RESEARCH REPORT
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


THE ABRAHAM REESOR HOUSE

7265 Highway # 7

Part Lot 10, Concession 9

Markham

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                            Prepared For:  Heritage Markham

 

 Prepared By: Marie Jones

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RESEARCH REPORT:

 

Abraham Reesor House, 7265 Highway 7

 

The Abraham Reesor House is recommended for designation under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act because of its historical, architectural and contextual significance.

 

Historical Research

 

The house located at 7265 Highway # 7 was built in 1875 on land, which was originally granted by patent to Levi Collier in Oct. of 1801.  In 1805 the full 200 acre parcel was

sold to Christian Reesor.  When Christian Reesor Sr. died in 1806, all his holdings were transferred to his eldest son Peter.  By 1807, this lot had become the property of John Reesor (1784-1874), the fourth child of Christian Reesor and Fanny Reiff.

 

Christian Reesor with his wife Fanny Reiff arrived in Upper Canada in 1804 with their four sons and two daughters, Elizabeth (1774-1835), Peter (1775-1854), Barbara (1777-1852), John (1784-1874), Abraham (1790-1831) and Christian (1794-1877), and their respective families.  The Reesor Family acquired 2,500 acres of land in Markham Township.  Christian and Fanny settled on Lot 14, Concession 10 near Locust Hill where they resided for only two years before Christian was accidentally killed by a falling tree.  His vast holdings of land were divided among his children after his death.

 

In 1809, John Reesor married Annie Grove (1794-1869), the oldest daughter of Bishop Abraham Grove of the Mennonite Church and his wife Elizabeth Lehman.  The Grove family arrived in Upper Canada in 1808 from Pennsylvania and settled in Markham Township.  John and Annie farmed Lot 10, Concession 9 and it was here that they raised their family of 15 children.  Their descendants are numerous and many have remained in Markham Township.

 

In 1820, a two acre parcel in the north east corner was sold to Sylvester Boyce.  Six years later this parcel was sold to Peter Brooks, a carpenter and blacksmith, whose descendants resided here until the 1890’s.  The fieldstone structure at this corner was operated as a general store for a number of years.  It appears to have been demolished in the 1980’s.

 

John and Annie Reesor lived in the stone house c.1840 on the West part of Lot 10.  In 1846 John Reesor Sr. sold to his sixth child, John G. Reesor (1819–1889), 98 acres on the East part of Lot 10 for 250 pounds.  John Reesor Jr. was married first to Catherine Brown and then to Magdalena McDowell. The census of 1851 lists the family living in a stone house on the property.  John Jr. and Catherine’s oldest son Abraham Reesor (Abram, 1842-1883), a carpenter, came into possession of the property in 1873.  It was Abraham Reesor and his wife Martha Pike who built the red brick house at 7265 Highway # 7 in 1875.  Here they raised a family of six children.  The York County Atlas Map of 1878 shows four dwellings on Lot 10, Concession 9, the original John Reesor Sr. stone house, the Abraham Reesor house on a small parcel of land, the John Reesor Jr. house (according to the census of 1851 is a 2 storey stone house) and the Peter Brooks house (a fieldstone dwelling which is described in his will as being on the NE corner of the lot).

 

In 1888, as a condition of Abraham Reesor’s will, a 3 ½ acre parcel, which included the red brick house was left to Martha Reesor, his wife. The remaining 94.5 acres were left to Frank Albert Reesor, their eldest son.  Martha Reesor continued to live in the house until her death in 1923. By 1968 Nellie Hyland and Isabel Hyland Lister, grandchildren of Abram and Martha, had come into possession of the 3 ½ acre parcel where the house was located.

 

Architectural Reasons

 

The house located at 7265 Highway # 7 is a good example of a Picturesque Style dwelling built in the last quarter of the 19th century.  The house was constructed, according to a date stone, in 1875 using the then modern “L shaped plan”.  The 1 ½ storey red brick veneer house is 3 bays across by 2 bays deep with buff brick detailing which includes quoining, voussoirs and a tie bar line.  There is a 1 storey frame addition at the rear.  The roof is of a medium pitch with an extra gable on the front.  There are plain projecting eaves and verges and there is an extensive use of decorative bargeboards on all elevations.  There are finials on the front gables.   The windows are segmental with 2/2 pane division.  The window dormer over the front verandah has a semicircular window and beside this, over the front door entrance, is a half round window.  The front, open, one storey verandah, with shed roof, does not extend the full width of the enclave. It is supported by plain classical columns, which may not be original to the building.  The verandah on the east elevation, at the rear, is open and has decorative brackets with turned porch supports.  This appears to be of a style more in keeping with the original date of construction of the house.

 

Contextual Reasons

 

The Abraham Reesor house is of contextual significance for its association with the historic agriculture community in the east part of Markham Township.  Together with other farm residences in the vicinity, the area is a reminder of some of Markhan’s early settlers, the descendants of Christian and Fanny Reesor who cleared heavily forested land in order to produce viable farm land.  The four houses, which exist today on Lot 10, Concession 9, are a wonderful example of Mennonite tradition, which under the laws of primogeniture governed inheritance.  This property and its buildings represent five generations of the Reesor family and the changing tastes in architectural style.

 

             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IDENTIFICATION

 

                        Property:                                              The Abraham Reesor House

7265 Highway # 7

 

 

Legal Description:                                 East Part Lot 10, Concession 9

 

Owners:                                               Glenn And Sharon Russell

 

Inventory Number:                                J6 – 3

 

Assessment Roll Number:                     255 –572 – 00

 

Date of Construction:                            1875

 

Style of Architecture:                            Picturesque

 

Type of Structure:                                 Farm Residence

 

Number of Storeys:                              1 ½

 

Exterior Wall Material:              Red Brick with Buff accents

 

Special Features:                                  Decorative brickwork and bargeboard             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

EAST ELEVATION
 

 

NORTH EAST ELEVATION