Notice of Intention to Designate: 12489 Dixie Road and 12861 Dixie Road
Back to SearchTAKE NOTICE that the Town of Caledon intends to designate the following properties as being of cultural heritage value or interest under Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter O.18:
12489 Dixie Road
The property is located on the east side of Dixie Road, between Mayfield Road and Old School Road, being within the west half of Lots 20 and 21, Concession 3 East of Hurontario Street, former Chinguacousy Township.
The one-and-one-half storey farmhouse at 12489 Dixie Road has design or physical value as a representative example of a mid-19th century (c.1852-1861) Neoclassical style cottage constructed in red brick with buff brick detailing. Neoclassical design elements are found in its symmetrical, three-bay front façade with centre entrance and flanking windows, paneled wood door surround with four-pane transom and three-pane sidelights, decorative brickwork, and wood sash six-over-six pane windows with cut stone sills.
The farmhouse displays a high degree of craftmanship on its exterior. The exterior craftmanship is found in the decorative buff brick detailing, including quoins, window and door voussoirs, protruding horizontal banding in a key pattern on three façades, and a diamond pattern surmounted by three crosses in the west gable ends.
The property has historical value for its direct association with the Speirs family, who were early settlers to Chinguacousy Township and influential in the development of the hamlet of Mayfield. The Speirs family, originally from Renfrewshire, Scotland, settled in the township in the 1830s. The head of the family, Patrick Speirs, purchased the property in 1835, transferring ownership to his son William in 1850. The existing farmhouse was constructed under William Speirs’ ownership. In addition to farming, William served as a local storekeeper for the community of Mayfield and he, his wife Janet and their son John all served as postmasters in the hamlet between 1853-1897. The property remained in the ownership of the Speirs family for 110 years.
The property has contextual value as it is visually and historically linked to the adjacent Mayfield United Church and cemetery at 12496 Dixie Road, and to the former hamlet of Mayfield, which developed at the intersection of present-day Dixie Road and Mayfield Road. Patrick and Mary Speirs had donated the land for the original Mayfield church in 1842, which was replaced in 1874 with the existing church. Eleven members of the Speirs family are buried in the cemetery adjacent to the church, including Patrick and Mary Speirs, William Speirs and his two wives, Ann Hunter and Janet Scott.
The property is also historically linked to nearby extant farmhouses that were constructed for Speirs family members. The farmhouses at 4585 Mayfield Road and 12434 Dixie Road are associated with William Speirs’s children, Mary (Speirs) Archdekin, and John Speirs respectively; and the farmhouse at 4848 Mayfield Road was constructed for William Speirs’ brother, Adam Speirs.
12861 Dixie Road
The property is located on the east side of Dixie Road, between Mayfield Road and Old School Road, being within the west half of Lots 21 and 22, Concession 3 East of Hurontario Street, former Chinguacousy Township.
The two-and-one-half storey farmhouse at 12861 Dixie Road has design or physical value as a representative example of a late 19th century vernacular farmhouse with Italianate and Queen Anne Revival design influences. A date stone on the second storey of the front façade identifies the farmhouse’s date of construction, 1896, and its name, Burn Brae. The farmhouse’s Italianate elements include its projecting front and side bays, wide eaves with decorative paired brackets, and louvered shutters. Queen Anne Revival elements include its, asymmetrical exterior with red brick cladding, decorative brick and woodwork, and its first storey fixed window on the front façade with coloured glass side lites and leaded glass transom. Many of the farmhouse’s design elements display a high degree of craftmanship, including: the decorative woodwork of its porches, roof brackets, fascia, and wood surround of the paired window on the second storey of the front façade; its entry doors; and the coloured glasswork in the fixed front façade window.
The property has historical value for its direct association with the Little family, who were early settlers to Chinguacousy Township and involved in the local Mayfield church community. The Little family owned the property for 108 years, from 1835 until 1943. The farmhouse was constructed under the ownership of Neil Little, who owned and farmed the property from 1877 until the 1920s. Neil’s wife, Sarah Hewson, was the daughter of James Hewson, another early settler family to Chinguacousy Township. Neil and Sarah’s son Richard owned and farmed the property from 1921 until 1943. Richard served as treasurer of Mayfield United Church for 25 years and was a member of the church session, while Violet taught Sunday school and was the church organist.
The property has contextual value as it is visually linked to its surroundings, positioned on a rise overlooking a small meandering creek associated with the West Humber River watershed. Its Scottish name ‘Burn Brae’, commemorated in the farmhouse datestone, reflects the building’s position in the landscape as burn refers to the property’s meandering creek and brae to the hillside on which it sits.
CONTACT
Please contact Heritage staff at heritage@caledon.ca for further information regarding the cultural heritage value and heritage attributes of these properties.
RIGHT TO OBJECT
Any person may, within thirty days after publication of this notice, dated April 23, 2025, serve the Clerk 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.
By email, mail, courier or personal delivery attention:
Kevin Klingenberg, Corporate Services/Town Clerk
6311 Old Church Road
Caledon ON L7C 1J6
kevin.klingenberg@caledon.ca
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