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: 233 Prospect Street (Pearson- Sutherland House) is located on the east side of ProspectStreet in the Town of Newmarket. The property is in thehistoric core of the settlement and consists of a two-storeyItalianate building constructed between 1888 and 1891.
Legal Description: PT LT 4 E OF PROSPECT ST., PT LT 5 E OFPROSPECT ST., PT LT 1 N OF LYDIA ST. PL 85 AS IN R512650,SAVE AND EXCEPT PTS 1 & 2, 65R34147 TOWN OFNEWMARKET
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
233 Prospect Street is a representative example of abuilding constructed in the Italianate architectural style.The two-and-a-half storey building follows an irregular planwith asymmetrical but balanced facade and complex rooflinewith prominent gables, Dutch gable, and hip sections, wideoverhanging eaves with exposed rafter tails, and ornamentalbrackets, bargeboard, and finials in gable peaks are typicalfeatures associated with Italianate architecture. The buffbrick construction with raised decorative banding coursed in acommon bond, the cantered wall and two-and-a-half storeybay window, and the ornate large chimney finished withornamental brickwork in the form of arches, stepped brick,and belt course features are associated with the Italianatestyle. The prominent and large facade arched window, roundwindows in gable peaks, the rhythmically positions tall andnarrow segmental window openings all with decorative brickvoussoirs and stone sills, as well as the one-storey baywindow with large arched window, decorative voussoirs,metal cresting, and carved brackets located adjacent to therecessed formal entranceway are all features associated withthe Italianate style.
Historical and Associative Value
233 Prospect Street is directly associated with the historicVillage of Newmarket and James J. Pearson. The lots lines,layout, and built form of the historic village of Newmarket waswell established in the mid-19th century and evident in a wellestablished commercial core found along Main Street and thelarge 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 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.
233 Prospect Street was built between 1888 and 1891 as aresidence for James J. Pearson and his wife, Mary JanePearson. James J Pearson was the son of James Pearson, anearly Quaker settler who arrived around 1800 to WhitchurchTownship. James J. Pearson was educated at Oberlin Collegein Ohio and after a brief career in the sawmilling trade, hewas appointed as the Registrar for North York in 1863, aposition which he filled for over forty years. He was alsoinvolved in other several civic matters such as serving as aJustice of the Peace and as one of the first members of theNewmarket Central Board of Health, created in 1886.
Contextual Value
233 Prospect Street is important in supporting the 19thcentury character of the historic Village of Newmarket.Several residential side streets, including Prospect 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 one totwo-and-a-half storey residences, primarily brick constructionmost using bricks from Stickwood's brickyard, with modestsetbacks and include a range of architectural styles from thattime period. 233 Prospect Street exhibits setback, massing,style, decorative details consistent with the historic villagecharacter.
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.