The Richmond Hill Historical Society is once again honoured to partner with Councillor David West for the 5th Annual Ward 4 Maple Syrup Festival. The Richmond Hill Historical Society has been associated with the Festival from the beginning, and we’re certainly pleased with how it has grown. In 2020, the Festival had the misfortune to be the first City event to be cancelled because of the pandemic, but this year, it’s going ahead, albeit in a virtual format.
5th Annual Ward 4 Maple Syrup Festival Poster
A big part of the Festival will be an educational and interactive webinar from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Sunday, March 21st. We would really encourage you to register for the Webinar on David West’s website – DavidWest-RichmondHill.ca/Maple-Syrup-Festival – and continue to offer the Festival the kind of support it deserves. The Webinar’s agenda includes:
Indigenous participation
Music, that was always a big hit
Maple artifacts
A maple beverage demo, and
An ecology presentation by TRCA.
Also available through the website will be opportunities to view maple syrup videos (tapping trees, boiling sap, storytelling) and to participate in a variety of activities, including maple-oriented arts and crafts, recipes – beyond pancakes – and a scavenger hunt. There is also a resource center available that will contain maple syrup facts and trivia.
So take advantage of this opportunity – participate in the webinar and get involved in the videos and other activities that are being made available. It’s a great chance to support our community and Councillor West.
Well, here we are in March. Covid 19 has been with us for a year, now, and I’m sure we’re all suffering from what I’ve come to call “the Covid rut.” I’m also sure that we’re all really looking forward to getting out of that rut and back to normal. We’re getting good news about vaccines, though I’m trying, with some difficulty, to be patient about where and when, and even how, my turn will come. It will sure be nice when our TV news reports and newspapers aren’t full of all the data – and tragedies – generated by this pandemic.
March, of course also means that spring is on its way. I don’t want to jinx our weather, but, all in all, this winter hasn’t been too bad. Snow shoveling hasn’t been terrible, so far, and until recently, it hasn’t even been really cold. More recently, it’s even warm! But I’m still looking forward to spring. I’m just not a winter person!
Our next regular meeting – by Zoom, of course – is Monday, March 15th, at 7:30 PM. Our speaker this month is Alexander Gates, the Executive Director and Curator of the Canadian Automotive Museum in Oshawa. His presentation is entitled: “120 Years of Fear and Fascination with the Automobile.” I’ve checked out the Museum’s website, and I think we’ll be getting a really interesting look at the history of cars in Canada – and a big chunk of that history happened just down the road, in Oshawa. I would like to encourage you to search out their website. It’s really worth a look. The address is: www.canadianautomotivemuseum.com/
This is also an opportunity to remind you that guests are welcome to our Zoom meetings, just as they are to our regular meetings. At those regular meetings, we have been seeking a $5.00 fee for each guest, which has been well-received. I would encourage any guests at our Zoom meetings to consider a $5.00 donation to the Society – this is easy to do through an e-transfer process that I’ll be speaking further about shortly. For the Zoom link, please contact us at r.hillhistsoc at hotmail.ca.
I’ve mentioned before that we have set up the opportunity to make membership payments to the Society through e-transfers, and I’m pleased to report that it’s working well. We’ve received a number of payments this way, and I must say that it’s really convenient. I would like to remind you that you have the option of rolling your 2020 fees over to cover 2021 – the choice is yours. If your choice is to pay the normal 2021 fees, I would encourage you to use an e-transfer. I know different banks have different processes, but our account is with TD, and you will have to use the Society’s email address to make the payment. Our address is: r.hillhistsoc at hotmail.ca . Another reminder: the annual fees are $25.00 for a single membership and $40.00 for a family membership.
I began this message by talking about March and the imminent arrival of spring, but it also means the imminent arrival of Councillor David West’s annual Maple Syrup Festival. The Richmond Hill Historical Society has been associated with the Festival from the beginning, and we’re certainly pleased with how it has grown. In 2020, the Festival had the misfortune to be the first City event to be cancelled because of the pandemic, but this year, it’s going ahead, albeit in a virtual format.
5th Annual Ward 4 Maple Syrup Festival Poster
Marj Andre and I have been part of the planning process for the Festival’s agenda, and I believe it’s shaping up to be a significant event, virtual or not. A big part of the Festival will be an educational and interactive webinar from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Sunday, March 21st. I would really encourage you to register for the Webinar on David West’s website – DavidWest-RichmondHill.ca/Maple-Syrup-Festival – and continue to offer the Festival the kind of support it deserves. The Webinar’s agenda includes:
Indigenous participation
Music, that was always a big hit
Maple artifacts
A maple beverage demo, and
An ecology presentation by TRCA.
Also available through the website will be opportunities to view maple syrup videos (tapping trees, boiling sap, storytelling) and to participate in a variety of activities, including maple-oriented arts and crafts, recipes – beyond pancakes – and a scavenger hunt. There is also a resource center available that will contain maple syrup facts and trivia.
So take advantage of this opportunity – participate in the webinar and get involved in the videos and other activities that are being made available. It’s a great chance to support our community and Councilor West. I’ve included the poster that has been created to support the festival below.
Thanks for your attention. I hope to see you on March 15th, at 7:30 PM.
by Norman McMullen Published in the Richmond Hill Liberal, February 11, 2021
Whatever its fate, the site of the Richmond Hill doctor’s hall holds its place in history, writes Norman McMullen
It’s not likely that many residents of Richmond Hill would be interested in knowing that the Archives Committee at St. Mary’s Anglican Church recently acquired three gnarly and aged yellow bricks.
These items were received following the destruction of Dr. Duncumb’s Hall, formerly located at 10027 Yonge St., almost directly opposite the church.
The future of the property that formerly hosted Dr. Duncumb’s Hall, located at 10027 Yonge St. in Richmond Hill, has been under discussion for some time. – Richmond Hill Historical Society
The future of the property has been under discussion for some time, and late last year, the building met its fate; some have said “demolition by neglect”.
Built for Dr. John Duncumb between late 1857 and 1861, the building served as a courtroom, where he presided as a Justice of the Peace.
His career was short-lived, due to “financial indiscretions” and the structure was eventually converted into a public hall.
Between 1864 and 1872, it served as a place of worship for the local Anglican congregation. Apparently some of the faithful even referred to the structure as “Dr. Duncumb’s Church”!
After Dr. Duncumb’s death by 1875, the hall was renovated for residential use by Lucy Nicholls. Through Lucy’s son Hesse and his wife, the property remained in the family until 1963.
After that, several major modifications were made to the building, allowing rental space for various businesses. Sadly, its gradual decline continued as well.
The Hall was built in a classic revival style, representative of popular designs often used for early official buildings.
According to a York Herald notice in February, 1862:
“On Thursday evening, the 13th inst., Dr. Duncumb opened his Hall in a grand manner. We understand about 200 ladies and gentlemen were present. The doctor entertained his guests in first-rate style to wine and cake; and having engaged the Quadrille Band from Toronto, dancing was the order of the night.”
It is believed to have been one of the earliest brick structures in Richmond Hill, representing an important part of our early justice system, public entertainment, community events, meetings and church services.
It is interesting to note that with the establishment and naming of St. Mary’s in 1872, the congregation simply moved across the street. Dr. Duncumb continued his connections with the Anglicans, although he was frequently at odds with Clergy and some parishioners — especially John Robert Arnold, who was no doubt an entrepreneurial competitor.
It was Arnold who donated the land for establishment of St. Mary’s.
Dr. Duncumb’s death was noted by the York Herald’s obituary of Dec. 10, 1875:
“…Having resisted his native country, (Beverley, Yorkshire, England) he returned to Canada in 1837, and a few years later took up his residence in the Village, where by his professional skill and shrewd business talents, he acquired considerable property; but his career, successful though it was, like all other earthly careers, came to a close, and his powerful frame, in obedience to the common law of nature, yielded to the fierce onslaughts of the grim monster, his lion head was bowed and his stentorian voice was hushed in death…”
So even though his hall has vanished, the bell continues to ring today, in tribute to this remarkable citizen of Richmond Hill.
It is comforting to know that the city directed the Heritage and Urban Design staff to carefully remove any items of historic and architectural significance, prior to demolition of the hall.
I understand this includes the following: About 70 pieces of whole heritage bricks, the original fan-shaped window and three flat head windows, along with two stained glass windows.
These items are now safely stored at the Operations Centre. Hopefully these items will reappear in whatever structure that continues the fascinating story of Dr. Duncumb’s hall.
Norman McMullen is a member of the Richmond Hill Historical Society and Chair of the Archives Committee at St. Mary’s Anglican Church.
Richmond Hill Historical Society 