Intention to Designate 223 Governor’s Road, Dundas

Description of Property

The 0.49-hectare property at 223 Governor’s Road, Dundas is comprised of a two-storey brick residence with a one-and-a-half storey eastern wing, originally constructed circa 1870. The property is located near the northeast corner of Governor’s Road and Creighton Road, in the community of Dundas within the City of Hamilton.

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

The property located at 223 Governor’s Road, historically known as Starfield, is comprised of a brick residence constructed circa 1870. The cultural heritage value of the property lies in its design value as a representative example of a vernacular mid-nineteenth century brick dwelling with Classical Revival influences, as demonstrated by its Ionic columns, which also display a high degree of craftsmanship.

The historical value of the property lies in its direct association with people significant to the history and evolution of Dundas and its economy, including Timothy Greening (c.1815-1900), owner of the property from 1869 to 1896.  In 1858, Timothy Greening immigrated to Hamilton with his half-brother, Benjamin Greening (1808-1877). Descended from a long line of wire manufacturers, Timothy Greening operated the T. Greening Wire Works, later Greening and Sons, from circa 1860 until his death in 1900, manufacturing wire cloth and sheet metal. The property is also associated with John Maw (1841-1920), a local businessman who resided at the property between 1904 and 1920. In 1865, Maw partnered with James Littler to form the Dundas Tool Works, which manufactured iron and woodworking machinery. In the 1880s, Maw joined the B. Greening Wire Works, serving as superintendent until 1906, at which time he was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors.

The contextual value of the property lies in its role in defining the historic character of Governor’s Road, one of the area’s earliest transportation corridors that was constructed as a military route in the early-nineteenth century. The property is historically, functionally, and visually and linked to its surroundings as one of the few extant mid-nineteenth century homes located along the Dundas portion of Governor’s Road, and for its connection to the site of the former T. Greening Wire Works industrial factory to the west. Initially situated on a 4-hectare lot, the property was home to an orchard and other small scale agricultural pursuits. Due to its prominent location and raised elevation on Governor’s Road, the property is considered to be a local landmark.

The key attributes that embody the cultural heritage value of the property as a representative example of a vernacular mid-nineteenth century brick dwelling influenced by the Classical Revival architectural style and demonstrating a high degree of craftsmanship, and its historical association with Timothy Greening and John Maw, include: 

• All elevations and rooflines of the combined one-and-a-half and two-storey brick dwelling including its:
  • Brick facades laid in Common bond;
  • Low hipped roofs with brick chimneys and plain fascia;
  • Flat-headed and segmentally-arched window openings with multi-pane hung wood windows and storms, brick voussoirs and stone lug sills;
  • Covered west, south and north porches with moulded cornice and Ionic columns;
  • West and southeast entrances, each with a multi-pane wood transom, sidelights and moulded wood trim; 
  • North and northeast entrances with wood transoms; and,
  • Projecting ground-floor window bays with multi-pane wood windows and storms, and shared stone sills;

The projecting dormers in the one-and-a-half storey eastern portion of the building are not considered to be heritage attributes.

The key attributes that embody the contextual value of the property as a defining feature of the historical character of Governor’s Road and the community of Dundas and it being historically and visually linked to its surroundings include its:

• Deep set back and prominent elevated location on Governor’s Road.