Another Midland house has been officially recognized as part of the town's history.
At it's most recent meeting, council officially approved a staff recommendation granting a heritage designation to 414 King St.. The move, which followed an earlier decision by the town's heritage committee, means the process can now begin under the Ontario Heritage Act.
Heritage committee member Terry Fegarty said there are about 75 properties on the Midland Heritage Inventory and Register that the committee considers of cultural heritage or interest or value, but only eight have been officially designated.
"They're properties council might decide to save to reflect the history of the area for current and future generations," he said. "It's an attempt to preserve the culture of the area. This particular property fits into that definition."
The three main criteria in considering a property for heritage designation, said Fegarty, are architecture and design, historical significance and contextual value, which identifies the property's link to the history of the town and its local environment.
"The house has Victorian Gothic features that exemplify that style," he said. "Under the act, you only have to score well on one of the three areas. We try to get a balanced approach and get a good score on all three categories. If we think it should be designated, then we advise the planning department, which writes up a staff report and recommends to council. And they decide what they want to do."
While the owner of 414 King St. could not be reached for comment, the staff report described the property as having significant cultural heritage value and interest to the town due to its link to the historic lumber mill operations in the early 1900s.
The other important heritage factor is its link to Norman Playfair, who was once one of Midland’s leading business owners. The report said that Playfair was also an outstanding leader in municipal activities and a staunch supporter of the Midland YMCA, St. Andrew’s Hospital, the Midland Curling Club and the Midland Golf and Country Club.
The building stands at 2 ½ storeys and its exterior showcases Gothic Revival architectural styles. The house also shows elements of Second Empire architectural design. In the late 1980s, the house had a slight brush with fame when it was featured in a provincial lottery commercial.
"Typically, we look at up to nine months before approval is received," Fegarty said. "On this particular property, council has reached agreement to designate it and (now) they will put out a notice to the public looking for a potential objection from whomever."
As well, he said there's a common misconception that having heritage designation for a house creates a hassle for the owners.
"I don't know where that opinion is coming from, but it's possibly from lack of knowledge," Fegarty said, adding it might be because any changes that need to be made to such a property have to be approved by council.
"I live in a designated house. I have no concerns about changing the features, I just know I have to go to municipal council to get permission but that doesn't frighten me. They (council) don't want these types of special properties to disappear or be extensively changed because there's loss of local heritage when you do that."
Right now, he said, there are eight properties in Midland that have already received the official heritage designation from council.
"Only one (of those eight) is a personal property: 251 Queen St.," Fegarty said. "The others are public buildings. For instance, the library on King Street, St. Margaret's (Roman Catholic) Church and the animal shelter on King Street."
Homeowners can also recommend their own houses to the committee for a heritage designation, he said, noting "most of the designations I've been involved with have come forward by the owners."
Residents can read more about the Ontario Heritage Act online.
