RESEARCH REPORT

THE FRANK ALBERT REESOR HOUSE

7323 Highway # 7

Part Lot 10, Concession 9

Markham

Prepared For: Heritage Markham

Prepared By: Marie Jones

RESEARCH REPORT

Frank Albert Reesor House, 7323 Highway 7

The Frank A. 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 7323 Highway # 7 was built in 1912 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 (1774-1874), 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 where they built a two storey stone house (c. 1840). 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 was demolished in the 1980’s.

By 1846, the east ½, 98 acre parcel was sold to John Sr.’s son John Jr. for 250 pounds. The west ½, 100 acres, went to Jesse G. Reesor in 1866 for an amount of $3000.00.

John Jr. married Catherine Brown and their oldest son, Abraham Reesor (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 1851 census 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 1883, as a condition of Abraham Reesor’s will, the east ½ 98 acres was left to his son Frank Albert Reesor (1868-1946) who continued to live in the John Reesor Jr. house. The 3 ½ acre parcel, the site of the red brick house was left to his wife Martha who lived there until her death. In 1912, Frank A. Reesor demolished the fieldstone house his grandfather had built and built the large 2 ½ storey house which stands today on the site of the original building. The attached garage to the south side of the dwelling is the original summer kitchen of the stone house. The house was later passed down to Frank Armstrong Reesor the eldest son. The house is now owned by his eldest son Frank Ashmore Reesor.

Architectural Reasons

The house located at 7323 Highway # 7 is an excellent example of an Edwardian style house constructed in the early part of the 20 th century. The substantial 2 ½ storey red brick house is built on a square plan, 3 bays across by 2 bays. The roof is of a truncated hip with a front facing hipped dormer in the upper storey and triangular dormers on the two side elevations and a plain boxed cornice. The small 1 storey, frame addition on the south side of the house, which presently serves as a garage, was the summer kitchen of the former stone house (c. 1850). The front of the dwelling faces east and has a one storey open verandah, which runs the full width of the house. The windows are rectangular with 2/2 pane division. On the north elevation is a one storey bay window and on the south side an upper storey projecting box bay window.

The house is an outstanding representation of the significant changes seen in architecture in Markham at the beginning of the new century. Unlike the simpler earlier dwellings which surround it, the Frank Reesor House appears more urban in appearance.

Contextual Reasons

The Frank A. 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 Markham’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 style.

North Elevation

IDENTIFICATION

Property: The Frank Albert Reesor House

7323 Highway # 7

Legal Description: Part Lot 10, Concession 9

Owners: Frank Ashmore Reesor

Inventory Number: J6 – 4

Assessment Roll Number: 255 –572 –00

Date of Construction: 1912

Style of Architecture: Edwardian

Type of Structure: Farm Residence

Number of Storeys: 2 ½

Exterior Wall Material: Red Brick

Special Features: Decorative window treatments