evaluation was conducted using the criteria in O.Reg. 9/06 under the
Ontario Heritage Act. The evaluation was based on information contained in previous reports on
the site, additional historical research, and a site visit of the property. The City of Pickering
excluded public and stakeholder consultation from the consultant contract, except for the
purposes of historical research.
The heritage value of the property has previously been examined in the following reports (listed
chronologically):
• Unterman McPhail Heritage Resource Consultants, The Hamlet of Whitevale Heritage
Conservation District Study: Background Report. Prepared for the Town of Pickering,
August 1989.
• Hough, Stansbury, Woodland, Naylor, Dance Limited – Prime Consultants, D.R. Poulton &
Associates – Archaeological Assessments and Excavations, André Scheinman – Heritage
Preservation Consultant, Seaton Cultural Heritage Resources Assessment: Technical
Appendix. Report prepared for the Seaton Interim Planning Team, Ministry of Municipal
Affairs and Housing, July 1994.
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
5
• André Scheinman, Seaton Built Heritage Assessment. Prepared for the North Pickering
Land Exchange Team, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Planning and
Development Division, November 2004.
• Contentworks Inc., Thematic Study and Phase 1 Evaluation of ORC Properties in
Pickering. Prepared for Ontario Realty Corporation, March 2009.
• Contentworks Inc., Phase II Evaluation of Residences on Whitevale Road, Pickering.
Report prepared for the Ontario Realty Corporation, March 2009.
• Bray Heritage, Seaton Neighbourhood Planning Background Report: Whitevale Road
Heritage Corridor Review. Report prepared for the City of Pickering, May 2010.
Sources for additional historical research are noted in the “Sources” section at the end of this
document.
An exterior and interior site visit was undertaken on June 16, 2015 by Amy Barnes, M.A. and Chris
Uchiyama, M.A. Nick Miron, a representative of Del Management, provided access, with the
permission of Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation.
3 Policy Framework
In Ontario, the Provincial Policy Statement 2014 (“PPS 2014”), issued under s. 3 of the Planning
Act, provides policy direction on matters of provincial interest related to land use planning and
development.1 Land use planning decisions made by municipalities, planning boards, the
Province, or a commission or agency of the government must be consistent with the PPS 2014.2
The PPS 2014 provides that “significant built heritage resources and significant cultural heritage
landscapes shall be conserved” and “development and site alteration shall not be permitted on
lands containing archaeological resources or areas of archaeological potential unless
significant archaeological resources have been conserved”.3 “Significant” means “resources
that have been determined to have cultural heritage value or interest for the important
contribution they make to our understanding of the history of a place, an event, or a people.”4
These resources and landscapes are conserved through their “identification, protection,
management and use…..in a manner that ensures their cultural heritage value or interest is
retained under the Ontario Heritage Act.”5
Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (“OHA”) permits municipalities to designate individual
properties that are of cultural heritage value or interest, based on criteria set out in Ont. Reg.
9/06.6 Designation is done by by-law and includes a description of the property and a statement
explaining the cultural heritage value or interest of the property and a description of the
1 PPS 2014, Part I: Preamble.
2 PPS 2014, Part III: How to Read the Provincial Policy Statement.
3 PPS 2014, s. 2.6.1 and 2.6.2.
4 PPS 2014, s. 6.0, Definitions, at p. 49.
5 PPS 2014, s. 6.0, Definitions, at p. 40.
6 OHA, Part IV, s. 29.
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
6
heritage attributes of the property. Part V of the OHA permits municipalities to designate
heritage conservation districts consisting of multiple properties, and adopt a district plan for
managing change.7 A property that is included in an area designated as a heritage
conservation district may subsequently be individually designated under Part IV.8 Municipalities
must keep a register of property that is of cultural heritage value or interest. In addition to
designated properties, the register may include other property that the municipality believes to
be of cultural heritage value or interest.9 The OHA provides processes for a municipality to
approve proposed alterations, demolition or removal of resources on designated properties or
within a heritage conservation district, and requires notice be given to a municipality for
proposed alterations, demolition or removal of resources on non-designated properties listed on
the register.10
Part IV OHA (individual property designation by municipalities) and Part V OHA (heritage
conservation district designation) do not apply to property that is owned by the provincial
government or by a prescribed public body.11 Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation is a
prescribed public body.12 However, municipalities are not prevented from including properties
owned by the provincial government or a prescribed public body in the municipal register of
non-designated properties.13
Heritage properties owned or occupied by the provincial government or prescribed public
bodies are subject to the Standards & Guidelines for Conservation of Provincial Heritage
Properties (“the provincial S&Gs”), a set of guidelines issued by the Minister of Tourism, Culture
and Sport in 2010.14 The provincial S&Gs require provincial ministries and agencies to establish
and maintain a cultural heritage conservation policy and procedures to identify, manage and
conserve provincial heritage properties.15 Decisions affecting a provincial heritage property
must consider its cultural heritage value and mitigate negative impacts.16 If a provincial heritage
property is to leave government ownership, best efforts should be made to ensure its cultural
heritage value is protected through designation or easement; demolition or removal should be
considered only as a last resort. Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation has followed an
internal heritage management process since 2007. The property at 1200 Whitevale was
recommended as an ORC Heritage Property in the 2009 Phase II report prepared by
Contentworks Inc. for ORC.
7 OHA, ss. 41 and 41.1.
8 OHA, s. 41(2).
9 OHA, ss. 27(1.1) and (1.2).
10 OHA, ss. 27 (3), 33, 34 and 42.
11 OHA ss. 25.2 (2), 26.1 (1) and 39.1.1(1).
12 OHA, Ont. Reg. 157/10.
13 OHA, s. 26.1(3).
14 The Provincial S&Gs are available online at http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/publications/Standards_Conservation.pdf
15 S&G, s. A.2, A.2 and A.5.
16 S&G, s. A.3
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
7
The OHA provides that if a property owned by the provincial government or a prescribed public
body is included in a designated heritage conservation district, and there is a conflict between
a provision of the provincial S&Gs and a provision in Part V as they apply to that property, the
provision in Part V prevails.17
The City of Pickering has adopted a policy to respect and conserve cultural heritage resources
as part of the City of Pickering Official Plan (Edition 6).18 City Council shall identify important
cultural heritage resources from all time periods, and prevent the demolition, destruction or
inappropriate alteration of important cultural heritage resources to the extent possible (s. 8.2).
City Council shall maintain an inventory of heritage resources designated or worthy of
designation under the OHA (s. 8.7). City Council shall encourage the preservation or excavation
of important archaeological sites (s. 8.10). Amendment 22 to the Pickering Official Plan,
approved by the Ontario Municipal Board in 2013, specifically provides that the Seaton Urban
Area shall be planned as a sustainable community, based on seven key sustainability principles,
including to “protect cultural heritage resources and archaeological resources”.
4 Historical Context
The property at 1200 Whitevale is located east of the hamlet of Whitevale, in part of the
southwest quarter of Lot 23, Concession V, Pickering Township. The township was first surveyed in
1797 and Crown patents were issued shortly thereafter. The land around Whitevale was not
settled until the early 1820s, when United Empire Loyalist John Major (1768-1831) built a saw mill
on the banks of West Duffins Creek. A small settlement, known as Major Mills or Majorville, began
to take shape along Concession 5. Major was an Irish emigrant who had settled first in Vermont,
and then fled with his wife Margaret to Nova Scotia during the American Revolutionary War,
becoming a member of the 84th Regiment of the Loyalist Corps. After the War of 1812, he
accepted a grant of land in Pickering Township.
In 1843, Ira White purchased Major’s sawmill and put his son, Truman P. White in charge of
operations.19 An ambitious industrialist, T.P. White further leveraged the power of the West Duffins
Creek and developed the milling site to include a flour mill. During the 1850s and 1860s, the
settlement grew into an industrial centre with the addition of: a planing mill (1866); a stave and
heading factory, T.P. White’s wool factory (1867); a sash and door factory; a wagon and steam
carriage factory; and the P.R. Hoover and Co. cheese factory. Commercial enterprises
included: a general store; a butcher shop; Major Hotel; and a tinsmith shop. Anticipating the
growth of the community, T.P. White registered two survey plans, one in 1857 and an amended
plan in 1860. The 1869 Ontario Gazetteer and Directory indicates that hamlet’s population was
approximately 300 that year. John Shier’s 1870 plan of subdivision was the first time that
“Whitevale” was used as the name of the community, in honour of T.P. White; although the mills
continued to be called “Majors Mills.” A series of fires beginning in 1874, eventually led to the
17 OHA, s. 39.1.1(2).
18 City of Pickering Official Plan (Edition 6), Chapter Eight – Cultural Heritage.
19 Unterman McPhail, 1989: 2-2.
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
8
decline in industry in the hamlet and a decrease in population. However, Whitevale was still
identified as one of Pickering Township’s principal villages as late as 1876.20
The original Crown patent for Lot 23, Concession 5 was granted to Isabella Hill in 1802. Amos
Griswold acquired the lot in 1831 and it was subdivided into four quarters.21 By 1851 the
southwest quarter was owned by Thomas Freeman, but had not been cultivated or cleared.22
Figure 5: 1200 Whitevale Road as shown on Detail from J.H. Beers & Co. 1877 Map of Pickering Township (Base map source: Beers, 187723)
The southwest quarter was sold to Richard Briggs in 1855, and to William Davidson in 1857.
Tremaine’s 1860 map of Ontario County confirms that Davidson owned the property, but does
not indicate any structures.24 Nathaniel Hastings owned the southwest quarter from 1865 until
1873 when his heirs sold the property to William Brignal.25 Brignal owned the property until 1879.
The west wing of the farmhouse at 1200 Whitevale was constructed by Brignal between 1873
20 Ibid.
21 Land Registry Office #40, Microfilm Reel E44, p119.
22 Census of 1851 (Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia). Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Canada. Schedule B, Roll C-11742, Page 277, Line 15. Thomas
Freeman had cleared and settled another 100-acre parcel on Concession 3.
23 Digital copy of map accessed through McGill University, The Canadian County Atlas Digital
Project, 2001 accessed online at http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/countyatlas/
24 Scheinman, 2004: 49.
25 Land Registry Office #40, Microfilm Reel E44, p120. Nathaniel Hastings 1828 stone house is
located at 1130 Whitevale Road in Lot 24.
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
9
and 1877. It is shown on the map of Pickering Township in J.H. Beers & Co.’s 1877 Illustrated Atlas
(Figure 5).
The property was acquired by John Tool in 1879 and the eastern portion of the house was likely
added shortly afterwards, based on its architecture. The property was acquired by Joseph
Carter in 1902 and it remained in the Carter family until it was expropriated by the provincial
government in 1972.26 . The red-brick kitchen tail was likely added by the Carter family in the 20th
century. The expansions to the original house in the early 1880s and in the 1920s suggest that
more than one generation or one family lived in the house, perhaps a reflection of the labour-
intensive nature of farming.
5 Architecture and Design
The house at 1200 Whitevale Road is comprised of three sections: a one-and-a-half-storey, west
wing built between 1873 and 1877; a one-and-a-half-storey, east addition likely built in the early
1880s; and a one-storey kitchen tail likely built between 1902 and the 1920s). A separate wood-
frame garage is located to the northwest of the house and likely dates from the 1940s or 1950s.
An 1890s barn identified in earlier reports is no longer extant.
Figure 6: View of 1200 Whitevale Road, side (west) elevation showing original two-storey residence and kitchen tail (CU, 2015)
26 Land Registry Office #40, Microfilm Reel E44, pp120-122.
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
10
Figure 7: Rear (north) elevation of 1200 Whitevale Road showing kitchen tail and 1880s wing (CU, 2015)
Figure 8: View of side (east) elevation of 1200 Whitevale Road showing 1880s wing (CU, 2015)
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
11
Figure 9: 1200 Whitevale Road, garage at rear of residential building (CU, 2015)
Figure 10: View from rear of 1200 Whitevale Road, facing east (CU, 2015)
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
12
5.1 West Wing (1870s)
The west wing of the house is a one-and-a-half-storey “Gothic cottage” or “Ontario cottage”
with a three-bay façade and a centre gable over a central main entrance. It features round-
arched openings, highly patterned dichromatic brick, and intricate wooden bargeboard and
fretwork.
This wing of the house is built on a rectangular plan with a long façade. The steeply-pitched,
end-gable roof is shingled. The building is encircled below wide eaves by a plain frieze; intricate
bargeboard with ball and drop pendants runs along the eaves at the gable end and central
peak. Finials are no longer present, but appear in older photos of the building (Figure 11) and
scars of the finials are still visible. A flared, hip-roofed verandah, typical of the period, runs along
the front of the house, supported on five posts (two engaged) with chamfered corners and
stepped capitals. .27 Ornate fretwork encircles the verandah, below the roof. A hand rail with
plain, wooden posts and wooden steps has been recently added.
The house is set on an evenly coursed, granite foundation. The stretcher bond brickwork in red
brick is indicative of brick on frame, rather than solid brick construction.28 The buff-brick
embellishments of the house are typical of the decorative touches used on Ontario Cottages in
the 1870s and 1880s. Embellishments include: a three-course band of buff bricks above the
foundation; quoins at the corners; a cusped-motif string course above the verandah on the front
elevation; a pinwheel design below the centre gable with a central checkerboard; rounded
arches above windows with a projecting header course and projecting arch springing; arches
on the second floor that include red bricks; and an arch above the front door with a projecting
header.
Openings on the first and second storeys are symmetrically placed. Windows are round-arched,
2/2, double sash. Storm windows have been added to the exteriors and lintels have been
encased in vinyl or aluminum. The central front door is accessed through the verandah. Its
casing is segmentally arched at the top, with a buff brick header. The front door is a recent
replacement.
A metal stovepipe runs up the exterior of the west side of the building from the first floor, through
the roof. The installation of this ventilation pipe has resulted in the removal of a portion of the
frieze below the eaves (Figure 12).
The 19th century “Ontario Cottage” or “Gothic Cottage” abounds as a house-type throughout
Ontario. Archetypal designs were published in the Canada Farmer magazine in the 1860s, and it
became “the most common form of suburban dwelling in Ontario in the third quarter of the 19th
century”.29 It typically consists of a three-bay façade with a straight eave interrupted by a gable
over the central entrance and Gothic-style detailing: hood mouldings, finials and decorative
27 Scheinman, 2004: 49.
28 Scheinman, 2004: 49.
29 Harold Kalman, A History of Canadian Architecture, Volume 2 (Toronto: Oxford University Press,
1994) at p. 606.
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
13
bargeboard. The use of dichromatic brick on Ontario cottage-style houses became popular in
the 1870s and 1880s after polychromatic brick became fashionable in England in the mid-19th
century, and the construction of railway lines allowed owners to combine local bricks (in
Pickering, red bricks) with bricks of other colours from elsewhere in the province.
Other nearby examples of dichromatic brick houses include: the Casper Willson house at 1505
Whitevale Road; the front of the Hugh Pugh House (Pennybank) at 3185 Sideline 26; the former
Whitevale School at 3215 Sideline 28. The Hugh Pugh House at 3185 Sideline 26, in particular,
shares similar decorative elements including: the plain border above the foundations; a cusped
motif stringcourse; quoins along the corners; and a pinwheel design below the gable.30 1200
Whitevale Road is perhaps the grandest and most elegant of the dichromatic examples in the
area as a result of the skillful application of intricate wooden embellishments and the flared
hipped roof verandah across the front elevation.
Figure 11: 1972 photograph of 1200 Whitevale Road from the Architectural Evaluation of the North Pickering Project (Pickering Public Library, 1972)
30 The pinwheel is located on the side (east) elevation, rather than the façade on the Pugh
House.
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
14
Figure 12: Photograph from 1978 Newspaper Article on the sale of two local heritage homes (Pada, 1978).
Figure 13: Detail of decorative brickwork and wooden bargeboard along eaves, front elevation. Note: pinwheel decoration below front gable (CU, 2015)
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
15
Figure 14: Front elevation, flared hipped verandah with intricate fretwork (CU, 2015)
Figure 15: Detail of verandah fretwork (CU, 2015)
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
16
Figure 16: Detail gable end, west elevation, second-storey showing damage to
frieze resulting from stove pipe installation (CU, 2015)
5.1.1 Interior
The first floor is one large, rectangular room with wooden floors, beaded wainscoting, and
original casings. A small, modern, basement extension is located to the north of the stairs. A
narrow, steep, enclosed staircase is located along the wall, to the east of the front entrance.
Stairs to the basement are located directly below and are accessed through a door. Stairs to
the second floor bear a heavy patina from more than a century of use. A simple handrail runs
along the wall. The second floor consists of a hallway and one large room with a chamfered
ceiling on the front, on either side of the gable window. The wooden flooring runs east-west.
Window casings appear to be original, although the baseboards are likely replacements.
The basement, which appears to run below almost the entire home (except the kitchen tail)
comprises a concrete floor and stone walls treated with a lime wash.
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
17
Figure 17: Staircase, west wing (CU, 2015)
Figure 18: West wall of front room, first floor, west wing (CU, 2015)
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
18
Figure 19: Basement, viewed from stairs (CU, 2015)
5.2 East Wing (1880s)
Although great care was taken to create continuity of material and decoration, close
inspection of the exterior and interior indicates a different and slightly later date of construction
for the east wing of the house.
The east wing is also a one-and-a-half-storey, “Gothic cottage” or “Ontario cottage” with a
three-bay façade and a centre gable over a central entrance. It is set at right angles to the
west wing, with the main entrance located on the east elevation. Like the west wing, it features
round-arched openings, highly patterned dichromatic brick, and intricate wooden bargeboard.
A projecting bay window on the front (south) elevation and a slightly shallower pitch to the
shingled gable roof, differentiate the east wing from the west wing.
The east wing is encircled below wide eaves by a moulded frieze; intricate bargeboard with ball
and drop pendants runs along the eaves at the front gable end and central peak. Finials are no
longer present, but appear in older photos of the building. The house is set on an evenly
coursed, granite foundation. A very small 20th century addition, likely a storage room, projects
from the rear.
The buff-brick embellishments on a red-brick house are typical of Ontario Cottages in the 1870s
and 1880s. The patterning on the east wing closely mimics the earlier west wing, including: a
three-course band of buff bricks above the foundation (but not at the rear); quoins along the
corners; a cusped motif stringcourse along the east elevation; rounded arches above windows
with projecting header course and projecting arch springing (arches on the second floor also
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
19
include red bricks); and an arch with projecting header top course and projecting springing
above the semi-circular transom of the door to the front verandah.
Openings on the first and second floor are symmetrically placed - two-over-two on the front
elevation and one-over-three on the side (east) elevation - with a central door on the first storey
and a gable window on the second. Windows on the front and side are round-arched, two-
over-two, double sash. Storm windows have been added to the exteriors and lintels are encased
in vinyl or aluminum. Openings on the rear (north) elevation are segmentally arched with simple,
arched headers. The first floor window on the rear has been replaced.
The bay window has a flat roof with a slight overhang and moulded freize, and three semi-
circular, arched windows; a central, double-sash two-over-two, flanked by one-over-one units.
The headers above the bay windows, although buff brick arches, lack the protruding header
top course and projecting arch springing.
An exterior red brick chimney, likely for an oil furnace, is attached to the rear elevation.
The east wing is accessed through a central door with semi-circular transom on the side (east)
elevation, with a simple, recently constructed set of wooden steps. A second entrance, from the
front verandah, features a round-arched transom and what appears to be an original wooden
door.
A simple wooden deck has been added at the rear of the building, accessed from the kitchen
tail.
Figure 20: Detail gable peak and dichromatic decoration, east elevation (CU, 2015)
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
20
Figure 21: Projecting bay window, front elevation (CU, 2015)
5.2.1 Interior
The first floor comprises a large, rectangular parlour with a smaller room at the north end. The
large parlour features a moulded plaster cornice and plaster medallion. An enclosed staircase
to the second floor runs along the west end of the parlour, parallel to the stairs in the west wing,
which are located on the other side of the wall. The second floor comprises a hallway, bathroom
and large bedroom. The wooden flooring in the east wing runs north-south, perpendicular to
that in the west wing, suggesting that the two wings functioned as separate homes (Figure 25).
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
21
Figure 22: Interior parlour showing moulded plaster cornice and door and window casings (CU, 2015)
Figure 23: Plaster medallion, parlour, with recent light fixture replacement (CU, 2015)
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
22
Figure 24: East staircase (CU, 2015)
Figure 25: Flooring at the top of staircases (CU, 2015)
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
23
5.3 Kitchen Tail
A one-storey, red-brick kitchen tail extends to the rear of the west wing. It has a rectangular plan
and a simple, medium-pitched, shingled, gable roof with a slight overhang. There is no visible
foundation.
Several decorative elements from the east and west wings have been continued on the kitchen
tail, although with somewhat less elegance. A three-course band of buff brick runs along the
base, continuing the band from the west wing. Only the northwest corner of the kitchen tail has
a buff brick quoin. Along the east elevation, it follows the same pattern as the front corners, but
the pattern is altered on the rear of the tail to conserve bricks. The front-most window on the
west elevation is a round-arched, double-sash, two-over-two window with a projecting top
course and springing; the remaining windows are smaller, rectangular, double-sash, two-over-
two windows with simple flat-arch headers. One window on the east elevation of the kitchen tail
has been bricked in (the header and lintel remain) and replaced with a modern window.
The kitchen tail is accessed from the west elevation at ground level and from the east elevation
via a modern, raised, wooden deck. Both doors are topped with simple buff-brick headers: a flat
arch on the west elevation and a segmental arch on the east elevation. The door on the east
elevation is a recent replacement, but the door on the west elevation appears to date from the
construction of the kitchen tail in the early 20th century.
Figure 26: Rear (north) elevation facing south, showing intersection of kitchen tail
with original farmhouse (CU, 2015)
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
24
5.3.1 Interior
The interior of the kitchen tail has been somewhat modernized but retains beaded wainscoting,
window and door casings and wood flooring in the front part of the tail, possibly salvaged from
elsewhere in the house. The wood flooring features dozens of inlaid pennies, an interesting and
unusual decoration (Figure 29).
Figure 27: Interior, kitchen tail, east wall exterior door (CU, 2015)
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
25
Figure 28: Updated kitchen at rear of kitchen tail (CU, 2015)
Figure 29: Detail of pennies in wood flooring, kitchen tail (CU, 2015)
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
26
5.4 Garage
A one-storey, wooden garage is set back from the house to the northwest. It rests directly on the
ground and appears to be supported on simple, wooden corner posts. A simple, corrugated-
metal, shed roof slants down slightly towards the rear (Figure 30). A small rectangular addition,
possibly a woodshed, is located on the west side of the building. The entire garage is clad in
sheets of plywood of varying sizes. The building does not follow any particular style or type.
The garage is accessed through a large square door on the front (south) elevation and through
a pedestrian door on the side (east) elevation. The door appears to be recycled from a
residential building. One wide, rectangular, vinyl window is located on the side (east) elevation.
The interior of the garage was not accessible.
The information held by Infrastructure Ontario indicates a possible date of construction in the
1920s, based on the Contentworks Phase 1 Evaluation. The Contentworks report estimated a
date of construction of 1920 based on review of a photograph of the outbuilding
(Contentworks, 2009, Phase 1: Part 3, B81332). The exact date of construction for the garage is
difficult to ascertain due to the utilitarian design of the outbuilding and the likely reuse of
materials for the frame, doors and windows. Plywood, while available across North America in
the 1920s, was not a popular building material until after the Second World War,31 suggesting
that the majority of the materials used in the construction of the garage date to the late 1940s or
1950s.
Figure 30: Garage, east elevation (CU, 2015)
31 APA – The Engineered Wood Association, 2015 and Stratton and Trinder, 2000: 135.
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
27
Figure 31: Garage, front elevation, detail of west addition (CU, 2015)
Figure 32: Garage, front elevation showing garage door and gravel driveway west of house (CU, 2015)
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
28
5.5 Cultural Landscape
The farmhouse and garage sit on an elevated portion of the property, facing the road and
surrounded by a grassy lawn and a number of mature coniferous and deciduous trees. A row of
trees along the south of the property form a windbreak and shield the house from the road. A
gravel laneway runs along the west side of the house from the road to the garage (Figure 4).
5.6 Archaeological Resources
Although the archaeological potential of the general area in and around the property is well
documented32 the archaeological potential of the property itself will be addressed in this
section.
Archaeological potential determination is based on a number of factors related to the
attractiveness of a site for either temporary or permanent human occupation. Archaeological
features that are considered when determining potential are generally related to basic
necessities of survival (e.g., proximity to water), access to transportation (e.g., historic
transportation routes, trails, and navigable watercourses), or access to resources (e.g., raw
materials for tool making or construction, or food resources).
The Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport lists in its 2010 Standards and Guidelines for
Consultant Archaeologists33 a series of features that are considered, in Ontario, to be related to
archaeological potential, or removal of archaeological potential as summarized in Table 1.
Table 1: Factors Indicating Archaeological Potential or Lack of Archaeological Potential
Archaeological Feature 1200 Whitevale Rd. (y/n)
Previously identified archaeological sites Y
Water sources:
Primary water sources (lakes, rivers, streams, creeks) N
Secondary water sources (intermittent streams, creeks, marshes) Y
Features indicating past water sources (e.g., glacial lake shorelines, relic river or stream channels) N
Accessible or inaccessible shoreline N
Elevated topography (e.g. eskers, drumlins, plateau) Y
32 See Hough Stansbury Woodland Naylor Dance Limited et. al., 1994 and Scheinman, 2004 for an overview of archaeological research in the area.
33 Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Standards and Guideline for Consultant Archaeologists.
2011: 17-18.
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
29
Archaeological Feature 1200 Whitevale Rd. (y/n)
Pockets of well-drained sandy soil, especially near areas of heavy soil or rocky ground Not assessed
Distinctive land formations that might have been special or spiritual places such as waterfalls, rock outcrops, caverns, mounds
and promontories and their bases.
N
Resource areas:
Food or medicinal plants Not assessed
Scarce raw materials N
Early Euro-Canadian industry (e.g., fur trade, logging,
prospecting, mining) N
Areas of early Euro-Canadian settlement N
Early historical transportation routes Y
Property listed on a municipal register or designated under the
Ontario Heritage Act or that is a federal, provincial or municipal
historic landmark or site
Y
Property that local histories or informants have identified with
possible archaeological sites, historical events, activities, or
occupants
N
Archaeological potential can be determined not to be present if
the site has been subject to modern extensive and deep land alterations such as: quarrying; sewage and infrastructure
development; building footprints; or major landscaping involving
grading.
N
Based on a review of these factors, the property at 1200 Whitevale Road exhibits archaeological
potential.
6 Contextual Background
1200 Whitevale Road is located east of the hamlet of Whitevale, on the north side of Whitevale
Road. The property is surrounded by agricultural lands with farmsteads ranging in age from the
early-19th to the late-20th century. The extant agricultural fields to the north were once part of W.
Brignal’s farm.
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
30
The W. Brignal House is one of several 19th century farmsteads on the stretch of Whitevale Road
leading into the hamlet of Whitevale and the area covered by the Whitevale HCD. The
character of the HCD is described as follows:
The hamlet of Whitevale is located in a scenic river valley along the banks of
West Duffins Creek in the City of Pickering. Dominated by its rural setting and
modest vernacular buildings, the hamlet has not changed significantly in
character since the late nineteenth century. It had a small but thriving
industrial centre until the 1870's, when a disastrous fire effectively destroyed
most of the mill buildings except for the feed mill. With the depopulation of
rural Ontario during the late 1800s and early 1900s Whitevale's role as a small
service centre for the local farming community waned, resulting in the
complete disappearance of its commercial enterprises on Main Street with
the exception of the general store and the mill.
The building style in Whitevale is a mixture of typical rural Ontario vernacular
architecture combined with Victorian influences and materials in common
usage at the time of construction. The result is a distinctive cohesiveness of
scale, mass, decorative detailing and building materials. Although many
individual buildings and properties have been altered over the decades, the
overall nineteenth century village character has been retained.
Most of the existing nineteenth century buildings have wood frame structures,
and siding ranging from clapboard, shiplap to vertical board and batten. The
majority of structures are one-and-a-half storeys in height with a three bay
front facade and centre gable.
The rural character of Whitevale, with its narrow tree-lined streets, scenic
views over the surrounding agricultural lands and the West Duffins Creek and
its steep river valley, provides a distinctive context and setting for its buildings.
The community has a rich and diverse character within a relatively small
area. Archaeological remains located in and around Whitevale attest to its
enduring attractiveness as a settlement area.34
The farmhouse at 1200 Whitevale Road is a prominent and skillfully executed example of the
Ontario Cottage style which typifies the Whitevale HCD to the west. It is one of several examples
of dichromatic brick houses built in and around Whitevale during the 1870s which together
illustrate the short period of industrial and agricultural prosperity enjoyed by the community.
7 Heritage Evaluation
The property and associated resources have been evaluated for Cultural Heritage Value or
Interest (CHVI) under Ontario Regulation 9/06 Criteria for Determining Cultural Heritage Value or
34 City of Pickering. Whitevale Heritage Conservation District Guide, 2013: 5.
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
31
Interest under the Ontario Heritage Act. A summary of the evaluation based on the criteria is
presented in Tables 2, 3 and 4 below.
7.1 Design or Physical Value
Built in the mid-1870s and expanded in the early 1880s, the W. Brignal House is a representative
example of the “Gothic cottage” or “Ontario cottage” type as it was interpreted during those
decades in southern Ontario. The T-shaped farmhouse is comprised of two wings, each following
the typical three-bay cottage form with a side-gable roof, a centre gable over a central
entrance, and symmetrical window openings. Here the brick exterior is enlivened in typical
Victorian fashion with extensive, dichromatic-brick patterning, intricate wooden bargeboard at
the gable ends, a front porch with wooden fretwork, and round-arched openings with moulded
surrounds.
The house is likely the most elegant and skillfully executed of several examples of Ontario
cottages with dichromatic-brick patterning in the Whitevale area: others include: 1505 Whitevale
Road; 3185 Sideline 26; 3215 Sideline 28.
Table 2 - Evaluation of the Cultural Heritage Value or Interest of 1200 Whitevale Road as Per O.Reg. 9/06 Criteria 1. i., ii., and iii
O.Reg. 9/06 Criteria Criteria Met (y/n) Justification
1. The property has design
value or physical value
because it,
i. is a rare, unique,
representative or early
example of a style, type, expression,
material, or
construction method,
Y
Built in the mid-1870s and expanded in the
early1880s, the W. Brignal house is a representative example of the “Gothic
cottage” or “Ontario cottage” house type as it
developed in Ontario during the Victorian era.
It incorporates several features typical of the type, including the three-bay form, side gable
roof with centre gable and central entrance
and symmetrical openings of each wing; the dichromatic-brick patterning; the wooden bargeboard and fretwork; and the round-
arched openings with moulded surrounds.
ii. displays a high degree
of craftsmanship or
artistic merit, or
Y
The buff-brick embellishments and wooden
detailing along the eaves and front verandah
display a high degree of artistic merit and craftsmanship.
iii. demonstrates a high degree of technical or
scientific achievement.
N The building does not demonstrate a high degree of technical or scientific achievement.
The property at 1200 Whitevale Road meets the criteria for design or physical value under
O.Reg. 9/06.
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
32
7.2 Historic/Associative Value
The property at 1200 Whitevale Road was first settled in the mid-1870s by William Brignal, who
built the west wing of the house and began cultivation of the surrounding farmland.
Construction of the farmhouse coincided with a series of fires in Whitevale that eventually led to
the demise of industrial activity in the community. The house was expanded in the early 1880s by
John Tool and again in the 1920s by the Carter family, who owned and farmed the property for
70 years. There is no evidence that any of these owners is significant to the community. The
property was once associated with the agricultural development of the area. However, the only
remaining resource associated with that theme is the farmhouse –the 1890s barn is no longer
extant and the property has been severed from the surrounding agricultural fields. The location
of the house on an elevated section of the property, close to the road, is consistent with
traditional farming practices. The extensions to the house in the early 1880s and c1920s suggest
that more than one generation or one family lived in the house, reflecting the labour-intensive
nature of late-19th century and early 20th century farming.
1200 Whitevale Road exhibits archaeological potential, given its proximity to a number of
archaeological features outlined in the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports Standards
and Guidelines for Consultant Archaeologists,35 including: a secondary water course, elevated
topography, known pre-contact and Euro-Canadian archaeological sites, an early historical
transportation route, and as a property listed on the Municipal Heritage Register (2008) and
designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act. The property has also not undergone any
recent or extensive ground disturbances which might indicate the removal of archaeological
potential. As a result, the property has the potential to yield information that contributes to an
understanding of a community or culture.
Table 3 - Evaluation of the Cultural Heritage Value or Interest of 1200 Whitevale Road as Per O.Reg. 9/06 Criteria 2. i., ii., and iii
O.Reg. 9/06 Criteria Criteria Met (y/n) Justification
2. The property has historical
value or associative value
because it,
i. has direct associations
with a theme, event, belief, person, activity,
organization or
institution that is
significant to a community,
Y
The property is associated with the ongoing
agricultural development of the Whitevale
area in the 1870s and 1880s. The W. Brignal
house was built as a farmhouse and expanded
in the 1880s and 1920s to continue to serve that function.
ii. yields, or has the potential to yield Y Given that the property surrounding the farmhouse and garage has not been recently
35 Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Standards and Guideline for Consultant Archaeologists.
2011: 17-18.
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
33
O.Reg. 9/06 Criteria Criteria Met (y/n) Justification
information that
contributes to an understanding of a community or culture,
or
and significantly altered, it has the potential to
yield information that contributes to the understanding of the community or a pre-contact culture.
iii. demonstrates or
reflects the work or
ideas of an architect, artist, builder, designer
or theorist who is
significant to a
community.
N Designer or builder unknown.
The property at 1200 Whitevale Road meets the criteria for historical or associative value under
O.Reg. 9/06.
7.3 Contextual Value
The property at 1200 Whitevale Road is located east of the hamlet of Whitevale and the
Whitevale HCD. The former farmhouse is one of several 19th-century farmhouses that line the
Whitevale Road corridor, interspersed with rolling agricultural fields. Although the property has
been severed from adjacent farm fields to the north that once comprised W. Brignal’s farm, and
the house no longer serves as a farmhouse, farming activites continue on the adjacent fields.
The property is historically linked with properties in the nearby Whitevale HCD. The Ontario
cottage design of the house is typical of houses within and around the HCD and it is one of
several examples of dichromatic-brick houses in the immediate area.
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
34
Table 4 - Evaluation of the Cultural Heritage Value or Interest of 1200 Whitevale Road as Per O.Reg. 9/06 Criteria 3. i., ii., and iii
O.Reg. 9/06 Criteria Criteria Met (y/n) Justification
3. The property has
contextual value because
it,
i. is important in
defining, maintaining or supporting the
character of an area,
Y
The farmhouse at 1200 Whitevale is important in
maintaining and supporting the rural 19th century landscape along the Whitevale Road
corridor, east of the Whitevale HCD.
ii. is physically,
functionally, visually or
historically linked to its surroundings, or
N
The farmhouse is historically linked to the
surrounding agricultural fields to the north, and
to heritage resources in the Whitevale HCD.
iii. is a landmark. N 1200 Whitevale Road is not a landmark.
The property at 1200 Whitevale Road meets the criteria for contextual value under O.Reg. 9/06.
7.4 Statement of Significance
7.4.1 Description of Property
1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering, Ontario, also known as the W. Brignal House, is located on the
north side of Whitevale Road, east of the hamlet of Whitevale. It is a square parcel, 0.22
hectares (0.54 acres) in area, comprising part of Lot 23, Concession V, Pickering Township, in the
City of Pickering, Ontario.
The main built resource on the property is a one-and-a-half-storey, T-shaped, brick house with a
one-storey kitchen tail at the rear. The west wing was built between 1873 and 1877 by owner
William Brignal. The east wing sits perpendicular to the west wing and was likely added in the
early 1880s by late owner John Tool. The kitchen wing at the rear was likely added in the early
20th century by the Carter family. The red-brick house is highly embellished with buff-brick
accents and features steep roofs with cross-gables and dormers, decorative bargeboard at the
gables, a wooden porch with fretwork, round-arched windows and a projecting bay.
A one-storey, wooden garage on the property was built in the mid-20th century and does not
contribute to heritage value. The house and garage sit on a slightly elevated portion of the
property, facing the road and surrounded by a grassy lawn and mature specimen trees. . A row
of trees along the south of the property shields the house from the road. A gravel laneway runs
from the road, west of the house, towards the garage.
The property is listed on the City of Pickering Municipal Heritage Register (2008). The property is
owned by the Province of Ontario and is managed by Ontario Infrastructure and Lands
Corporation.
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
35
7.4.2 Statement of Cultural Heritage Value
Built in the mid-1870s and expanded in the early 1880s, the W. Brignal house is a representative
example of the “Gothic cottage” or “Ontario cottage” house type as it developed in southern
Ontario during the Victorian era. It incorporates several features typical of the type, including
the three-bay form, side-gable roof with centre gable over a central entrance, and symmetrical
openings of each wing. The dichromatic brick patterning, intricate wooden bargeboard and
fretwork and round-arched openings with molded surrounds exemplify the Ontario Cottage of
the 1870s and 1880s. The buff-brick embellishments on red-brick walls and the wooden detailing
at gables and porch display a high degree of artistic merit and craftsmanship.
The property has direct associations with the agricultural development of the area surrounding
the village of Whitevale. The W. Brignal House was built as a farmhouse in the mid-1870s and
expanded in the 1880s and 1920s to continue to serve that function, likely providing
accommodation for more than one generation or family. The farmhouse and its elevated siting
are the only surviving features of the original farm.
Given that the property surrounding the farmhouse and garage has not been recently and
significantly altered, it has the potential to yield information that contributes to the
understanding of the community or a pre-contact culture.
As one of several former farmhouses along the Whitevale Road corridor east of the Whitevale
HCD, the W. Brignal House is important in supporting and maintaining the 19th century rural
landscape of the corridor. The house is historically and visually linked to other resources within
the Whitevale HCD, which includes examples of 19th century Ontario Cottages and dichromatic
brick.
7.4.3 Heritage Attributes
The heritage attribute essential to the cultural heritage value of the property is the one-and-a-
half-storey, dichromatic-brick farmhouse of the “Gothic Cottage” or “Ontario Cottage” type.
The garage does not contribute to the heritage value of the property and is not a heritage
attribute.
Key elements of the farmhouse include:
• its one-and-a-half-storey, T-shaped plan, comprised of west and east “Ontario Cottage”
wings, set at right angles to each other, with a one-storey kitchen tail at the rear;
• the form and massing of each wing, consistent with the Ontario Cottage type, including:
steeply sloped, side-gable roofs with centre gables over central entrances; and
symmetrically arranged window openings;
• the evenly coursed, granite foundation;
• its dichromatic brick exterior, consisting of buff-brick embellishments on red-brick walls,
and including: a three-course band of buff bricks above the foundation, encircling the
house; quoins along the corners; cusped motif stringcourse along the front elevation,
above the verandah; pinwheel-design below the front peak with a central
checkerboard; rounded arches above windows with projecting header course and
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
36
projecting arch springing; red and buff arches on the second floor with projecting
header course and springing; and arch above the front door with projecting header;
• its wood detailing, including: plain and moulded friezes along the eaves and
bargeboard with ball and drop pendants along the gables;
• the flared hipped roof verandah with intricate fretwork and chamfered support columns;
• the projecting bay window with three, round-arched windows;
• round-arched window and door openings throughout the house;
• surviving two-over-two glazed, wooden, window units;
• aspects of the farmhouse that illustrate its use by two generations or two families,
including the two main entrances, the two symmetrical facades, the two interior
staircases, and the perpendicular-laid flooring;
• its siting on an elevated portion of the property, facing Whitevale Road.
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
37
8 Recommendations
As outlined above, the property at 1200 Whitevale Road meets the criteria for determining
cultural heritage value or interest under Ontario Regulation 9/06; specifically criteria 1.i, 1.ii, 2.i,
2.ii, and 3.i. As noted in the draft Statement of Significance, the only contributing resource is the
former farmhouse – the garage does not contribute to heritage value.
While the property remains in Crown ownership, sections 26.1 and 25.2(2)(a) of the Ontario
Heritage Act prevent the City of Pickering from designating the property under section 29 (Part
IV) of the OHA. However, the City of Pickering is free to continue to list the property on its
heritage register pursuant to section 27 of the OHA. The City should consider updating the
property’s listing on the Pickering Heritage Registry to include the proposed Statement of
Significance. The results of this evaluation and the Statement of Significance should also be
shared with the Province, along with a request that the property be managed in compliance
with the Standards & Guidelines for Conservation of Provincial Heritage Properties.
If the property passes out of Crown ownership, the municipality should consider individual
designation of the property under section 29 OHA. While the draft Statement of Significance
includes interior features, the City may decide as a matter of policy that it does not protect
interior features of a private dwelling and that these would not be included in any designation
by-law.
As outlined above, the property exhibits archaeological potential. Future cultural heritage policy
decisions regarding this property should consider this potential for previously undiscovered
archaeological sites or resources and a Stages 1 and 2 Archaeological Assessment should be
carried out by a licensed professional archaeologist prior to any below-grade construction
activities.
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
38
9 Sources
APA – The Engineered Wood Association, History of APA, Plywood, and Engineered Wood.
Accessed online June, 2015 at http://www.apawood.org/apas-history.
Bray Heritage, Seaton Neighbourhood Planning Background Report: Whitevale Road Heritage
Corridor Review, Report prepared for the City of Pickering, May 2010.
Contentworks, Thematic Study and Phase I Evaluation of ORC Properties in Pickering. Report
prepared for the Ontario Realty Corporation, March 2009.
---, Phase II Evaluation of Residences on Whitevale Road, Pickering. Report prepared for the
Ontario Realty Corporation, March 2009.
Hough Stansbury Woodland Naylor Dance Limited – Prime Consultants, D.R. Poulton & Associates
– Archaeological Assessments and Excavations, André Scheinman – Heritage Preservation
Consultant, Seaton Cultural Heritage Resources Assessment: Technical Appendix. Report
Prepared for the Seaton Interim Planning Team (Ontario Ministry of Housing), July 1994. Accessed
online at http://www.pada.ca/books/details/?id=2023&keywords=vardon.
J.H. Beers &. Co., Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of Ontario, Ont., J.H., Beers & Co.:
Toronto, 1877 via McGill University, The Canadian County Atlas Digital Project, 2001 accessed
July, 2015 at http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/countyatlas/.
Library and Archives Canada
1851, Census of 1851, Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia;
Pickering Township, Ontario County, Canada West; Schedule B: Roll C11742. Page 277-
278, line 15.
Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Standards & Guidelines for Conservation of Provincial
Heritage Properties. April, 2010.
---. Standards and Guidelines for Consultant Archaeologists. 2011.
Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.0.18.
Pickering-Ajax Digital Archives. 2003. Accessed online at http://www.pada.ca/.
Ritchie, T., “Notes on Dichromatic Brickwork in Ontario,” Bulletin of the Association for
Preservation Technology. Vol. 11, No. 2(1979), pp. 60-75.
Scheinman, André. Seaton Built Heritage Assessment, Report prepared for the North Pickering
Land Exchange Team, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, November 2004.
Stratton, Michael and Trinder, Barrie. Twentieth Century Industrial Archaeology. Taylor & Francis
Group: New York, 2000.
Cultural Heritage Property Evaluation Report Prepared for The City of Pickering 1200 Whitevale Road, Pickering ON November 9, 2015
Amy Barnes Consulting cuHeritage
Pa
g
e
39
Unterman McPhail Heritage Resource Consultants, The Hamlet of Whitevale, Heritage
Conservation District Study, Background Report. Report prepared for the City of Pickering,
August 1989.
Wood, William. Past years in Pickering From Pickering collection ‘sketches of the history of the
community’. Claremont Ontario, 1911. Accessed online at
http://archive.org/stream/pastyearsinpicke00wooduoft/pastyearsinpicke00wooduoft_djvu.txt.