Notice of Intent to Designate 14205 Woodbine Avenue "Preston House"

02 October 2025

 Notice of Intention to Designate a Property of Cultural Heritage Value “Preston House”

14205 Woodbine Avenue, Whitchurch-Stouffville

 

The Council of the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville intends to designate 14205 Woodbine Avenue, in the community of Preston Lake, under Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, as being a property of cultural heritage value at the Council meeting held on November 5, 2025 at 1pm.

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

14205 Woodbine Avenue (Preston House)

Part of Lot 14 Concession 4, Whitchurch, Part 2 65R-13383. Part of Lot 13 Concession 4, Whitchurch, Parts 1 to 12 on 65R-10571 Subject to R530234 & R540235 & R556253; Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville.

Description of Historic Place

The property known municipally as 14205 Woodbine Avenue is located on part of Lot 13 and 14, Concession 4 in the former Township of Whitchurch. The property is located on the east side of Woodbine Avenue approximately midway between Vandorf Sideroad and Bloomington Road. The property is mainly comprised of cultivated fields in addition to a two and a half storey brick farmhouse in the American Foursquare style on a rise overlooking Preston Lake. There is also a large gambrel roof barn with wings to the southeast of the dwelling and a garage and workshop to the southwest of the dwelling.

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value

The property located at 14205 Woodbine Avenue has cultural heritage value as the residence of George Preston, who opened the area around Preston Lake for development, and of his grandson Rick Preston, a significant member of the community who worked to spread the Town’s history through his volunteer work at the museum and in the broader community.  

The property contains design or physical value as an example of American Foursquare architectural style and features a square footprint for the primary portion of the dwelling, hipped roof with hipped dormer, covered porch with a pediment above the main entry way, and symmetrical main floor. The rear wing is an adaptation of the style featuring further Edwardian attributes and has a gabled roof and two storey covered porch. The style is also expressed in the brick construction and two and a half storey built form of the structure.

The property contains historical or associative value as the dwelling was constructed for George Preston circa 1910. George opened Preston Lake for development and built up the area as a vacation destination, including installing beaches, a wharf, diving facilities, a dance hall, ball diamond, and tennis courts in the 1920s. While these facilities no longer exist, the area has continued to develop as a residential community initially following George’s subdivision of the east end of the Lake in the 1930s. The Preston name is conserved in the name of the community. The dwelling was then passed to Richard Preston, who worked as a volunteer at the Whitchurch-Stouffville Museum for many years to share his passion for history with the community. He did both maintenance work and provided tours, as well as providing financial support to the Museum. His work has helped protect the Town’s history and also share it with future generations to come. The Preston family has been significant to the Preston Lake and Vandorf communities and to the heritage of the Town.

The property contains contextual value due to its location on a rise overlooking Preston Lake, with the dwelling oriented towards the Lake. The property is also in proximity to the original development initiated by George Preston. The tree lined access to Woodbine Ave for the dwelling and farm complex is mirrored in the North Road along the southern limit of the property, which provides access to the residential development around Preston Lake. The farm complex is surrounded by agricultural uses to the east and west with tree lines separating the complex from the fields.

Cultural Heritage Attributes

The following heritage attributes display cultural heritage value and contribute to the design and physical value of the property at 14205 Woodbine Avenue:

  • American Foursquare Architectural design;
  • Hip Roof with gabled rear;
  • Pediment in rear gable peak;
  • Hipped dormer roof on the south facade;
  • Covered veranda with pediment over main entryway;
  • Covered veranda around the rear tail;
  • Frame construction with red brick veneer;
  • Two and a half storey built form;
  • Segmental arches over openings consisting of a stretcher course and header course; and,
  • All window and door openings on the dwelling.

The following heritage attributes display cultural heritage value and contribute to the contextual value of the property at 14205 Woodbine Avenue:

  • Location on a rise overlooking Preston Lake.
  • Orientation of the dwelling to the south towards Preston Lake.

 

Written Notice of Objection

Any person may, within 30 days after the date of the publication of the Notice, serve written notice of their objections to the proposed designation, together with a statement for the objection and relevant facts.

Dated at Whitchurch-Stouffville, this 2nd day of October 2025.

Becky Jamieson, Town Clerk

Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville

Stouffville, Ontario

CONTACT: Trevor Alkema, Heritage Planner I, Development Services, Phone: (905) 640-1900 ext. 2299, E-mail: trevor.alkema@townofws.ca

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