Heritage Designation of 38-40 Colborne Street, Village of Fenelon Falls

Notice: Designation of Property under the Ontario Heritage Act

Take Notice that the Council of the City of Kawartha Lakes, on January 30, 2024, passed By-law 2024-013 to designate the following property under Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.18, as a property of cultural heritage value or interest:

38-40 Colborne Street, Village of Fenelon Falls
PT LT 1 E/S COLBORNE ST AND S/S FRANCIS ST PL 17 FENELON AS IN R366292 S/T R366292; KAWARTHA LAKES

Statement of Reasons for Designation

Design and Physical Value
38-40 Colborne Street has design and physical value as a representative example of Italianate commercial architecture in Fenelon Falls. The building, which served as a local hotel and was constructed in 1877 as a replacement for an older hotel building, demonstrates the key features of this architectural style which was the most popular architecture style for commercial construction in Ontario in the second half of the nineteenth century. It is representative of the execution of this style in Fenelon Falls between about 1870 and 1890 when it was at its height of popularity and the commercial core of the village was developing rapidly from its pioneer beginnings to an established Victorian community.

Historical and Associative Value
38-40 Colborne Street, also known as the Mansion House Hotel, has historical and associative value as a former hotel and tavern serving the community in Fenelon Falls during its peak of nineteenth century prosperity. Near the end of the nineteenth century, the community underwent a period of rapidly increasing prosperity that attracted new businesses, residents and investment into the community. This property is a subject of that period of prosperity and yields information regarding Fenelon Falls’ economic growth near the end of the nineteenth century, specifically with regard to the need for hotel accommodations and the growing hospitality sector in the community with its burgeoning tourist economy. Similarly, the property also has direct associations with prominent local businessman and landowner, Jeremiah Twomey, the original owner of the building. Twomey was an early resident of Fenelon Falls and, throughout the second half of the century, grew into a prominent local citizen, landowner and businessman through his various ventures in the community. 

Contextual Value
38-40 Colborne Street has contextual value as a contributing feature to the historic commercial streetscape of downtown Fenelon Falls. The property is visually and historically linked to its surroundings as part of the continuous commercial streetwall along the east side of Colborne Street, maintains and supports the historic commercial character of the village’s downtown area which is characterized by its collection of Italianate commercial architecture dating primarily from the 1870s and 1880s. The downtown area includes a variety of late nineteenth century Italianate property executed in a similar style, size and massing to the subject property which, taken together, form a cohesive downtown landscape of which 38-40 Colborne Street is a contributing feature.

Further information respecting the designation is available at the City’s Economic Development Department. Interested parties may object to the designating by-law to the Ontario Land Tribunal. Any objection to this designation must be filed within 30 days of February 7, 2024 and include the reasons for objection to the designating by-law and the fee charged by the Tribunal. Objections should be directed to: Cathie Richie, Clerk, City of Kawartha Lakes, P.O. Box 9000, 26 Francis Street, Lindsay, ON K9V 5R8.

The by-law will come into effect on the day following the last day of the notice period.

For further information about the property, please consult its Heritage Evaluation Report.

Any inquiries may be directed to:

Economic Development Officer- Heritage Planning
City of Kawartha Lakes,
180 Kent Street West, Lindsay, ON  K9V 2Y6
(705) 324-9411 ext.1366
eturner@kawarthalakes.ca