Four more of Bradford’s historic farmhouses are on track to be recognized with heritage status.
Based on recommendations from the heritage committee, council approved designating the properties under the Ontario Heritage Act, during its regular meeting on Oct. 15.
The committee made those recommendations during their Sept. 26 meeting based on reports from Thomas Dysart, senior planner for the town, who completed the evaluations of the properties — all of which he found to have both architectural and historical value from the early settlers who built them.
Council approved the heritage committee minutes and recommendations without discussion, but when it came to adopting a bylaw for the Earl Rowe property, Ward 2 Coun. Jonathan Scott, who also sits on the heritage committee, noted that more heritage designations have been approved this term than in any other term of council, and there are still more to come.
Luckily, the timeline has been extended by two years for staff and the committee to review a long list of potential properties.
The deadline for municipalities to issue notice of intention to designate properties was extended from Jan. 1, 2025, to Jan. 1, 2027 as part of provincial Bill 200, the Homeowner Protection Act, which received royal assent on June 6.
Hughes House
The Hughes house is a Georgian two-storey farmhouse built around 1845, located at 1641 County Road 27 on a 30.47-hectare (75-acre) property on the west side of County Road 27, north of Highway 9, according to Dysart’s report.
The property was added to the town’s municipal heritage register in 2015, and is surrounded by several other nearby listed properties.
In terms of the architectural value, Dysart notes the home is “an exemplary model of Georgian architecture.”
It features a three-bay, symmetrical facade with dichromatic brickwork at the corners and throughout, gable end roofs, and while it has only one central chimney now, photos of the original home show the possibility of chimneys on both ends.
While the house is a central block, an addition and a more modern garage were added since about 1978, or earlier.
In terms of historical value, Dysart explains the Hughes House is linked to the Hughes family, who were early settlers, Quakers and active farmers that contributed to the growth and development of the town and the development of the hamlet of Dunkerron.
West-Howard house
The West-Howard house is a 1.5-storey Ontario vernacular farmhouse built around 1845, located at 4029 Line 6 on a 1.2-hectare (2.96-acre) property east of County Road 27, according to Dysart’s report.
He notes the house is “an excellent example of 19th Century farmhouse design,” featuring a five-bay facade, end-gable roof and a stone smoke house in the rear yard.
The property was added to the town’s municipal heritage register in 2015, and is surrounded by several other nearby listed properties.
The house is linked to the Howard and West families, both of which were early settlers and active farmers who contributed to the growth and development of the Bradford/West Gwillimbury community.
Armson-Wood house
The Armson-Wood house is a two-storey Georgian farmhouse built around 1845, located at 3778 County Road 88 on a 40.3-hectare (99-acre) property west of Highway 400, according to Dysart’s report.
He notes the house “is an exemplary model of Georgian architecture,” featuring a symmetrical five-over-five facade, a gable end roof and is also one of few remaining mud-block constructed homes in West Gwillimbury/Simcoe County.
The property was added to the town’s municipal heritage register in 2015, and is surrounded by several other nearby listed properties.
The house is linked to the Armson and Woods families, both of which were early settlers and active farmers who contributed to the growth and development of the Bradford/West Gwillimbury community.
William Armson, the first owner of the property, went on to be the longest-serving warden of the County of Simcoe, according to the report.
Goodfellow/Williams House
The Goodfellow/Williams house is a Gothic Revival/neoclassical 1.5-storey brick farmhouse built around 1865, located at 3423 County Road 88 on a 63-hectare (155-acre) property on the south side of County Road 88, west of Highway 400, according to Dysart’s report.
The property was added to the town’s municipal heritage register in 2015, and is surrounded by several other nearby listed properties.
The home features a steep gable roof with a central front temple-pediment gable, decorative bargeboard under the roof detail, symmetrical massing, red brick, interior chimneys on both sides of the house and a wooden veranda with balcony above, traditional six-over-six windows, and the home sits on a fieldstone/rubble foundation.
The house is linked with the Goodfellow and Williams families, both of which were early settlers and active farmers who contributed to the growth and development of the Bradford/West Gwillimbury community.
Earl Rowe property
Also based on advice from Dysart, and in response to a request from the Land Registry Office, the committee recommended and council approved a clerical update to the heritage designation bylaw to ensure proper legal description of the Earl Rowe property at 4304-4306 Line 10.
Council previously approved designating the property under the heritage act on Feb. 1, 2022 — a process which took multiple years.
William Earl Rowe was Ontario’s 20th lieutenant governor and a major contributor to both Newton Robinson and the Township of West Gwillimbury.
Rowe lived in the farmhouse, an example of Gothic Revival architecture, from 1917 to 1984.
— With files from Jenni Dunning and Patrick Bales