Aurora's historic Petch House vandalized by weekend intruder

Smashed windows, frames left behind at 19th-century log-cabin-style home

Yorkregion.com
July 21, 2021
John Cudmore

York Regional Police investigators are seeking witnesses to apparent break-in and vandalizing at the historic Petch House in Aurora.

The damage, which included lower-level broken windows and window frames on the 19th-century log-cabin-style structure, occurred over the weekend.

Investigators believe a man broke into the building by forcing open the door and was using it as a dwelling over the weekend, YRP Const. Laura Nicolle said.

The windows appear to have been broken from the inside, according to photos of the structure.

One window was also smashed at the nearby Aurora Seniors Centre, but no entry was made.

Located near the town’s municipal offices on John West Way, the structure belonged to the Petch family, which emigrated to the Aurora area in 1818 from Yorkshire, England.

The house was built around 1844. The structure’s restoration, using original materials, took place starting in 2011.

The log structure is an example of European residential construction methods brought to Canada in the early 19th century.

Anyone with information is asked to contact York Regional Police at 1-866-876-5423.