Please write a letter today in support of the designation of 28 Daisy Avenue as a heritage property. It’s the oldest remaining building in Long Branch.

The historical farmhouse (see photos, maps, and details below) at 28 Daisy Avenue in Long Branch is for sale.

If you have questions after reading this blog post, please contact us through the ‘Contact Us’ link at this website.

Denise Harris, president of the Etobicoke Historical Society, has completed a nomination form for the designation of the property under the Ontario Heritage Act (please click on the following link to read the document):

28 Daisy Avenue – Heritage Property Nomination Form (1)

Michael Harrison provided background information and maps in support of the nomination.

If you wish to ask friends and neighbours to help with this letter-writing initiative, please print out the following overview (I’ve posted it in both PDF and Microsoft Word formats) and share it with them:

28 Daisy Ave – information package – PDF

28 Daisy Ave – information package – Microsoft Word Document

A PDF version of the Long Branch Subdivisions is available at the link below (please click on the following link to open it):

Long Branch Subdivisions

As well, the nomination document mentions the house at the Colonel Samuel Smith farm homestead in Long Branch. Originally a log cabin, built in 1797, with extensions and siding added over the years, the Smith house was torn down in 1955.

To assist us in our letter-writing project, please copy and paste the following text to create your own version of the letter, which you can send to the email addresses indicated in the text:

Mary MacDonald
Heritage Preservation Services
Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen Street West, 17th Floor, East Tower
Toronto ON  M5H 2N2
mmacdon7@toronto.ca

[Today’s date]

Dear Mary MacDonald:

I am writing in support of the nomination, by the Etobicoke Historical Society, of 28 Daisy Avenue for designation as a heritage property under the Ontario Heritage Act.

The property is the oldest remaining farmhouse in the lake front area of South Etobicoke. It is also the area’s remaining link to a pre-Confederation agricultural era; the only remaining example in Etobicoke of stucco-over-stone construction; and the oldest remaining building in Long Branch.

The house at 28 Daisy Avenue was built in the Gothic Revival cottage style popular during the late 1800s. A small central gable over the front door features a small window. The two gable ends of the main roof enclose matching chimneys. The walls are two feet thick. The original owners, Richard and Lucy Newborn, emigrated from Lincolnshire, England between 1835 and 1837. They built the house before the 1852 census, on a 100-acre farm purchased in 1847. Their first-born daughter accompanied them from England. Four more daughters, and then three sons, were born in Canada.

The eldest son, Richard Robinson Newborn, born in 1843, worked the farm with his father. The son married Susannah Copeland in 1869 and the younger and older families lived together at the house. Richard Sr. died in 1879 followed by his wife Lucy in 1886. Richard Jr. operated the farm until his death in 1900. His wife Susannah died in 1911, after which the south 41 acres were sold to Colonel Frederick Burton Robins of the Lake Shore Land Co. Ltd.

Robins, who developed the land as the Lakeshore Gardens subdivision, preserved the house as the centre of the latter subdivision. The house was sold in 1911 to a neighbour, who owned it until his death in 1922. The next owner held the house until 1949. The next owner, in turn, lived in the house until 1977. Since then, the house has had at least seven owners. The home’s heritage features have, for the most part, been retained.

As is the case with members of the Etobicoke Historical Society, and the Long Branch Historical Society, I strongly support the designation of this property under the Ontario Heritage Act.

Sincerely.

[Your name]
[Address]
[Phone]
[Email]

Copies:

Ward 6 Councillor Mark Grimes:                    councillor_grimes@toronto.ca
Denise Harris, Etobicoke Historical Society:    denise.harris@sympatico.ca
Barry Kemp, Long Branch Historical Society:  paulpb_2003@yahoo.com

Alternatively, you may wish to copy and paste from this Word file:

28 Daisy Avenue – copy and paste template

For the following jpeg files, if you click on the image, you can enlarge it. It many cases, if you click again, you can enlarge it further. Use your browser’s back button to return to the page you are now reading.

28 Daisy Avenue

Street view of 28 Daisy Avenue looking east

Newburn Farm – Etobicoke Township – York County Tremaines Map 1860. The red arrow (which you can see more clearly if you click on the image) indicates the location of the farm.

Long Branch Subdivisions. The Lakeshore Gardens subdivision (1910) is at the upper right. You can enlarge this image (as with all images on this page) by clicking on it. The Newborn house (28 Daisy Avenue) was preserved at the centre of the Lake Shore Gardens subdivision.

Newburn Farmhouse 1952 – Underwriters 28 Daisy Avenue – Survey Bureau Ltd 1952 – Toronto Vol 14. A creek used to run through the area. It’s now underground.

Long Branch Goads – Plate 9B

Please help us to get 28 Daisy Avenue designated as a heritage property under the Ontario Heritage Act