The Old East area was originally owned by one of Londons earliest pioneers, Noble English, and the approximately 200 acres of forested lands was mainly used for farming, between 1819 and 1856. English established the grid pattern for the Old East area, in response to adjacent industrial and commercial development, by subdividing 35 acres into just less than 120 lots, in 1856, and by subdividing the rest of the land in 1872. English named many of the streets, such as Elias, in the Old East area, after his children. Development was initially focused on the west and east boundaries of the Old East area, as the centre was dominated by the English Estate and the flowing English Creek. It was not until the early 20th century that the central area became extensively developed, as Old East became the economic engine of the city. The most prominent builders were the Wilkey brothers, Thomas and John, in the northwest area and William Hayman, his son, Harry, and later his grandson, Roy, in the central and west areas of Old East. Both families were actively developing the area from the 1880s to the 1920s. The railroad tracks to the north and south of the Old East area and the car yards and construction shops for railroad rolling stock provided a healthy employment base for the area. The owners of many Dundas Street businesses resided in the Old East area. In later years, about a quarter of the population in the Old East District had jobs in the city. Some of the more prominent residents of the Old East area include Frank Lawson, founder of Lawson and Jones Printing and Lithographing, and C. R. Somerville, founder of Somerville Box. The Old East Heritage Conservation Districts location between the busy areas of the railroad tracks, industrial land and Dundas Street businesses resulted in a relatively compact residential form characterized by narrow building lots and small front yard set-backs. This enabled the area to have a high population density, while maintaining its community feel. Architectural style varies from street to street, the result of individual builders constructing rows of houses on particular streets. The buildings within these unique streetscapes share the same architectural style featuring common motifs, rooflines, massing and brick construction. The narrow building lots and small front-yard setbacks, together with pockets of identifiable architecture styles, provide a strong visual context in the Old East Heritage Conservation District. The Old East Heritage Conservation District consists of buildings reminiscent of popular architecture styles, of the development periods, in the area. The most dominant architecture styles within the Old East Heritage Conservation District are Queen Anne, characterized by flamboyant, geometric trim designs and decorative details, and Ontario Cottage, a symmetrical, well proportioned, one-storey bungalow that is often combined with elements of Gothic or Victorian styles, for decorative purposes. A small number of buildings show characteristics of the Classic Revival, Italianate, and late Victorian architectural styles. Most of the buildings within the Old East Heritage Conservation District were constructed using the local supply of white London stock brick, with a small fraction of buildings constructed using red Milton brick. Distinctive architectural features that contribute to the character of the Old East Heritage Conservation District include: gable fronts, highly detailed with carpentry decoration; keyhole windows, often on the side next to the entrance; and leaded glass transom windows over main doors and windows. Listed on the Canadian Register
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 16:28:39 +0000
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