HERITAGE
BUILDINGS
[ DIVERSITY + CULTURE ]
+ THE
MCMICHAEL
ART
GALLERY
WRITTEN By
KELLY TABANGI
As the first city to be incorporated in York Region, Vaughan’s roots date back all the
way to the 1700s. The City was named by Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe
in honour of British diplomat Benjamin Vaughan, co-negotiator of the Peace of
Paris, the treaty that ended the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783).
In December 2013, Vaughan Council passed a resolution that the statutory holiday
in August known as the civic holiday be renamed Benjamin Vaughan Day.
T
he City of Vaughan is able
to maintain and celebrate its
story through the preservation
of several heritage buildings
constructed from as early as
1820. Each building represents a different aspect of the
cultural diversity in Vaughan and offers a
fresh perspective on the growth of the city.
There are 13 buildings currently being preserved by Vaughan in an effort to educate
visitors about the diverse architecture and
cultural range in the city’s past.
Heritage conservation is an important part
of a city’s development. By maintaining the
past, you are able to help build the future.
Not to mention, the architectural beauty is
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Celebrate Vaughan / 2016
priceless and the contribution to culture and
the economy is invaluable. Through an understanding of how significant these buildings are to both Vaughan’s beginning and
future, the city selected heritage buildings
such as Michael Cranny House in Maple
built in 1851, Kleinburg’s Kline House built
in 1858, and Nathaniel Wallace House
in Woodbridge built in 1873 to continuously
be worked on for preservation.
Between the 13 heritage buildings, Vellore
School and Vellore Town Hall stand out for
their significant place in Vaughan’s history.
In 1864, Vellore was declared the name of
a small community, located at present day
Weston Road, between Rutherford Road
and Major Mackenzie Drive. There were
only a school, town hall, small store, post office, blacksmith shop, wagon maker’s shop,
and six residential homes. Although it was
only a small hamlet, community interest and
participation were strong in Vellore. The
school was originally built from logs, but in
1868, the existing building was constructed
to accommodate increasing enrollment.
The school was closed in 1964 and used by
the municipality as a storage facility, but its
role in educating newcomers and citizens
of Vaughan will not be forgotten.
Vellore Township Hall was the communication hub of the community, acting as a place
where people could come to receive information about current events, economic conditions and international news. This is also