Rural East Gwillimbury History:The main villages in East Gwillimbury, Holland Landing, Sharon, Queensville and Mount Albert overshadow the smaller rural hamlets in both importance and size. Holt, Ravenshoe, Franklin and Brown Hill are often unheard of and unknown to outsiders, but their histories helped in the growth of the Town.
In the middle 1800's Franklin had a mill pond, a grist mill, a sash and door company, lumber mill, pump manufacturing company, two sawmills, two blacksmith shops, a church, a school and homes for 150 residents. But, when the railway opened a station at Mount Albert in 1877, the decline of the village began. Today, the Franklin Fishing Club at the former mill pond and several homes remain at the north end of Franklin Road on the north side of Herald Road near Highway 48.
Rural Communities
Century Heritage Homes Houses
East Gwillimbury
Rural East Gwillimbury
The hamlet of Holt, originally Eastville, had a general store, an inn, two carpenter shops, a blacksmith shop, a post office in 1863 and 50 residents. It is still located at Mount Albert Sideroad and McCowan Road.
Ravenshoe, straddling both sides of Ravenshoe Road at Catering Road just east of Warden Avenue, originally got its name from the many ravens there, and "Hoe", the English word for home. Here there were two blacksmith shops, a shoe store, a brick store and a post office built around 1860.
Brown Hill, originally Blake Station, is just east of Highway 48 on Ravenshoe Road. After the first settlers arrived in the 1860's, a department store with post office was built in 1875. Soon after, a hotel, a railway station (1878), stockyard with pens and a saw mill helped bring the hamlet alive in the its early days.
Other rural hamlets were Mount Zion, Hartman and Maple Hill, but they have long since disappeared.
Rural East Gwillimbury
Rural East Gwillimbury
Amenities
Neighbourhoods Amenities
Rural East Gwillimbury Real Estate:Many East Gwillimbury properties are designated rural or farm (agricultural), with farm generally referring to the larger land holdings. Often the larger farms are held by developers or investors hoping to cash in on future zoning changes and developments such as those proposed for Holland Landing, Sharon and Queensville.
Rural detached homes come in many price ranges. For instance, estate residential homes on streets like Sherwood Glen, Callwood Court, John Rye Trail and Fairbairn Gate attract buyers looking for more expensive and prestigious properties. Most of the rural detached homes are on well and septic tank systems where larger lots are required.
Rural Real Estate
Harvest Hills Homes Houses
East Gwillimbury
East Gwillimbury
An interesting part of Rural East Gwillimbury real estate is the Harvest Hills Subdivision west of Yonge Street on the south side of Green Lane West. Here, bordering Newmarket, there are new detached homes, townhouses, townhomes and semi-detached homes on full services.
Again, as in other East Gwillimbury neighbourhoods, the population growth is putting pressure on the rural land use. The projected population is expected to increase to approximately 88,000 people and 34,500 jobs by 2031. This idyllic town setting just north of Toronto is gradually being transformed to an urban setting.
References:
East Gwillimbury in the Nineteenth Century, A Centennial History of the Township of East Gwillimbury, Gladys M. Rolling, The Ryerson Press, 1967.
