Notice is Hereby Given that the Council of The Corporation of theTown of Newmarket intends to designate as a property of culturalheritage value and interest the following property in accordance withthe Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.O.18:
Property Description: 440-442 Eagle Street (Hill/Beman/RobinsonHouse) is located on the south side of Eagle Street in the Town ofNewmarket. The large two-and-a-half storey frame building wasbuilt between 1801 and 1804 and moved to its current location in1855.
Legal Description: PART LOT 22 S/S EAGLE, LOT 23 S/S EAGLE,PLAN 85, NEWMARKET
Publication Date: Nov 1, 2024
Last Date for Objection: Dec 1, 2024Any notice of objection to this Notice of Intention to Designate, settingout the reason for objection and all relevant facts, must be servedupon the Town Clerk within 30 days of the first publication of thisnotice.
Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest:
Physical/ Design Value
440-442 Eagle Street is an early example of a vernacular buildingand is one of the oldest in Newmarket. The massing of 440-442Eagle Street follows a simple but large two-and-a-half storey framestructure constructed to a rectangular plan. The large unadorned frontgable frame building follows a rectangular plan with simple windowopenings often found in vernacular expressions.
Historical and Associative Value
440-442 Eagle Street directly associated with the historic Village ofNewmarket. 440-442 Eagle Street is one of the first knownresidence constructed in the village by Joseph Hill around 1801 andlater occupied by the Beman-Robinson family.
The lots lines, layout, and built form of the historic village ofNewmarket was well established in the mid-19th century and evidentin a well-established commercial core found along Main Street andthe large presence of residences located along several side streets.The development of the commercial core and surrounding residentialstreetscapes in the mid-19th century played a significant role in thesocial and economic development and growth of the Village ofNewmarket.
440-442 Eagle Street was built around 1801 by Joseph Hill, aQuaker settler who arrived in Newmarket along with Timothy Rogersand his first wave of settlers from the United States. Along with thisresidence, Hill also constructed a dam and mill at the foot of MainStreet creating the millpond currently known as Fairy Lake. JosephHill occupied the property until 1804, when the mill, store, and frameresidence were purchased by Elisha Beman. In 1808, Elisha Bemanobtained more of Joseph Hill's property, including an illegallyoperating tannery. Elisha Beman was born in New York in 1795immigrated to York (Toronto) around 1795. Elisha Beman establishedhimself as the proprietor of a tavern and the Commissioner ofWeights and Measures for the town of York, and also served as itsOverseer of Highways in 1801 and 1802. In 1802, he married EstherSayre Robinson, the widow of Christopher Robinson, who had been amember of the Legislative Assembly and the Deputy Surveyor of Woods and Forests. As a result of this marriage, Elisha Bemanbecame well connected to powerful families with far-reachingpolitical connections. Elisha Beman moved his family to Newmarket in1803, where he purchase Jospeh Hill's mill, store, and house, alongwith 95 acres of land.
Elisha Beman and his stepsons, Peter Robinson, John Beverly Robinson,and William Robinson operated numerous lucrative businesses inNewmarket. He was known as a shrewd businessman with ties toOntario's prominent families and was responsible for much of thefledgling village's early growth. Peter Robinson and John BeverlyRobinson would go on to play important roles in the early governmentof Ontario, while William Robinson helped his stepfather with severallocal commercial ventures. During Beman-Robinsons ownership of thehouse it served as a place of hospitality for many well known figuressuch as Dr. John Strachan, Lord Dalhousie, Sir Peregrine Maitland,and Sir John Franklin. Thanks to lucrative contracts with governmentofficials and prominent businessmen, farmers were able to delivertheir grain to Beman's mills in Newmarket to be processed instead ofhaving to ship their grain to Toronto, which in turn encouragedbusiness in Newmarket and aided in its early development asWhitchurch Township's mercantile centre. By the time of ElishaBeman's death in 1821, his store had developed into one of thelarger trading establishments in the region. After Elisha Beman deaththe frame residence continued to be occupied by his family until theproperty was sold to George Cotter in 1837. George Cotter usedthe sawmill originally constructed by Elisha Beman as an oat mill.
Around 1855, the Beman-Robinson house was relocated to its currentlocation at 440-442 Eagle Street by Capt. Wellington Selby, the sonof Colonel Thomas "Squire" Shelby of Sharon, a well regardedmilitary figure who fought at the Battle of Queenston Heights in theWar of 1812. At this time the house was converted it into a doubletenant house, however it retained much of its original appearance.
Contextual Value
440-442 Eagle Street is important in supporting the 19th centurycharacter of the historic Village of Newmarket. Several residential sidestreets, including Eagle Street, were established in the village core, nearthe commercial Main Street. Located off or parallel to Main Street, thebuildings along the side streets are comprised of predominantly one totwo-and-a-half storey residences, primarily brick construction most usingbricks from Stickwood's brickyard, with modest setbacks and include arange of architectural styles from that time period. As one of the earliestbuildings in Newmarket, 440-442 Eagle Street exhibits setback andmassing which associated with early buildings which help define the earlyorigins of the historic village.
Additional information, including a full description of the rationale fordesignation is available upon request from Umar Mahmood, Planner,Committee of Adjustment and Cultural Heritage, Planning Services at(905) 895-5193, extension 2458, or at umahmood@newmarket.caduring regular business hours.