Notice is Hereby Given that the Council of The Corporationof the Town of Newmarket intends to designate as a propertyof cultural heritage value and interest the following propertyin accordance with the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.O.18:
Property Description: 471 Eagle Street (Dye's Inn) is locatedon a large lot on the west side of Eagle Street in the Town ofNewmarket. The subject property consists of a two-and-a-halfstorey Georgian building with two storey rear wing which wasconstructed between 1820 and 1822.
Legal Description: PT LT 97 PL 81 NEWMARKET; PT BLK K PL85 NEWMARKET PTS 1 & 2 65R1599, AS CONFIRMED BYBA236 AS IN R115553; S/T NE10608 NEWMARKET
Publication Date: Nov 1, 2024
Last Date for Objection: Dec 1, 2024Any notice of objection to this Notice of Intention to Designate,setting out the reason for objection and all relevant facts, mustbe served upon the Town Clerk within 30 days of the firstpublication of this notice.
Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest:
Physical/ Design Value
471 Eagle Street has physical value as an early example ofan inn and tavern in the Town of Newmarket. The two-and- a-half storey wood frame building with two-storey rear wingwas constructed between 1820 and 1822. The inn is believedto have housed the first tavern in the Town of Newmarket.
Historical and Associative Value
471 Eagle Street is a representative example of a buildingconstructed in the Georgian architectural style. The buildingincludes a large two-and-a-half storey wood frame buildingwith a balanced and symmetrical three-bay facade andcentrally place rectangular door opening with transom andsidelights which are typical features of Georgian architectureThe box like main portion of the building has side gable roofwith overhanging eaves, end chimneys, one-storey baywindow, and unadorned and rhythmically placed rectangularwindow openings which are also common features associatedwith Georgian architecture style.
471 Eagle Street is directly associated with the historicVillage of Newmarket and several prominent communitymembers. The lots lines, layout, and built form of the historicvillage of Newmarket was well established in the mid-19thcentury and evident in a well-established commercial corefound along Main Street and the large presence ofresidences located along several side streets. Thedevelopment of the commercial core and surroundingresidential streetscapes in the mid-19th century played asignificant role in the social and economic development andgrowth of the Village of Newmarket.
471 Eagle Street, originally known as Dye's Inn, was builtbetween 1820 and 1822 for proprietor Michael Dye. It isone of the oldest remaining buildings in Newmarket and remains in its original location along Eagle Street, ahistorically important roadway. The two-storey building withrear wing are present on an 1862 map of the Village. Theformer inn's narrow setback to the road is a visible reminderof Newmarket's early beginnings when travel was bystagecoach and there were hotels and taverns in mostsettlements. Some historical documentation note that theproperty might have been the site of an early inn operated,by either Elisha Beman or Thomas Dye, where the firstmurder in Newmarket occurred in 1819. The property wasseized from Michael Dye due to bankruptcy, however it hadseveral prominent owners throughout the 19th century. JohnCawthra was the proprietor of Newmarket's first bank andused the inn as a private residence before it was sold toHugh Willson. He operated it as Willson's Hotel during the1850s. It was sold to a local doctor in the 1860s andconverted into a private residence, which it remained until1985.
Contextual Value
471 Eagle Street is important in supporting the 19thcentury character of the historic Village of Newmarket.Several residential side streets, including Eagle Street, wereestablished in the village core, near the commercial MainStreet. Located off or parallel to Main Street, the buildingsalong the side streets are comprised of predominantly oneto two-and-a-half storey residences, primarily brickconstruction, with modest setbacks and include a range ofarchitectural styles from that time period. As one of theearliest buildings in Newmarket, 471 Eagle Street exhibitssetback and massing which are associated with earlybuildings and which help define the early origins of thehistoric village.
Additional information, including a full description of therationale for designation is available upon request fromUmar Mahmood, Planner, Committee of Adjustment andCultural Heritage, Planning Services at (905) 895-5193,extension 2458, or at umahmood@newmarket.ca duringregular business hours.