Category Archives: SHS Committee News

News that in general refers to the Committees of the Scarborough Historical Society.

“History of Old Malvern” – A new ebook for Society members

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History of Old Malvern

In honour of Heritage Week 2013, members of the Scarborough Historical Society now have access to a rare (and out of print) book, available as a free download in the Members Area of our website as a PDF ebook file.

The password to access the members area has not changed from last year, but a reminder will be published in the next Society newsletter.

Only 500 copies of “History of Old Malvern” were printed in 1973, published on the occasion of the 116th year since the founding of Malvern.
The 56 page book was compiled and edited by Robert H. Eadie and the “Malvern Committee” of Mrs. Phyllis Busato, Mr. Wm. Robbins, and Mrs. Jamie McCowan.
This publication chronicles a first-hand glimpse into the everyday lives of the people of Old Malvern, and the places they frequented.

Residents of the modern Scarborough community know Malvern to be an immense neighbourhood centered near the intersection of Neilson Rd. & Tapscott Rd., but the name first thrived as a farming community centered further south west, at the crossroads village of Malvern, located at Sheppard Ave. & Markham Rd.

Old Malvern had changed from its rural farming roots when the book was published in 1973, and since then it has changed drastically, to the point where very little exists of the original settlement.

*If you are not a member of the Scarborough Historical Society, any browser of the S.H.S. website may view selected images of Malvern, click here to view the S.H.S. Malvern village image gallery.

Heritage Showcase 2013 at Scarborough Town Centre

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Scarborough Town Centre

Scarborough Town Centre.     Photo: Jeremy Hopkin

Heritage Week Display – February 22-24

On Family Day, the third Monday of February, we began what was formally known as “Heritage Week”. To mark the occasion, the annual Scarborough Archives heritage display was set up at the Scarborough Town Centre by the Scarborough Historical Society.

Scarborough’s heritage is barely 200 years old if we set aside the early Native People who once inhabited the area. Yet local heritage is something on which we can all reflect, regardless of our ancestral roots.

Scarborough remained a purely rural community until about 1910 when suburban development then began at Birch Cliff. Electricity first arrived in the township in 1912, a water works in 1921 and high schools in 1922 and 1929. By 1940 the population reached 23,274.

During the post war boom, subdividers quickly transformed open farmland into streets of closely packed houses, commercial buildings and industry. By 1955 the population had surpassed 100,000 and Scarborough had become one of the federated municipalities of Metropolitan Toronto. During the next 45 years, families from all parts of the world came to make a new home in Scarborough. In 1998, with a population of over half a million, Scarborough’s municipal government, along with the rest of Metro, was amalgamated into one municipal government, a new City of Toronto. Community names such as Scarborough, Agincourt, Highland Creek and West Hill are still recognized and Scarborough had retained its own Community Council to deal with local issues.

As we celebrated Heritage Week 2013, the Scarborough Archives and Historical Society set up its annual display at Sears Court in the Scarborough Town Centre, during regular mall hours from Friday, February 22nd to Sunday the 24th.

This columnist and a host of volunteers were on hand to meet Scarborough Mirror readers and the general public, answer questions about our heritage and display the Archives’ extensive photo collection for all to view. Included in the photo collection were hundreds of aerial photographs showing the development of the communities during the boom years 1950-1975…

– Rick Schofield.

Scarborough Archives verandah restoration begins

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Scarborough Archives after restoration of wooden verandah. Photo: Don Allen

By Jeremy Hopkin.

The Scarborough Historical Society is pleased to announce the restoration of the upper woodwork on the verandah of the Scarborough Archives building is complete. The facility in which the Scarborough Archives now resides was formerly the W.J. Morrish general store. Constructed during 1891, the building served residents of Highland Creek and surrounding rural areas as a general store until closing its doors in 1967.

Although essential repairs to the exterior of the building were made when the Archives first occupied the building, the verandah could not be included as it did not work within funding guidelines. In the meantime Scarborough Historical Society volunteers continually painted all exposed woodwork on the verandah to protect it from further deterioration until project funding could be acquired.

Earlier this year, Hydro One stepped forward to provide the Scarborough Historical Society with a donation to commence with restoration. A request for tender was publicized and the architectural restoration specialists of Colonial Building Restoration were awarded the work contract. They began the process of dismantling and stripping the wood on July 3rd, 2012.

Scarborough Archives verandah woodwork under restoration, 2012. Photo: Rick Schofield.

Over a century of accumulated paint was painstakingly removed from the wood by use of heat guns and stripping tools. This revealed that although most of the underlying wood is in great shape for its age, time has taken its toll – two of the main posts had to be replaced along with other small deteriorated areas. Sections with dry rot or damage were replicated and replaced so that the entire verandah could be properly reassembled and painted.

As paint was removed, notes were made on the layers of coatings which once covered the wooden members over the years. Deep under the paint remained evidence of a coat of linseed oil from what most likely is the original sealing coat made during construction in the 1890s.

Molding details which had disappeared from the posts several years ago were also re-created, utilizing an 1894 image of the W.J. Morrish general store front as reference.

The tin plated roof of the verandah, also in need of repair, was not included in the current restoration project, although the Scarborough Historical Society plans to undertake this secondary task in the near future when additional funding can once again be acquired.
The existing tin roof is not original when one examines the 1894 photograph. However, the original roof material needs further research and in the short term, to protect the existing tin,  the Society will repair the joint where the roof meets the building and repaint the existing tin with rust inhibiting primer/sealer and quality paint.

Verandah restoration image gallery:

Scarborough Archives after restoration of wooden verandah. Photo: Don Allen
Scarborough Archives verandah woodwork under restoration. Photo: Rick Schofield.
The Scarborough Archives verandah is propped up during restoration. Photo: Rick Schofield.
The Archives verandah is propped up as a post is replaced. Photo: Rick Schofield.
An employee of Colonial Building Restoration heats and scrapes paint from the verandah of the Scarborough Archives. Photo: Don Allen.
Wooden spindle from the Scarborough Archives verandah during restoration. Photo: Rick Schofield.
Verandah of the Scarborough Archives during woodwork restoration. Photo: Don Allen.
Verandah of the Scarborough Archives during woodwork restoration. Photo: Don Allen.
Verandah of the Scarborough Archives after woodwork restoration. Photo: Don Allen.

Board of Directors – Committee Updates

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At the recent meetings of your Board of Directors, the Board reviewed the various committees:

The Friends of the Museum Committee reported that the Society hired four students during the summer to work on various projects through our Museum partnership, including a very successful Canada Day.

The New Horizons for Seniors grant has seen numerous seniors working with youth to develop partnerships which benefit both segments of our society.

The Archives and Research Committee continues its successful operations at the Scarborough Archives / W.J. Morrish building with ongoing work throughout the summer. The Archivist’s Facebook page, “Scarborough, Looking Back” is being used along with the Society website, to communicate the history of Scarborough to a wider audience… over 8,000 online visitors.

The Communications Committee is currently working on an updated website and looking at more ways to communicate with our members and the general public. Thanks to the efforts of Jan Howe and the Programme Committee, most of our Bendale Library programs for the coming Fall / Winter are finalized.

We look forward to the following programs in early in 2012:

“I’ve Got a Home in Glory Land” and “How the Scots Invented Canada” (details in future newsletters)