About the project
Where it began.
One old house on Queen Street sparked a deep curiosity.
I grew up in Newmarket. After spending some years away, I returned, and my family and I bought an old cottage on Queen Street. It's still our home.
The more I learned about its past, the more I wanted to know about the other old houses I'd walked past for years, sometimes without a second thought.
ThenOne house led to another.
That cottage became the first entry in this collection. Its story led me through old photographs, maps, newspaper clippings, census records and family histories. Along the way, I started seeing familiar streets a little differently.
Visit House 001A closer look
Beyond the landmarks.
Newmarket has its celebrated houses and well-known landmarks, and rightly so. But its humbler cottages and unassuming old houses have stories worth telling, too. They can tell us how a street came to be, how a neighbourhood changed, and something about the people who made their lives here.
Following the evidence.
Each entry brings together what can be found in historical maps, photographs, newspapers, directories, public records, family material and earlier local histories. Sources are noted with the house wherever possible.
Not every date is certain and not every question has an answer. These are works in progress, and the entries will grow or change as new information comes to light.
Recent photographs concentrate on the houses as part of the streetscape. The project isn't about looking inside people's homes or documenting the private lives of their present-day occupants.
Acknowledgements
With thanks.
No local history project starts from nothing.
Generations of historians, researchers and volunteers have collected and preserved the stories of Newmarket. This project builds on the work of Ethel Willson Trewhella, George Luesby, Richard MacLeod, Terry Carter, Eugene McCaffrey and Wes Playter, and draws inspiration from the paintings of Jianming Chen.
I'm also grateful for the records and resources preserved by the Newmarket Historical Society, Newmarket Public Library and the Town of Newmarket, and for the generosity of families, photographers and others who share their knowledge and images.
The Old Houses of Newmarket is an independent, personal project and is not affiliated with the Town of Newmarket or the Newmarket Historical Society.
A closer look at their workRead moreShow less
The history of Newmarket
Ethel Willson Trewhella
Often called the mother of Newmarket history, Ethel spent years researching the town and the people who built it. Her History of the Town of Newmarket, published in 1967 after her death, remains an essential starting point for local research. Newmarket Public Library has made this rare book available digitally.
Discover her history bookA town in drawings
George Luesby
Historian, artist and former president of the Newmarket Historical Society, George recorded the town's old buildings in precise sketches and watercolours. Some are now among the few surviving images of places long gone. One of his Prospect Street drawings appears in House 003, and his writing with Eugene McCaffrey has been invaluable to this project.
Read about his workThe History Hound
Richard MacLeod
Richard has spent decades gathering and sharing Newmarket's history through newspaper columns, walking tours, oral-history interviews and archival research. His History Hound website is a remarkable collection of local stories, and has already helped uncover details about houses in this collection.
Explore The History HoundLocal history & writing
Terry Carter
A longtime editor of The Newmarket Era and a founder of the organization that became the Newmarket Historical Society. His books, including Newmarket: The Heart of York Region and Stories of Newmarket: An Old Ontario Town, have kept the town's past close at hand.
Read about his workMain Street & its people
Eugene McCaffrey
With George Luesby, he put together The Main Street Story, 1800 to 1950 and The Memorable Merchants and Trades, 1930 to 1950. Their record of local businesses and the people behind them has already provided some wonderful clues for this collection.
See the books citedBuildings & heritage
Wes Playter
A local historian and heritage advocate whose photograph-rich books include Foundations: Heritage Landmarks of Downtown Newmarket. His work on historical plaques, publications and preservation helps people see the history that's still standing around them.
Read about his projectsThe town in paint
Jianming Chen
Jianming paints Newmarket's streets and houses en plein air, catching familiar places in a different light. His paintings are a beautiful record of the town as it looks today, and may become historical images in their own right. His Prospect Street painting appears on this site with his permission.
Explore his paintingsHonourable mention
Barry Wallace
Since 2006, my uncle Barry has chronicled birds and the natural world through his blog Barry the Birder. His companion blog, Camera on King & Aurora, records the places, buildings and local history of King Township, alongside his own extensive family-history research. His example of simply keeping at it, year after year, is one I hope to follow.
An open invitation
Have a story to share?
Perhaps there's an old Newmarket house you'd love to see here. Or a photograph or family memory that might help tell its story. I'd be delighted to hear from you.
Get in touch