NOTICE OF INTENTION TO DESIGNATE: 65 Maple Avenue

NOTICE OF INTENTION TO DESIGNATE UNDER THE ONTARIO HERITAGE ACT

IN THE MATTER OF THE ONTARIO HERITAGE ACT AND IN THE MATTER OF the lands in the Town of Halton Hills known municipally as 65 Maple Avenue, Regional Municipality of Halton, legally described as “PT PPK 3, PL 60, PART 1, 20R2029; HALTON HILLS” and known as the Wapshott-Lane House. 

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Town of Halton Hills intends to designate the property at 65 Maple Avenue under Section 29(1), Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter O.18. 

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest: 

The Wapshott-Lane House at 65 Maple Avenue has physical and design value as a representative example of a Gothic Revival Ontario Cottage within the community of Georgetown in the Town of Halton Hills. The extant building features elements typical of this style, including the scale, form, and massing of the one-and-a-half storey building, the stone construction, the lancet window beneath the centre gable, the two window openings on the first storey of the front elevation, the two stone chimneys above the roofline, and the sidelights and transom flanking the doorway. 

The front gable peak displays evidence that the roofline once featured a finial, although, this element has since been removed. Additionally, a contemporary addition has been constructed on the rear elevation. However, despite the removal of the decorative finial and the construction of a contemporary addition, the extant building remains a representative example of a Gothic Revival Ontario Cottage. 

The Wapshott-Lane House at 65 Maple Avenue has historical and associative value due to its association with the Wapshott and Lane families. John and his wife Elizabeth Wapshott (née Freestone) both emigrated from England as children and later purchased the subject property from John Cooke in 1873. In the 1881 and 1891 Censuses, John was identified as working at the “Old Paper Mill”, likely referring to the nearby Barber Paper Mill. The Wapshott family were also members of the local Congregationalist church, however, were part of the Baptist church towards the end of John’s life. 

The property is also associated with Jonathan Lane, who purchased the property in 1908 from the Wapshott family, and lived in the extant building with his wife, Jennie (née Frazer). Lane was a prominent local realtor and advertised his services and properties for sale frequently in local newspapers. Both Jonathan and Jennie were also identified as being Methodists in Census records. In 1915, Jennie passed away, however, Jonathan continued to live on the property until his death in 1922. 

The Wapshott-Lane House at 65 Maple Avenue has contextual value as it serves to define and maintain the late nineteenth-century character of Maple Avenue in the community of Georgetown. As one of the oldest remaining buildings along Maple Avenue, the extant building is physically, visually, and historically linked to its surroundings in its original location. Due to the modest scale and design of the building, along with the vegetation concealing the front elevation, the property has not been identified as a landmark. 

The heritage attributes of the property at 65 Maple Avenue that contribute to its physical and design value include: 

• The setback, location, and orientation of the Wapshott-Lane House on the southeast side of Maple Avenue in the community of Georgetown in the Town of Halton Hills; 

• The scale, form, and massing of the existing one-and-a-half-storey cut stone building with hipped-gable roof and stone quoining; 

• The materials, including cut stone;

• The front (southwest) elevation, including:

• The side (northeast and southwest) elevations, including: 

The heritage attribute of the property at 65 Maple Avenue that contributes to its historical and associative value includes: 

• The legibility of the existing building as a representative example of a late-nineteenth century Gothic Revival Ontario Cottage with cut stone, hipped-gable roof, and stone quoining along Maple Avenue within the community of Georgetown in the Town of Halton Hills.

The heritage attributes of the property at 65 Maple Avenue that contribute to its contextual value include: 

• The legibility of the existing building as a representative example of a late-nineteenth century Gothic Revival Ontario Cottage with cut stone, hipped-gable roof, and stone quoining along Maple Avenue within the community of Georgetown in the Town of Halton Hills;

• The setback, location, and orientation of the Wapshott-Lane House along the southeast side of Maple Avenue in the community of Georgetown in the Town of Halton Hills; and, 

• The scale, form, and massing of the existing one-and-a-half-storey building with hipped-gable roof and cut stone façade.

Further information respecting the Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest and proposed designation of 65 Maple Avenue (refer to Report PD-2026-059) is available by contacting Laura Loney, Manager of Heritage Planning for the Town of Halton Hills at 905-873-2600 x 2358 or by email at [email protected]

Any person may, by September 13, 2026 (within 30 days after the date of the publication of this notice) serve the Clerk ([email protected]) and Laura Loney notice of their objection to the proposed designation in accordance with the Ontario Heritage Act, setting out the reason for the objection and all relevant facts.

Dated at the Town of Halton Hills this 14^th of August 2026.

Laura Loney, Manager of Heritage Planning, Planning and Development, The Corporation of the Town of Halton Hills, 1 Halton Hills Drive, Halton Hills, ON L7G 5G2.