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 accordancewith the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.O.18:
Property Description: 266 Prospect Street (William WiddifieldHouse) is located at the southwest corner at the intersection ofProspect Street and Water Street in the Town of Newmarket. Thesubject property consists of a two-and-a-half storey Queen Annebuilding constructed in 1894.
Legal Description: PART LOTS 8 & 9 W/S PROSPECT STREET, PLAN15; PART LOT 9, PLAN 34, PART LOTS 17 & 18, PART BLOCK E,PLAN 85; TOWN OF 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 publication ofthis notice.
Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest:
Physical/ Design Value
266 Prospect Street is a representative example of a buildingconstructed in the Queen Anne architectural style. The two-and-a- half storey red brick building follows an irregular plan with complexroofline showcasing front and side gables, dormer, overhangingeaves which create the playful and asymmetrical composition typicalQueen Anne design. The facade exhibits several elaborate anddecorative details including an ornate banding and a one-storeyportico with ornate keyhole arch entrance surrounded by decorativevoussoir with keystone and stringers and a roofline with dentils anddecorative detailing, and segmentally arched door which arecharacteristics of the Queen Anne style. The various windowopenings including the large prominent arched facade window withwooden detailing and brackets, the tall and narrow segmentallyarched window openings with brick voussoirs and stone sills and thequarter circle windows, are representative of the variationassociated with Queen Anne style. The one-storey southern wing withgable peak includes an enclosed porch/sunroom featuring ornateroofline with brackets, dentils and decorative detailing showcasesadditional elements associated with the Queen Anne style. Thedetailed woodwork and brickwork, and ornamental design ofopenings provides a playfulness that is representative of QueenAnne style.
Historical and Associative Value
266 Prospect Street is directly associated with the historic Village ofNewmarket, lawyer William C. Widdifield and architect WilliamBunney. 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.Simultaneously, Prospect Street, located on the east side of theHolland River and part of a community known as Garbutt Hill,developed during the mid-19th century. Garbutt Hill was the site ofseveral important businesses such as the Stickwood Brickyard, thepump factory, Thomas Gardiner's foundry, later occupied by theNewmarket Dairy, and the York County Hospital. By 1865, severalsmall bridges and makeshift roads had been constructed across theHolland River and Timothy Street extending the road to Garbutt Hill(Prospect Street) was opened the same year. The development of thecommercial core and surrounding residential streetscapes, includingthe community of Garbutt Hill, in the mid-19th century played asignificant role in the social and economic development and growth of the Village of Newmarket. Many early merchants with stores on MainStreet lived in the nearby side streets, including lawyer William C.Widdifield, who kept his offices at 207 Main Street. It is likely thatthe brick used in the construction of the residence was from theStickwood Brickyard, which produced both red and buff/yellowcoloured bricks during this time period. Local historians indicate thatalmost all of the brick buildings built in Newmarket between 1860and 1910 were likely constructed with bricks that originated at theStickwood Brickyard. The use of locally made bricks reflect theconcentrated development and prosperity of the historic core.
266 Prospect is associated with prominent lawyer William ClarkWiddifield, who was descended from one of Newmarket'sinfluential and early Quaker families. He kept offices in theWiddifield Building at the corner of Main Street and Botsford Street,which was built in 1879 by William Widdifield's brother JosephWiddifield. In 1894, Widdifield hired local architect William Bunneyto adapt the 1848 one-storey frame Baptist church that was on thesubject property into two-and-a-half storey, brick and stone cladresidence. The property remained in the Widdifield family foraround 50 years before adapted into a nursing home, and then anapartment building.
266 Prospect is associated William Bunney. William Bunney wasborn in Cornwall, England in 1851 and immigrated to Bowmanville in1871, where he began working as an architect. He joined theOntario Associated of Architects (OAA) in November 1890 andmoved to Newmarket in 1894. William Bunney was locally employedby Wm. Cane & Sons, a manufacturer of a wide range of woodproducts, and also responsible for the design not only of his ownresidence at 70 Main Street South, but also several other residencesof other prominent local citizens, some of which are still extant. Hemoved to Ottawa in 1898 and died in Hamilton in 1925.
266 Prospect Street reflects the work of local architect WilliamBunney. Many of William Bunney's local commissions were buildingsconstructed in the Queen Anne Style for prominent institutions orcommunity members. The elaborate and/or well-known buildingswithin Newmarket that reflect William Bunney's architectural workincludes the Christian Church Manse at 127 Main Street, his owndwelling at 70 Main Street, and the Brunton residence at 480 EagleStreet.
Contextual Value
266 Prospect Street is important in supporting the 19th centurycharacter of the historic Village of Newmarket. Several residentialside streets, including Prospect Street, were established in thevillage core, near the commercial Main Street. Located off orparallel to Main Street, the buildings along the side streets arecomprised of predominantly one to two-and-a half storeyresidences, primarily brick construction most using bricks fromStickwood's brickyard, with modest setbacks and include a range ofarchitectural styles from that time period. 266 Prospect Streetexhibits setback, massing, style, decorative details consistent withthe historic village character.
226 Prospect Street is a local landmark. Based on historicalmaterials which notes the property's grandeur and prominence inNewmarket at the time of its construction, 266 Prospect Streetcontinues to serve as a local landmark by the community both due toits prominent location on the corner of Prospect and Water Streetatop a high ridge overlooking the historic village and its grandarchitecture.
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.ca duringregular business hours.