Home / Accueil

Mary Ann Wilken House

588, Gorham Street, Newmarket, Ontario, L3Y, Canada

Formally Recognized: 2006/02/27

588 Gorham Street; Heritage Newmarket 2007
Mary Ann Wilken House
588 Gorham Street; Heritage Newmarket 2007
Mary Ann Wilken House
588 Gorham Street, Front of the House; Heritage Newmarket 2007
Mary Ann Wilken House

Other Name(s)

n/a

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2009/03/13

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

The Mary Ann Wilken House is located at 588 Gorham Street, in Newmarket Ontario. This one-and-a-half storey, unadorned Gothic Revival residence was built in circa 1875. It was clad in wood siding and rests upon a concrete foundation.

The Mary Ann Wilken House has been designated, for its historical and architectural significance, by the Town of Newmarket, through By-law number 2006-44.

Heritage Value

Named for its longest resident, Mary Ann Wilken, who lived there from 1875 to 1911, the building's construction is attributed to the previous owner, George Watson Hunter. It is located on Gorham Street, named for Eli Gorham, the original landowner and one of the earliest settlers in Newmarket.

The Wilken house is one-and-a-half storeys in height, of wood construction and rests on a concrete foundation. The building is an excellent example of a simple and unadorned Gothic Revival style house, popular in various forms, during the 19th century. In addition this house exemplifies the type of accommodations available to working and trades families, in Newmarket, during the latter half of the 19th century.

The building features a rectangular floor plan facing Gorham Street, with a centred main entrance, which is flanked by shuttered one-over-one double-hung windows. The gable roof is interrupted by a steeply pitched central gable that highlights the upper-storey window. The kitchen was added shortly after the home's construction to accommodate the Wilken family. During its history other additions have been made to the house, the most recent being a mudroom, a screened summer porch and a detached garage.

The straight lines and minimal decoration of the house provide a clean canvas for the gable window. Purchased during a renovation fundraising sale, from the Christian Baptist Church, its use of a former church window, is evident in the Gothic elements of pointed arch and tracery which contains stained glass. The window was original to the church and is of the same time period as the house.

Source: Town of Newmarket, By-law number 2006-44.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements which illustrate the heritage value of the Mary Ann Wilken house include its:
- simple and rectangular plan
- lack of decorative features that simplifies the gothic revival style
- stained glass window, that originally belonged to the Christian Baptist Church
- frame construction with wood siding

Recognition

Jurisdiction

Ontario

Recognition Authority

Local Governments (ON)

Recognition Statute

Ontario Heritage Act

Recognition Type

Municipal Heritage Designation (Part IV)

Recognition Date

2006/02/27

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Peopling the Land
Settlement

Function - Category and Type

Current

Residence
Single Dwelling

Historic

Architect / Designer

n/a

Builder

George Watson Hunter

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

Newmarket Historical Society 134 Main Street S. Newmarket, ON L3Y 3Y7 Heritage Newmarket C/O Town Clerk, Town of Newmarket Municipal Offices 395 Mulock Drive P.O. Box 328 STN Main Newmarket, ON L3Y 4X7

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

HPON07-0272

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

SEARCH THE CANADIAN REGISTER

Advanced SearchAdvanced Search
Find Nearby PlacesFIND NEARBY PLACES PrintPRINT
Nearby Places