A home built when Wilfred Laurier was prime minister, not a photograph on a $5 bill, was spared from a fiery end last weekend.
Flames threatened the unoccupied property on Hwy. 7 just east of Ninth Line, just before 1 p.m. Saturday.
Six Markham fire vehicles responded and were able to keep the damage to a minimum, public education officer and fire service spokesperson Dave Blizzard said.
The cause of the fire was unknown at press time.
The white and green home is also known as the Lewis J. Burkholder House. It was built in 1904 and is designated a heritage property under provincial legislation. The house, owned by a Richmond Hill development firm, is one of a several marked for preservation in the Cornell area, the town says.
Cornell resident Dave Burkholder, 56, whose grandfather built the house and whose father, Paul, was born there, laments lack of attention paid to some heritage homes.
“We’ve watched a number of them disappear over the last number of years either by negligence or by willful destruction,” he said.
“There was one in north Markham a few years ago that got knocked down by mistake one Saturday; that type of thing.
‘Blending of old and new’
“There needs to be a blending of the old and the new. I’m happy to see the new coming in. I think east Markham development is great.
“There’s a lot of diversity there. But I also think those people deserve to be able to see good examples of history and what has built the community in the past.”
Mr. Burkholder lived at the home until he was 21.
“My mom and dad are happily retired, live up in Stouffville and probably other than the fact it’s the Paul and Eva Burkholder home east of Markham, they wouldn’t want to be involved,” he said.
“Mom just said it’s too bad that it has to look like that — that’s the part that’s discouraging or heartbreaking for them, to see it sort of crumble away and deteriorate.”
Not maintained
The Burkholder family home has not been maintained since it was purchased by the developer.
Thieves and vandals have also struck the building, he said.
“It was interesting, the kids that came around the fire Saturday...girls who were mesmerized when they actually met someone who lived there — they’d like to talk to my dad some time, they were just really interested,” Mr. Burkholder said.
“From that point of view, it’s neat — they think it’s neat to have a connection with history.”