King votes to demolish Nobleton heritage home with foundation cracks

YorkRegion.com
Feb. 7, 2017
Simon Martin

King Road in Nobleton is going to look different in the near future. Council approved demolishing a heritage home located at 6064 King Rd. after cracks were discovered in the foundation.

The property owner had previously applied for and received a permit to remove an existing addition at the rear of the dwelling. Upon excavating the location of the previous addition, faults in the foundation were discovered. Two structural analyses were conducted on behalf of the owner to determine if it was structurally sound enough to maintain. Both analyses concluded that the dwelling had lost its structural integrity.

The township said while the option exists to lift the dwelling and replace the existing foundation, this potentially poses safety risks to workers undertaking this option as the foundation is in a "very uncertain and unpredictable condition".

Ward 5 Coun. Debbie Schaeffer was very concerned about the message demolishing the farmhouse gives to the community as others could use it as blueprint to get rid of the heritage designation on their property.

Mayor Steve Pellegrini didn’t share the sentiment. He said the owner went way over board in trying to save the property and said developers would be reluctant to jump through so many hoops.

The dwelling was constructed circa 1860 and displays a vernacular style farmhouse. It was built on lands originally owned by John Hawman and is one of the few remaining in Nobleton from the era. Architectural features include the L-shaped layout; the arch radiating brick voussoirs above the windows and doors; the 1.5-storey protruding bay with decorative cornice between the first and second storey; and the two brick chimneys. The veranda appears to display a high degree of craftsmanship with decorative pilasters and a bargeboard.

The Hawman family was among the early settlers in Nobleton, having moved from Pennsylvania to King Township by no later than 1837. John Hawman originally owned 200 acres of property in the area.

The building was occupied by Robert White, a carpenter, from the 1860s until the late 1910s. White's planning mill and sash and door factory were previously located between the dwelling and the adjacent united church.