Notice is Hereby Given that the Council of The Corporation ofthe Town of Newmarket intends to designate as a property ofcultural heritage value and interest the following property inaccordance with the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.O.18:
Property Description: 75 Prospect Street (Eugene Cane House) islocated on the east side of Prospect Street at the intersection ofProspect Street and Queen Street. The subject property containsa large two-storey Queen Anne building constructed between1874 and 1891.
Legal Description: PT LT 67 PL 125 NEWMARKET; LT 69 PL 125NEWMARKET AS IN R372087; 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, must beserved upon the Town Clerk within 30 days of the first publicationof this notice.
Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest:
Physical/ Design Value
75 Prospect Street is a representative example of the QueenAnne architectural style. The large two-and-a-half storey brickbuilding with protruding bays, recessed entrance and variousprojecting elements creates an asymmetrical facade and overallirregular plan which is a typical characteristic of Queen Annedesign. The complex roof with overhanging eaves showcaseselaborately decorative gabled pediments expressed in carvedwood scrolls, fish scale siding, dentils, and decorative paneling, and the ornate gable peak with decorative woodwork in theform of bargeboard and finial are indicative of the playfulcomposition typical in Queen Anne design. In addition to theroofline detailing, the subject property includes several surfacesfinishes illustrated in the raised brick belt courses and theprojecting stepped brick detail near the roofline. The use ofrounded, rectangular and segmentally arched window openingswith brick voussoirs and the large rectangular window openingslocated on the two-storey canted wall with heavy rock facedlintels and sills and stain glass window are also expressions ofthe variation and stylishness of Queen Anne architecture. Theone-storey porch on the facade includes a Classically inspiredgable pediment position over the single rectangular dooropening and has an ornate architrave with dentils which iscarried through the porch roofline. Classical detailing is alsoexpressed in the one-storey bay window in the form of engagedcolumns and elaborate architrave with dentils. Despite thecomplex roof and irregular composition, the subject propertyremains beautifully balanced through its decorative details andlegible as a Queen Anne design.
Historical and Associative Value
75 Prospect Street is directly associated with the historicVillage of Newmarket and the Cane family. The lots lines,layout, and built form of the historic village of Newmarketwas well established in the mid-19th century and evident in awell-established commercial core found along Main Street andthe large presence of residences located along several sidestreets. Simultaneously, Prospect Street, located on the east sideof the Holland River and part of a community known as Garbutt Hill, developed during the mid-19th century. Garbutt Hill wasthe site of several important businesses such as the StickwoodBrickyard, the pump factory, Thomas Gardiner's foundry, lateroccupied by the Newmarket Dairy, and the York CountyHospital. By 1865, several small bridges and makeshift roadshad been constructed across the Holland River and TimothyStreet extending the road to Garbutt Hill (Prospect Street) wasopened the same year. The development of the commercial coreand surrounding residential streetscapes, including thecommunity of Garbutt Hill, in the mid 19th century played asignificant role in the social and economic development andgrowth of the Village of Newmarket. It is likely that the brickused in the construction of the residence was from the StickwoodBrickyard, which produced both red and buff/yellow- colouredbricks during this time period. Local historians indicate thatalmost all of the brick buildings built in Newmarket between1860 and 1910 were likely constructed with bricks thatoriginated at the Stickwood Brickyard. The use of locally madebricks reflect the concentrated development and prosperity ofthe historic core.
75 Prospect Street is directly associated with the Cane family.William Cane and his son Joseph "Eugene" Cane were theowners of William Cane & Sons, a prosperous lumber business inthe Town of Newmarket. William Cane's business was originallylocated in Queensville, but after a series of fires he moved theoperations to Newmarket in the 1870s, where the factoryproduced wood products for many homes in the area. WhenNewmarket received Town status in 1881, William Cane waselected as the Town's first mayor. The residence at 75 ProspectStreet was built between 1874 and 1891 by William Cane forhis son, Joseph Eugene Cane, who purchased the house from hisfather in 1897. In addition to his role at William Cane & Sons,Eugene served as the North York License Commissioner in 1893and 1903. 75 Prospect Street remained in the Cane family until1942, when Eugene Cane's widow Myrtle Cane sold the houseto the Dales family.
Contextual Value
75 Prospect Street is important in supporting the 19th centurycharacter of the historic Village of Newmarket. Severalresidential side streets, including Prospect Street wereestablished in the village core, near the commercial Main Street.Located off or parallel to Main Street, the buildings along theside streets are comprised of predominantly one to two-and-a- half storey residences, primarily brick construction most usingbricks from Stickwood's brickyard, with modest setbacks andinclude a range of architectural styles from that time period. 75Prospect Street exhibits massing, style, decorative detailsconsistent with the historic village character and is legible as anearly building along the streetscape.
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.