The Hamilton heritage committee has agreed to designate a former 19th-century carriage house in Ancaster as a structure of cultural heritage value.
The two-storey property at 241 Wilson St. E., near Halson Street, was placed on the city’s heritage register list in 2020 and was added to staff’s agenda for further research and assessment. But the province’s Bill 23 in 2022 changed the Ontario Heritage Act that removed thousands of listed properties on municipal heritage registers. Staff scrapped their original work schedule and adapted a new list of candidate properties to be designated. Municipalities have two years to designate buildings on their registries.
The L-shaped stone structure nearly across the street from St. John’s Anglican Church on the 0.5-hectare property was constructed in 1885 and operated as a carriage facility for a few years by prominent Ancaster lawyer Edward Kenrick. The business was located first in a wooden structure, but was destroyed in a fire. In 1885 it was rebuilt as a stone building. But staff said Kenrick shut down the carriage business after a few years before converting the building into a residential property. In 1900, the structure was divided into several residential units and an Odd Fellow’s Hall.
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Prior to the building operating as a carriage business, it was owned by brothers Alonzo and Harris Egleston, who owned a machine shop and eventually sold the building to Kenrick. They are considered responsible for much of the town’s 19th-century industry.
Beyond housing residential units, the building has been adapted to contain various professional and retail uses, and even a meeting hall.
Currently, the structure contains Hanley’s Eyewear Boutique, an optometrist and a Mortgage Financial business.
In 2003, council approved a rezoning application submitted by Ancaster Carriage Works Ltd., which is owned by Bob Wilkins and Bill Walker, to change the land use designation from residential to commercial.
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Heritage planning technician Scott Dickinson said at the Nov. 28 meeting the owners were “very enthusiastic for this designation.”
The building, said Dickinson, is “important” in defining the character of the area. He said it represents the vibrant business activity in Ancaster.
“This was not an isolated factory site, but one quite close to where Ancasterians lived and prayed,” stated staff. “There is the potential to yield information that contributes to the understanding of a community or culture.”
The building itself has a cross-gable roof, several single-stack brick chimneys and stone foundation. But staff said in a report to the committee, the structure doesn’t “appear to demonstrate a high degree of craftsmanship or artistic merit,” nor is it considered to be a local landmark.
The heritage committee’s recommendation will be reviewed at the planning committee where, if it is approved, will be sent to council for a final vote.
is a reporter for Hamilton Community News (Ancaster News, Dundas Star News, Mountain News and Stoney Creek News). He can be reached at kwerner@hamiltonnews.com.
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