Notice of Intention to Designate

The Corporation of the City of Richmond Hill

Re:       Notice of Intention to Designate
             35 Wright Street
             City of Richmond Hill ON L4C 4A2
             City File No.: D12-07414

Take notice that the Council of the Corporation of the City of Richmond Hill (“Council”) intends to designate the above noted property as a property of cultural heritage value or interest under part IV and pursuant to section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990,c.0.18.

And take notice that the Council of the Corporation of the City of Richmond Hill stated their intention to designate said property under the Ontario Heritage Act on October 23^rd, 2024.

A statement explaining the cultural heritage value or interest of the property and a description of the heritage attributes of the property is set out below.

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest:

Dating to 1921, the Edith (Littlefield) and Harry Endean House at 35 Wright Street has physical value as a representative example of Craftsman residential architecture in Richmond Hill. Architectural features that contribute to the Craftsman style include the house’s rectangular plan and 1 ½-storey massing, the low-pitched side-gabled roof with a large, central-gabled dormer, the brick and shingle cladding, exposed rafter tails, the full-width front porch supported by grouped square columns on brick pedestals, the six-over-one windows organized as singles, pairs, and triples, and the glazed doors.

The Edith (Littlefield) and Harry Endean House at 35 Wright Street has historical value for its direct associations with Edith (Littlefield) and Harry Endean. The couple built the house in 1921, named it “Enfield” in reference to their two last names, resided there until around 1933, and owned the property until 1941. Both Edith and Harry Endean were active members of the Richmond Hill community in the early and mid-20th century and contributed to the village’s economic and social development during this time through their family business, the Endean Nurseries, along with their volunteer efforts for many different organizations and causes.

The Edith (Littlefield) and Harry Endean House at 35 Wright Street has further historical value because it yields information about the Endean Nurseries business and the successful horticultural and floral industry that developed in Richmond Hill in the early 20th century. Richmond Hill’s flower industry helped shape the village’s economy and identity in the first half of the 20th century. The village incorporated the rose into its crest and motto in the early 20th century and had proclaimed itself the Rose Capital of Canada by the late 1920s.

Description of Heritage Attributes:

• The scale, form and massing of the 1 ½-storey building with a rectangular plan;
• The low-pitched side-gable roof with a large central dormer on its principal (south) slope, and exposed rafter tails at dormer and porch eaves;
• The exterior materials, comprised of a concrete foundation, orange brick cladding, and wood shingles at the second storey;
• The balanced, two-bay composition of the south (front) elevation;
• The windows, including:
  • Segmental-arched ground-floor and basement windows with brick voussoirs and rusticated concrete sills on the building’s west, south, and east elevations;
  • Flat-headed second-storey windows with wood surrounds and concrete sills;
  • Period wood window units, most in a six-over-one configuration, where extant;
• The doors, including:
  • Segmental-arched ground-floor doors on the principal (south) and west elevations with brick voussoirs;
  • Period wooden door units with glazing, where extant.
• The full-width front porch, including:
  • The shed roof with exposed rafter tails at the eaves;
  • The grouped square columns with square capitals on orange brick pedestals with stone caps;
  • The cornice with peaked arches;
  • The wooden railings with square balusters and newel posts;
• The central brick chimney located at the peak of the roof; and
• The property’s scale, siting and orientation on the north side of Wright Street, west of Yonge Street.

Note: the house’s one-storey frame rear (north) addition is not considered to possess heritage attributes.

Notice of Objection:

Any person who objects to the above noted Council’s intention to designate shall, within 30 days after the publication of this notice, serve on the Clerk of the City of Richmond Hill, a Notice of Objection setting out the reason for the objection and all relevant facts. The last day to submit the Notice of Objection is December 4th, 2024.

Service may be made digitally by email to clerks@richmondhill.ca or by delivery personally to the City Clerk or by Regular Mail at the following address:

Stephen M.A. Huycke, City Clerk
The City of Richmond Hill
225 East Beaver Creek Road
Richmond Hill ON  L4B 3P4

Obtaining Additional Information:

Additional information about heritage planning at the City of Richmond Hill may be obtained by contacting Heritage Planning City staff by e-mail at heritage@richmondhill.ca. Take note that a Notice of Objection may only be served to the Clerk of the City of Richmond Hill as stated above.

Dated this 4th day of November, 2024

Stephen M.A. Huycke, City Clerk
The Corporation of the City of Richmond Hill
225 East Beaver Creek Road
Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 3P4
E-mail: clerks@richmondhill.ca