Lionel Purcell & Richard Schofield were awarded among inductees of the 2013 Scarborough Walk Of Fame at a special ceremony which took place at the Scarborough Town Centre.
The renovated “Springfield Jimmie” Thomson house, Bendale. Photo: Rick Schofield.
*Excerpt from the Scarborough Mirror, Dec. 26, 2012.
“‘Springfield Jimmie’s’ house restoration breathes new life into home
Looking Back: Rick Schofield
While much has been written about the Thomson Settlement, we are indeed fortunate that several of the most historic buildings have been saved from demolition.
“Springfield Jimmie” Thomson’s lovely, bank farmhouse at 146 St. Andrew’s Road, is one of the oldest brick buildings in Scarborough and stands as a tribute to not only the Thomson family, but also to all our pioneers. The beautifully detailed verendah faces south and is quite visible to the public. It reflects the pride our early builders took in the construction of their permanent homes.
The bank style also shows the builders’ respect and understanding of the environment. “Springfield” is built into the side of the bank of Highland Creek. While appearing as a two-and-a-half storey house on one side, it is one and a half storeys high on the opposite side. Only one level of this bank-style house was exposed to the cold north and west winds.
The lower sections on the north and west sides of the building are beneath the ground. However, the warmer south side of the building has large windows which allowed the morning sun to brighten and warm the house during an era when electricity and central heating were visions of the future. Adjacent to the house stands a unique fieldstone cold cellar, also built into the side of the hill.
Several years ago, the bank took possession and after a short period on the market it was sold to a contractor whose goal was to restore the exterior to its former glory, yet renovate the interior as a modern, high-end dwelling. Mission accomplished.
INTERIOR GUTTED
While retaining and restoring the heritage aspects of the exterior, including the rebuilding of the verendah; the interior was gutted, a modern addition added to the rear and the large, surrounding property professionally landscaped. What the general public sees now would certainly have pleased “Jimmie” but he would never recognize its 21st century interior.
Restoring the entire house would have been preferred but not likely to generate a sale due to the high cost of renovation. This is a compromise that should guarantee that the 160 year old house will still be around 100 years from now.
It’s now for sale to the right buyer, with a price of $1.7 million.”
*To see more historical images of houses in Bendale, click here to visit the SHS website’s Bendale photo Gallery.
The Scarborough Town Centre played host to Heritage Showcase
By Rick Schofield
Heritage Day or Family Day is the third Monday of February, and Heritage Week gives us a chance to look back at our community’s history. To mark the occasion, a special Heritage Week display was set up in the Scarborough Town Centre at Sears Court on the weekend of Feb. 24 to 26.
Scarborough’s documented history is barely 200 years old, yet local heritage is something on which we can all reflect, regardless of our ancestral roots. We remained a purely rural community until about 1910 when suburban development then began in Birch Cliff. But more growth is on its way.
During the post war boom, developers 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. Aerial photographs in the Scarborough Archives dating from 1949-1970s illustrate the rapid transformation of the landscape. During the next 50 years, families from all parts of the world came to make a new home in Scarborough. Our community is now one of the most culturally diverse in the world.
In 1998, with a population of more than half a million, municipal government was amalgamated into a new City of Toronto but community names such as Scarborough, Agincourt, Highland Creek and West Hill are still recognized and Scarborough has retained its own Community Council to deal with local issues. We’re like the Boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx, which amalgamated into New York City back in 1898. Those names are still in use today, more than 100 years later. Our municipal government has changed, but the Scarborough community names still survive.
As we celebrated Heritage Week 2012, we reflected briefly upon the days when early settlers set out to clear the land and build homes for their families.
Once again, to mark Heritage Week, the Scarborough Historical Society and Archives set up a display at Sears Court in the Scarborough Town Centre, during regular shopping centre hours from Friday, Feb. 24 to 26, 2012
Archives’ volunteers were on hand to meet the general public, answer questions about our heritage and display the archives’ extensive photo collection for all to view.
Residents were invited to come look at the hundreds of post war aerial photographs showing the development of Scarborough and look through community photo albums filled with street scenes and historic landmarks. Those interested in Scarborough’s history can sgtill visit our Facebook page: “Scarborough, Looking Back” or our website: www.scarboroughhistorical.ca
note: If you missed us this year, we’ll be back in February, 2013.
Jeremiah Annis house, c.1890
*From www.insidetoronto.com, Feb. 3, 2012.
Also published in the Scarborough Mirror, Feb. 3, 2012
Looking Back – By Rick Schofield
Early in 1975, the Scarborough Historical Society took steps to study the historic buildings still existing in Scarborough and to approach council to have them declared historic sites for preservation under the Ontario Heritage Act. Scarborough Council was most sympathetic at that time and was of great assistance.
The Jeremiah Annis house on Kingston Road, at Scarborough Golf Club Road, is one example of a designated historic site. Built in 1867 for the Annis family, the walls are a beautiful example of the stone work the early settlers of Scarborough were capable of creating. The fancy hand-made, wooden trim around the roof and verandah reflect how the builder took great pride in his work 100 years ago. That trim was recently restored by Douglas Roberts, a modern day heritage restoration carpenter.
The fieldstone house, with its gothic centre gable, was home to Jeremiah Annis, eleventh child of Levi Annis and Rhoda Conant.
Annis was a descendant of early Puritan settlers of Massachusetts, who came to Canada from the United States in 1793, and opened one of the first inns in 1808 for pioneer travellers along the Kingston Road. Jeremiah Annis and two of his sons long played leading parts in Scarborough’s municipal life as councillors, he in 1873, Levi E. 1889-1892, and William D. 1902-1907. William D. Annis also served as Township Reeve 1908-1912.
The stone house is a picturesque example of Upper Canadian vernacular architecture, with careful consideration given to the stone work. The former dwelling has since undergone several renovations to serve the commercial needs of today’s Kingston Road traveller.
Although the interior has been gutted, the exterior of the house has retained much of its 19th century charm. A large verandah, similar to the original, was added to replace a somewhat hideous addition built in the 1960s (before the general public had any control over such matters). While earlier renovations were not kind to the building, the recent changes have been a great improvement.
Unfortunately, the widening of Kingston Road and the change in land use did little to help retain its earlier “country home” environment.
In the 19th century Jeremiah Annis often welcomed guests who passed by on their way to or from Kingston on the stage coach line. Today, the stone house still welcomes those who pass by. Perhaps this was not what Annis had in mind when he built the house in 1867, but at least it has been saved from demolition and remains viable today as The Olde Stone Cottage Pub, one of Scarborough’s designated heritage properties.