General Committee Update – October 20, 2020

General Committee this week looked at the designation of 28 Wellington Street West (“Alfred Love House”). This is a two-storey residence on the property, which was constructed circa 1883, and has quite the history!  It was an easy decision for Council to move towards designating it.

As I said at the Council table, with the key location of this property in our Downtown, its architectural beauty and the historic significance, by designating this property, it will ensure that it will become another key feature of our downtown as we revitalize the heart of our community. This property not only has all these wonderful heritage attributes, but it is also tremendously culturally significant to Aurora and truly is a landmark of this Town.  It is really great that Council agrees and voted unanimously to recommend designation to save such an important piece of our town’s History.

As a good friend always has told me “ You need to know where you came from to know where you are going” and now Aurora has saved a piece of that history forever, and future generations will be able to see and experience it.

The History of the Property

“In 1797, the Crown granted 210 acres of land on Concession 1, Lot 81 in King Township (the lands located west of Yonge Street) to Thomas Philips. The lands were later sold to a local mill owner and farmer named Jacob Hollingshead. In 1853, the R.P. Irwin purchased the lands from the Hollingshead family and began to subdivide the lands into smaller lots, which created the subject property. In 1881, the property was purchased by Alfred Love who was a teacher in the local community. Biographical records and source material suggests that Love built the house that currently exists on the property in 1883. The house was constructed in the Second Empire Style which grew in popularity in Canada starting in the 1870s. Love later left the teaching profession and began work as a book-keeper for the Fleury Foundry located across the street from his new home on Wellington Street. Love continued to work for the foundry for a decade before again changing careers and becoming a real estate agent and an insurance agent around 1890. Love later became increasingly involved in the community and Town life. He served on Town Council for one year in 1893, and then as the Trustee for the local high school. He was also appointed a Justice of the Peace or Magistrate in 1896, in addition to duties as an assessor and collector for the Town’s taxes. Love was noted in a county biographical record published in 1907 for his superb career as a public servant. In his final years, he October 20, 2020 3 of 9 Report No. PDS20-060 served as secretary of the public school board until 1941. Loved died in 1943 at the age of 94. Upon the death of Love’s eldest daughter in 1951, the property was sold outside the family. A plaque was added to the front of the house around 1984 which named it “Alfred Love House”. The property was then owned by Margaret Proctor for a decade before selling it to Hazel Kennedy in 1961. Kennedy sold the property to Edward and Dorothy Kavanagh in 1978, who then sold it two years later to Adrienne Cameron in 1980. At some point during this time, the house was converted to a duplex between the first and second floor. In 1999, the property was purchased by the current owner, Lois Creelman, who has maintained the property as a duplex rented to tenants.”

 

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3 Responses

  1. My family lived in that house from 61 to 78. We moved in when I was 5.
    My mother was a recent widow with 7 kids.
    A lot of great memories. It was a classic.
    I was told my Grandfather built a kitchen in it.

  2. Thank you for this.
    I grew up in this house from 1962-1978.
    Although there’s been a few changes, full length covered porch and balcony which I have so many great memories!
    I’m grateful that my childhood home will stay a landmark of Aurora.❤️

  3. Good Morning Mayor Mrakas that is wonderful news as the town is valued when history and historical building are left for future generations to applicate.
    Thank you great idea. Irene Shandroski

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