North End

Malone was built in 1852 for Eleanor Dunlop, nee Stewart, on land given to her as a wedding present from her father, the Honourable Thomas A. Stewart. Her brother and local architect, George Stewart, designed the house as a copy of their parent’s home, Auburn. Although George Stewart designed and built several other homes in the area, Malone is the sole survivor. It was also one of the first homes in the area to have indoor plumbing in the bathroom. The vertical log construction of Malone is very rare in Peterborough. With its large Regency style windows and verandah, and Ontario Gothic front facing gable, Malone is a well-preserved example of juxtaposition in styles.

The heritage value of the building resides in its association with William Blackwell, the noted 19th century Peterborough architect. His first house design in the city, it was also his own private residence. William Blackwell was born and raised in Douro Township, now part of Peterborough. His house at Benson Avenue was constructed from 1886-1888, and meant to be an example of his domestic architecture ability for his new practice. Blackwell designed numerous dwellings and buildings in Peterborough, often in collaboration with John E. Belcher.

The heritage value of the James Blackwell House resides in its associations with the first settlers of the Peterborough area, and with descendants William and Walter Blackwell, both prominent 19th and 20th century Peterborough architects. The James Blackwell House stands on a piece of land originally obtained from the Crown by Robert Reid in 1822. Blackwell had emigrated from England in 1835, and was a successful farmer in the Township; he built the house for his new family in the mid 1840s. The well-known Peterborough architect, William Blackwell was born in this house in 1850.

The heritage value of the James Reid house resides in its association with the early settlers of the Peterborough area. It is also a rare example of vertical plank construction. The James Reid house was built on land obtained by Robert Reid in 1822, when he and Thomas A. Stewart arrived from Ireland and received the patent to 2000 acres in unbroken land in the un-surveyed Douro Township.

The heritage value of the Old Pump House lies in its association with the City of Peterborough early waterworks system. It later became the first building of the future Riverview Park & Zoo, and has Romanesque Revival features. Built in the spring of 1893, the Pump House was designed to satisfy Peterborough’s growing need for a public water system. By 1909, a newer pump house was constructed downstream, and the machinery from the old Pump House was moved into the new. Architecturally, the Pump House is a good example of the Romanesque Revival style, with semicircular arches, dichromatic colour and heavy stone foundation.

The heritage value of the William Dixon house lies in its associations with the founding colony settlers of Peterborough. One of the oldest houses in Peterborough, it is also one of very few stone dwellings.

The Peterborough Normal School has historic value as one of three remaining ‘Normal’ schools throughout Ontario. Built in 1908 during Peterborough’s major economic boom, the Normal School was one of four identical buildings commissioned by the government of Ontario, and designed by Francis R. Heakes. The school was opened in September of 1908 with an attendance of 159 student teachers, and operated continuously until 1960, when it became the head offices of the Peterborough County Board of Education.

The heritage value of Pioneer Park is as the site of the second Methodist Cemetery in Peterborough. The first Methodist Cemetery (now Confederation Park) was closed by the congregation in 1851. The new Methodist Cemetery at the corner of Hilliard and George was registered in 1855 by the trustees of the Wesleyan Methodist Church and many of the remains from the first cemetery were re-interred there. The Cemetery closed in 1875 and it is likely that some of its remains were transferred to Little Lake Cemetery after the closure. By September 1891, public concerns were being raised about the rapid deterioration of the old cemetery. The City of Peterborough purchased the site from George Street United Church in 1944, on the specific condition that the lands are used in perpetuity, for public park purposes.

205 Lisburn Street has strong historical value through its close association with the Auburn Woolen Mills. Built by the company circa 1870, the cottage was home to numerous mill workers into the mid 20th century. Through its connection to the Auburn Woolen Mills, the cottage identifies with a significant historical period in Peterborough, when this area was dominated by industrial complexes in the mid to late 19th century.

Sadleir House was constructed in 1892 by builder J. C. Rutherford for his brother-in-law, James Kendry, an industrialist and well-known 19th century Peterborough politician. The building is strongly connected to several prominent citizens of Peterborough’s past including James R. Stratton, owner/publisher of The Peterborough Examiner and MPP, and Richard Sheehy, a noted contractor. It is illustrative of an era in Peterborough’s history when industry was flourishing, and wealthy politicians, industrialists and merchants sought physical manifestations of their success and power. All three families played significant roles in the industrial, commercial and political development of Peterborough.

Built in about 1894-95, the first owner of this house was Eliza Smyth, wife of James C. Smyth, a teacher at Central School. 186 Aberdeen Avenue, known as the Smyth House, was constructed on land formerly owned by Albert Edward Dixon and sold to Eliza Smyth in 1893. The architectural significance of this house lies in the overall preservation of its unique details, typical of the Edwardian style.

The property at 788 Aylmer Street North has excellent cultural and heritage value as an Arts & Crafts style home built for an upper class family from Toronto. The builders and first owners of the property, George and Emma Copping, were originally from Toronto where George was president of the Reliable Knitting Company, which was founded in 1911 (and closed in 2006 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin), was the head of the firm George R. Copping and Sons, and had an address at 72 South Drive in Toronto’s south Rosedale neighbourhood. His immediate neighbour was William Moffat, chief inspector of the Imperial Bank of Canada. Copping may have belonged to the Royal Canadian Yacht Club, as it appears that his wife was chairman of the grounds committee, and he took part in lawn bowling. It is likely that 788 Aylmer Street North was the couple’s ‘country home’, which was very popular with upper class Torontonians, and it was quite easily accessible by rail at the time.

91 Langton Street has good cultural heritage value. The structure was built on land once owned by George Hilliard, a prominent land owner and Conservative Member of Parliament who counted Sir John A. MacDonald among his supporters. The original land was divided into twenty small lots and sold off in 1881, one of which was purchased by John C. Higgins, carpenter, millwright, and sawyer. This property remained in the Higgins family until the 1970s.

Ashley, was constructed circa 1885 for John Edward Hammond, farmer and local gentleman. Hammond was the husband of Harriet Macdonald, a niece of lumber merchant, Mossom Boyd, and sister-in-law to noted architect John E. Belcher. Hammond named his house “Ashley” after his childhood home in England. After Hammond’s death in 1887 his widow Harriet remained at Ashley for the next quarter of a century before moving in with her son, Dr. Arthur Hammond, at 232 Brock Street, known today as “Hammond Hall’.

There is strong evidence that John Belcher designed the house at 252 Parkhill Road West. Hammond and Belcher, related by marriage, were close friends and Ashley would have enjoyed a direct sightline of 269 Edinburgh Street (Smithtown Hill House) which was occupied by the Belchers during this period. Ashley is also very similar to 643 Bethune Street, designed by Belcher around the same time in the Victorian Gothic style and with common design characteristics.

252 Parkhill Road occupies a prominent site on Smith Town Hill overlooking the City on the historic northern edge of Peterborough. The area is the site of the original European settlement of Smith Township in 1818 and was annexed by the City in 1872.

Jackson Park Cultural Heritage Landscape has cultural heritage value or interest as an excellent and representative example of a late Victorian naturalistic urban park and includes two connected green spaces in the city: Jackson Park and Hamilton Park. Initially designed and constructed between 1894 and 1895, the landscape has specific physical and design value as a naturalistic urban park from the late nineteenth century and integrates key design elements from this landscape type, including the use of natural features within a designed park landscape, built elements such as the Pagoda Bridge, and a series of irregular drives and trails throughout the park. It also demonstrates a high level of craftsmanship through the design of the Pagoda Bridge (1895) and other built elements including the Caretaker’s Cottage and the park gates on Parkhill Road West, both constructed in the 1920s. Historically, it has direct associations with and yields significant information regarding recreation and park use in Peterborough in the late nineteenth and throughout the twentieth century. It also has historical connections to a number of important figures in Peterborough history including Charlotte Nicholls, the Dixon family, and John Belcher, the architect of the park. It also yields information on the development of park land, both municipal and privately owned within the city. From a contextual perspective, the landscape is connected to its surroundings as an integral part of the development of the north end of Peterborough. It is also a landmark within the city and is recognized by the community as an important local asset.

Constructed in 1914-1915, the Copping Garage at 214 Aberdeen Avenue has cultural heritage value or interest as a representative example of an intact early residential garage constructed on the estate of a large home for upper-class citizens. The Garage has similar design elements to the house located at 788 Aylmer Street, and its relationship to the house is significant.

The Copping Garage has the potential to yield additional information about the social, economic and architectural development of the city during this period and information regarding the growing popularity of the early automobile and the need to shelter it from the elements. It yields information regarding the garage as a complementary but subordinate structure on the lot. Garages would later become more prominent in architectural design with the emergence of suburban development. The Copping Garage at 214 Aberdeen Avenue contributes to the character and history of the site. The intact early 20th-century garage is a character-defining feature on the landscape.