Designated Properties

Description of Historic Place:

The African Methodist Episcopal Cemetery is situated on the west side of Church Street, km north of County Road 19, at the edge of the Village of Otterville, in the Township of Norwich. The property is the location of the former African Methodist Episcopal Church and the burial ground of the area's first black settlers. 

The property was designated by the Township of Norwich, in 2006, for its historic or architectural value or interest, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.

Heritage Value:

The African Methodist Episcopal Cemetery, the burial place for over 140 Black pioneers, is one of the few remaining black pioneer burial grounds in Ontario. It is also significant as the site of the former African Methodist Episcopal Church. Established by Isaac Grey, Isaac Durphy and Lindsey Anderson, who were trustees of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the frame church, with Anderson as its first preacher, served the Black pioneer community from 1856 until the late 1880s. Free Blacks and escaped slaves fled persecution in the United States and sought refuge in Canada. On the encouragement of the local Quaker population, Blacks came to the Norwich area beginning in 1829. The local Black pioneer population grew to almost 100 by the year 1860.

Though the Black population in the Norwich area thrived for many decades, by the early 1900s the community was in decline, as most of its members had moved to live elsewhere, many resettling in the United States. Over the course of time, the church fell into disrepair and was demolished. The cemetery site became degraded and most of the stones which marked the burials were removed. Nature has taken its course and the site is now a forested landscape. More recently, however, the Township of Norwich and the local community has undertaken a restoration of the Cemetery site that includes small marble

markers with candle engravings that denote the burial places of the 144 Black pioneers. Cornerstones were placed to mark the location of the original frame Church. These efforts demonstrate Otterville's pride and appreciation for a truly significant era in its history. Sources: Township of Norwich, By-law 63-2006; Pettigrew, Joyce, Safe Haven: the Story of the Black settlers of Oxford County.

Location:

PT LOT 12, CONCESSION 8, PART 1, PLAN 41R1604 CHURCH ST, OTTERVILLE (SOUTH NORWICH) HISTORICAL DESIGNATION BY-LAW 63-2006

The Curries United Church is located at 465003 Curries Road, and is situated on the northeast corner of the intersection of Curries Road and County Road 59, in the Village of Curries, Township of Norwich. The

one-and-a-half-storey red-brick church was constructed in 1891. 

The property was designated, by the Township of Norwich, in 1984, for its architectural and historic value or interest, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 14-84 amended by By-law 67-2021).

Heritage Value:

Curries United Church is located at a well-travelled intersection between various cities and towns including Ingersoll, Woodstock, and Norwich. The church's orientation to the intersection acts as a historical focal point for the rural community as well a landmark to those travelling through the

area. 

Curries United Church was constructed in 1891. A newly established Wesleyan Methodist congregation that would evolve into the United congregation purchased the land for the church in 1855. Several families have worshipped at the church for five and six generations, and include members of the 1891 congregation in their ancestry. 

The Curries United Church is associated with the development of Curries community and Cuthbertson, the church's architect. Cuthbertson was a notable local architect, who based his practice in Woodstock.

Curries United Church is a fine example of Victorian church architecture. Some of Cuthbertson's better-known projects are the Woodstock Opera House, the House of Refuge and the County of Oxford Court House, all located in Woodstock. The church's façade is asymmetric, characteristic of Victorian architecture, and features regularly placed windows, intricate brickwork, as well as a three-storey bell tower at the church's northwest corner. The interior dark wooden ceiling has curved portions along the

wall and is supported from above by hidden hand-hewn beams. The gallery features a detailed wrought-iron railing that was also designed by Cuthbertson. Also of note are the sloping pine floors, wainscoting and original stained glass, in the windows of the sanctuary.

Location:

PART LOT 18, CONCESSION 5 465003 CURRIES RD, WOODSTOCK (EAST OXFORD)

HISTORICAL DESIGNATION BY-LAW 14-1984 amended by By-law 67-2021

Description of Historic Place:

This white brick multi-gabled house was built by Martin Emigh about 1876 and belonged to the Emigh family for 100 years. 

The exterior of the storey and a half dwelling is ornamented with six gables, four of which contain decorative barge boards with simulated boxed cornice décor and cross and trefoil in the peak. All seven cross pieces of the design are completed with turned spindles. 

The gable of the front façade contains a double-hung, round-headed, window with brick surround. Below is a similar window with elaborate surround and a floral cement keystone. The front façade contains a

double-hung, round-headed, window with brick surround. Below is a similar window with elaborate surround and a floral cement keystone. The front door is similarly decorated and contains a coloured glass transom. Originally, a porch, containing twin posts for support and trimmed with paired brackets and fretwork under the eaves; covered these two bays, butting to the gable-end projection.

The projection is framed with brick quoining and contains a three sided bay, in the first storey, completed with three windows with floral keystones in the surrounds, and bracketed eaves originally topped with

decorative iron work. Above, in the gable, is a pair of similar windows with joining decorative surrounds.

The south façade would appear to be a front entrance. However, the central door enters the kitchen. The door is flanked with another pair of decorative windows on either side, a third window is in the gable. All

have floral keystones. The north façade has similar details.  

The interior also contains many decorative features. The curved centre hall stair has an eight sided newel post and turned spindles. At the turn of the stair is a round-headed window of white etched glass ordered by red and blue glass. Plaster floral medallions of lilies and roses adorn the ceilings of the kitchen, hall and living room.   

Location:

LOT 21, CONCESSION 1 59386 HWY 59, BURGESSVILLE (NORTH NORWICH)

HISTORICAL DESIGNATION BY-LAW 56-1988

This building is a particularly fine example of 1880 Italianate architecture constructed of yellow stretcher bond brick. The home was built in 1882 for James Imrie, a Scotsman from Haddington County, Scotland, on land he purchased from Charles Potter. The structure illustrates the desire of the original owners to present his achievements in the new world. His heritage is supported by his use of the Scotch Thistle in the keystones and the fact that he called his home Haddon Hail. In the 1932, the house and farm were sold to James L. McCabe in which during that  time minor renovations were made. In 1960 the house was sold to George Gilvesy in trust for Andy Gilvesy. In 1968 the farm was formally passed on to Andren Investments. 

This building is a particularly fine example of the many lofty-ceilinged, Italianate white brick structures built in the Village of Norwich in the 1880’s. 

Exterior Features worthy of mention are the oval moulded panels, paired brackets and decorate brickwork under the eaves. The centre doorway is enhanced by frosted sidelights and frosted panels in the door. The front porch, a recent addition is a replica of the original. The double chimneys are also noteworthy.

Several interior features are distinctive. There is an octagonal-faced newel post on the centre staircase. The detailed cherry panelling of the parlour wainscoting matches the panelled doors throughout the house.

The cherry fire-cast iron grill bordered by ceramic tiles in a Scottish thistle design.

Location:

LOT 745, PLAN 745 9 COOK ST., NORWICH (VILLAGE OF NORWICH)

HISTORICAL DESIGNATION BY-LAW 39-1986

Description of Historic Place:

This structure is of considerable historical importance. It is the birth-place of Harold Adams Innis (1894-1952). Innis is internationally recognized as one of Canada’s foremost social scientists. 

From 1920 until his death in 1952, he taught in the Department of Political Economy at the University of Toronto, where he produced a number of classic works in Canadian economic history, including the History of the CPR (1923), The Fur Trade in Canada (1930), Settlement and the Mining Frontier (1936), The Cod Fisheries (1940), and Essays in Canadian Economic History (1964). After 1940, Innis shifted his concerns to the rapidly expanding field of communications theory and produced such innovative and highly acclaimed works as Political Economy in the Modern State (1946), Empire and Communications (1950), The Bias of Communication, and Changing Concepts of Time (1952).

Innis was also the first Canadian born Chairman of the Department of Political Economy and served as the dean of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto. Moreover, he was instrumental in the development of post-graduate studies in Canada, not only at the University of Toronto but also at other universities across Canada. More than any other Canadian intellectual of his generation, Innis helped to foster a sense of national identity distinct from that of the United States. 

The structure is a 1 1/2 storey Ontario Farm House of red brick. The front façade features a stained glass window in a half-moon shape.

Location

N. PT LOT 4, CONCESSION 9 (SOUTH NORWICH)

HISTORICAL DESIGNATION BY-LAW 57-1988

Knox Presbyterian Church is located at 67 Main Street West, on the south side of Main Street between Clyde and John Streets, in the Village of Norwich, in the Township of Norwich. The two-storey white-clay brick church was constructed in 1879.

The property was designated, in 1989, by the Township of Norwich, for its architectural and historical value or interest, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 67-89) and then updated in 1992 (By-law 27-92).

Heritage Value:

The Knox Presbyterian Church was erected in 1879, about 30 years after the Norwich congregation was established. Its continuous use as a church since that time attests to the strength of the congregation. The Knox Presbyterian Church is a fine example of the Gothic Revival  style of architecture, featuring a steeply pitched gable roof and lancet arched windows and entrances. Of note is the elaborate central window on the façade, formed by a pair of double trefoil lancet windows surmounted by a coloured glass surround, and the double trefoil lancet windows on the façade and side elevations, capped with a cruciform window of coloured glass and a brick surround. Also of note are the double main entrances, featuring elaborate wood and brick surrounds that incorporate a roped design labelled with relief carvings of wooden

leaf motifs.

Source: Township of Norwich By-laws 67-89 and 27-92.

Location:

Lot 581, Plan 955, 67 Main Street West, Norwich (Village of Norwich)

Designation By-law 26-1992

Description of Historic Place:

The Quaker Meeting House (Norwich Museum) is located at 89 Stover Street North, on the east side of Stover Street North, in the Village of Norwich, now the Township of Norwich. The two-storey white-brick

Quaker meeting house was constructed in 1889. The meeting house is part of a larger complex of historically significant buildings that makes up the Norwich and District Museum.

The property was designated, by the Township of Norwich, in 1989, for its architectural or historic value or interest, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, By-law 68-89.

Heritage Value: 

The Quaker Meeting House was originally erected, in 1889, by the Orthodox Friends, as a place of worship. There was a large Quaker community within the Norwich area. Quakers were among the first

settlers of the Norwich area, when Quaker Peter Lossing and his brother-in-law Peter DeLong purchased 15,000 acres of land and moved their families and friends there from Dutchess County, New York, in 1810. This building was the seventh Quaker meeting house constructed in the Township of Norwich, but is the only one which remains in a largely unaltered form.

The Norwich and District Museum opened in 1970, and operates out of the Meeting House. It commemorates the Quaker history and the agricultural and social history of Norwich. In addition to the Meeting House, the Norwich and District Museum also features Peter Lossing's 1812 saltbox house, a turn-of-the-century Quaker schoolhouse, relocated  to the property.  

The Quakers placed importance on plainness of speech, behaviour and apparel. The architecture and materials of the Quaker Meeting House reflect the simplicity of the Quaker way of life. Constructed of locally produced white clay brick with a plain slate roof, the Meeting House features a broad gable over the main entrance and a two-panelled door, which and south elevations which frame four plain, double-hung windows. 

Location:

Part Lot 8, Concession 4, 89 Stover Street North, Norwich (former North Norwich Township)

Designation By-law 68-1989

The Norwich United Church and Manse is located at 80 Main Street West, on the northwest corner of Main Street West and Clyde Street, in the Village of Norwich, Township of Norwich. The two-storey white-brick manse was constructed in 1875. The two-storey brick church was constructed in 1885.

The property was designated, by the Township of Norwich, in 1985, for its architectural and historical value or interest, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 27-85).

Heritage Value:

The Norwich United Church Manse was constructed in 1875 as a parsonage for Methodist and later United Church ministers of the Norwich congregation. The Manse, which is still used as a home for ministers, has played a significant role as the link between the minister, the congregation and the community for over 125 years. The Norwich United Church is representative of the importance of both the Methodist and United churches in the Norwich area. It has been a place of continuous worship for over 120 years. Originally created as the Norwich Methodist Church, in 1885, it is situated on the site of two previous churches.

The original frame church, of 1824, was moved off site in 1861. The 1862 brick church was replaced by the building that stands today. The Methodist Church in Canada merged with other Protestant denominations to form the United Church of Canada in 1925.

The Norwich United Church Manse is a blocky, Italianate residence that was the prototype for more than forty similar homes in the Norwich area. Constructed of white-brick, the Manse, features many outstanding exterior and interior elements. Characteristic of the Italianate style, it exhibits symmetry and decorative elements, such as the paired brackets under the roof eaves and the twin round-headed windows and doors of the second-storey. The interior of the Manse is equally impressive and boasts handcrafted door and window trim,

wide baseboards, an archway in the living room, panelling below the windows and parlour wainscoting. Also of note is the half-spiral staircase with oak banister, which stands as a focal point of the centre hall.

The Norwich United Church, like the Manse, was designed in the Italianate style

and is an architecturally striking building. Designed by architect William Mellish of Brantford, it was constructed by William Merrill, a local trustee of the Methodist church. The church is constructed of 200,000 bricks from the local Irwin brickyard. Typical of the Italianate style, the church features a broad gable with three recessed doors below triple round-headed windows. The façade and elevations of the church are supported by slender buttresses which grow out of the bases of the moulded window surrounds. Also of note are the front doors topped with original stained glass windows. Interior features of the sanctuary that are worthy of mention include the apse, the nineteenth century pipe organ, the cast-iron-ended numbered pews and the wide pine floors and baseboards.

Location:

Lot 169, Plan 745, 80 Main Street West, Norwich (Village of Norwich)

Designation By-law

Description of Historic Place:

The property was designated, by the Township of Norwich, in 1982, for its historical or architectural value or interest, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 5-82).

The Otterville Mill overlooks the Otter River and is sited in a picturesque

meadow, within the center of the village and surrounded by a forest.

Heritage Value:

The Otterville Mill is one of the oldest continuously operated wheel-powered mills in Ontario. Built in 1845, by Edward Bullock, and operated by Matthew Maddison, it was used as a grist and flour mill, with

anannual capacity of 20,000 bushels. The first mill on the site was built, in 1807, by John Earle and Paul Avery. The wooden water wheel mill, operated by a water turbine, greatly contributed to the early commerce of Otterville in the 19th century. It was also the hub of the farming community, as many farmers visited it weekly to have their cattle feed ground.

In later years, the mill was purchased by Solomon Lossing, son of Peter Lossing, who is credited with founding one of the most successful Quaker settlements in Canada. Solomon, who took over as a spokesman for the Quakers in Norwich after his father's death, in 1833, bought the property in 1880. The

Lossing family had the ownership of the mill for 60 years, during which it became known as the Treffry Mill. 

The Otterville Mill ceased commercial use in 1981, but continues to be operated by the South Norwich Historical Society, under lease from the township. The property is now known as Mill Park and is the site of an annual barbecue.

The Otterville Mill is an exemplary three-storey frame mill of simple post and beam construction with a fieldstone foundation. The ground floor posts are chamfered, for decoration, and the purlins measure  eight inches by forty feet. The impressive construction and materials of the mill are accented by the 20 and 24 pane windows. Also of note are the leaves with wide overhangs and returning cornices. 

Location:

Lot 145 & 146, Plan 388, 243 Main Street West, Otterville (former South Norwich Township)

Designation By-law 5-1982

Description of Historic Place:

The Quaker Street Burying Ground is located at Lot 8 on Concession 3, on the north side of Quaker Street, west of the intersection of Quaker Street and County Road 59, in the Township of Norwich. The small 19th century cemetery was established in 1813.

The property was designated, by the Township of Norwich, in 2006, for its cultural heritage value or interest, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, By-law 64-2006.

Heritage Value:

The Quaker Street Burying Ground is the site of the first cemetery and Quaker meeting house, in Norwich Township. The land was set aside as a site for a meeting house and burial ground, in 1813, shortly after settlers led by Peter Lossing and Peter De Long, many of whom were Quakers, arrived in what is ow Norwich Township, from Duchess County, in New York. The 1810 Quaker Migration into the Township led to the development of one of the most populous Quaker settlements in Upper Canada. The first documented burial occurred at the Quaker Street Burying Ground in 1817, the same year that the meeting house, now demolished, was erected. 

The Quaker Street Burying Ground contains the graves of many of Norwich Township's earliest settlers and their ancestors. Of note are Peter Lossing; his son Solomon Lossing, who was a major figure in the

local rebellion of 1837and later an early warden of Oxford County; Henry and Anne Wasley, who were great-grandparents of United States President Herbert Hoover; and Daniel Bedford, who was a hanged rebel of the 1837 rebellion. Many of the early settlers are commemorated by a Norwich Pioneer Society plaque ,located in the cemetery, that lists family name and place of origin of the pioneer settlers of Norwich Township.

Many of the grave markers are plain marble tablets that are consistent with the Quaker concern for simplicity. The Quaker custom of numbering days and months is evident on many of the markers. Quakers did not believe in using the names of the months and preferred instead to use the number to which each month was associated. January would be “First Month”; February is “Second Month” and so on. 

Location:

PART OF SOUTH EAST PART OF WEST HALF OF LOT 8,  CONCESSION 3 8 QUAKER ST., NORWICH (NORTH NORWICH)

HISTORICAL DESIGNATION BY-LAW 64-2006

This early frame store has long been the centre of the village of Springford. Built in 1850 of post and beam construction it features a boom town front, originally of lapsed wooden siding topped with a wide overhanging cap decorated with four pairs of spiral brackets.

The west wing, also with boom town front, housed the post office which opened in this building from 1852-1977, except for four years.

The first storey façade has two large windows of multi-paned sash, recessed front door and simple porch held by square posts. This porch is a replacement of a similar one which was supported by posts decorated with aprons and simple upper trim.

Description of Historic Place:

This carpenter Gothic style, 1 ½ storey farmhouse was built sometime between 1872 and 1875 by George Start, who had moved from DurhamCounty to purchase this property from the Church of England  in 1870. The Gothic projection on the front façade is used to give distinction to an otherwise common style of architecture. 

It retains one of its original four-paned windows, the gingerbread in its  gable, its transomed and side lighted front door and its wooden shutters.  

The original front porch was moved in 1917 to a 1 ½ storey kitchen  addition. A round-topped, second storey window above the front door was squared at that time. 

Interior features include pine floors with trim, wide pine window frames panelled to the floor and a plaster ceiling medallion in the front hall.  

This home is one of the few in the country that has been continuously inhabited by the same family. Many generations have lived on this century dairy farm.

Location:

Part Lot 16, Concession 5, 465141 Curries Road (former East Oxford Township)