Notice of Intent to Designate - 94 Victoria Street

In the matter of The Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.O. 18, as amended, and in the matter of the lands and premises at the following municipal address in the Province of Ontario.

Notice of intention to designate

Take notice that the Council of the Corporation of the Town of Milton intends to designate the property at the following municipal address as a property of cultural heritage value or interest under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.O. 18, as amended.

Municipal address: 94 Victoria Street, Milton, ON L9T 1S7, Lot G, Block 3 John Martin Survey, Plan 17, Town of Milton, and Regional Municipality of Halton.

Reasons for the proposed designation

Description of property

The Jane McCann house, at 94 Victoria Street in the Town of Milton, is a one-storey, cut brick Regency cottage built around 1856. This home has distinctive brick pilasters at the windows and corners. The hipped roof has deep eave trim and tall windows, characteristic of this style. Initially, the nearly square plan has a small ell at the rear. This house was enlarged without overwhelming the original historic character in 1995. The property received a Heritage award in 1996 for conservation work done to a non-designated property.

Statement of cultural value and interest

94 Victoria Street is a brick Regency cottage with a hip roof and brick pilasters at the windows. Granted in 1856 to Jane McCann, widow of Alexander McCann, she resided in this historical house until 1870. Its cultural heritage value lies in its physical, historical and contextual value. Physically, it is an excellent example of an Ontario Regency-style cottage with a hip roof and unique brick pilasters at the windows. Historically, it is the house of Jane McCann, widow of Alexander McCann, who was a pioneer in Milton. Contextually, this property is one of the original houses in the John Martin Survey Plan 6 for this significant part of Old Milton.

Design value or physical value

This house is a beautiful example of a Regency-style cottage. Its asymmetry is a noticeable departure from the symmetrical buildings that would have dominated Milton in the mid-nineteenth century. The original one-story, three-bay house with a low-hip roof has a square plan and rubble stonewall foundation. The hipped roof has deep eave trim and large tall double sashed, six over six windows with stone lug sills, which is characteristic of this era. The single entrance door includes a rectangular transom light overhead but without sidelights. This home has distinctive brick pilasters at the windows and corners. The hand-made bricks are laid in a Flemish bond on the front, with a common bond being used on its less prominent sides. This house was enlarged without overwhelming the original history in 1995. This property received a heritage award in 1996.

Historical value

This house was built for Jane McCann, whose husband, Alexander McCann, died in 1854. They were Irish immigrants who significantly contributed to their new country, Canada. At Alexander's death, 20 years after coming here, the family owned 550 acres east of Guelph Line. Alexander built a gristmill and a sawmill on 16 Mile Creek and operated a woollen mill in Campbellville. Susan McCann, the daughter, became a schoolteacher and married James Harrison of Lot 11, Concession 1 Trafalgar (northwest corner of Derry Rd. and Bronte St.) The Harrison family was one of the earliest to settle in Milton. In 1879, Jane McCann sold the cottage to Hepzibah (Chilver) Bastedo, widow of Jacob Bastedo, who owned a hat shop on Main Street. One of their five children, Elizabeth, studied painting in Paris, France, later becoming a professional artist and well-known teacher in Milton. Elizabeth Bastedo was active in St. Paul's Church and its Sunday school for 65 years.

Contextual value

This property has contextual value as one of the earliest houses built in the John Martin Survey (Lot G, Plan No.17) in 1855. This subdivision was one of the very early subdivisions in Milton that was created even before Milton was incorporated as a Town in 1857. The Martin Survey included houses North of Mill Street, East of Bronte Street North, west of Martin Street and south of Mill Pond. This house helps define, maintain, and support the heritage character of this neighbourhood, and it is seeing an increase in the number of designated heritage properties.

Character defining elements/heritage attributes

Key attributes that reflect the cultural heritage value of the property include:

• The original one story three bay historic house with low-hip roof, square plan and rubble stonewall foundation.
• Central porch entrance with deep eave trim, decorative frieze and plain soffit, double plain wood posts with decorative motifs
• Single leaf entrance door with glazed transom and brick pilasters surrounds
• Pug (hand pressed) bricks laid in a Flemish bond on the front façade with common bond being used on its less prominent sides and unique brick pilasters between windows.
• Large double-sash, six over six windows with stone lug sills.
• Contextual value as one of the earliest houses built in the John Martin Survey (Lot G, Plan No.17) in 1855.

Any person may, within ninety (90) days of the publication of this notice, send by registered mail or deliver to the Clerk of the Corporation of the Town of Milton, notice of his or her objection to the proposed designation together with a statement of the reasons for the objection and all relevant facts. If such a Notice of Objection is received by Feb. 1, 2024, the Council of the Corporation of the Town of Milton shall refer the matter to the Conservation Review Board for a hearing.

Dated at Milton on Jan. 2, 2024.

Meaghen Reid, Town Clerk
The Corporation of the Town of Milton
150 Mary Street
Milton, Ontario, L9T 6Z5