BYLAW-Heritage Designation 136 Wellington StE Railroad Hotel-20200128-623620The Corporation of the Town of Aurora
By-law Number 6236-20
Being a By-law to designate a property to be of cultural heritage
value or interest (Railroad Hotel).
Whereas Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.0. 1990, Chapter O.18, as
amended, provides that the council of a municipality may, by by-law, designate a
property within the municipality to be of cultural heritage value or interest;
And whereas on September 18, 2018, the Council of The Corporation of the Town of
Aurora (the "Town") approved the recommendations of the Heritage Advisory
Committee to designate the Railroad Hotel (the "Property") to be of cultural heritage
value or interest;
And whereas the Town Clerk caused notice of the intention to designate the Property
to be served on the owner of the Property and the Ontario Heritage Trust and published
in a newspaper having general circulation in the municipality;
And whereas there were no objections to the proposed designation of the Property
served on the Town, or a person who has served a notice of objection has withdrawn
the objection;
And whereas the Council of the Town deems it necessary and expedient to enact a by-
law to designate the Property to be of cultural heritage value or interest;
Now therefore the Council of the Corporation of the Town of Aurora herby enacts
as follows:
1.The Property described on Schedule "A" attached hereto and forming part of this
By-law be and is hereby designated to be of cultural heritage value or interest.
2.A statement explaining the cultural heritage value or interest of the Property and
a description of the heritage attributes of the Property are set out on Schedule
"B" attached hereto and forming part of this By-law.
3.The Town Clerk shall serve a copy of this By-law on the owner of the Property
and the Ontario Heritage Trust and publish notice of this By-law in a newspaper
having general circulation in the municipality.
4.The Town Solicitor shall register against the Property in the Land Registry Office,
a copy of this By-law including an Affidavit of the Town Clerk respecting the
giving of notice referenced herein to be attached to and forming part of this By-
law.
Enacted by Town of Aurora Council this 28'h day of January, 2020.
om Mrakas, Mayor
Michael de Rond, Town Clerk
By-law Number 6236-20 Page 2 of 3
Description of Property
Schedule "A"
All and singular those certain parcels or tracts of land and premises situate, lying and
being in the Town of Aurora, in the Regional Municipality of York, municipally known as
136 Wellington Street East, and being composed of Lots 1, 2 and 3, 1 s' Range South of
Centre Street, East of Rail Road on Registered Plan 107, designated as Part I on Plan
65R-38758, being part of PIN 03641-0819 (LT).
By-law Number 6236-20 Page 3 of 3
Schedule "B"
Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest
Constructed circa 1855, the Railroad Hotel is a two-storey, mid-19th century building
inspired by Georgian and Gothic Revival influences. The building features a distinctive
keyhole window, gable roof, and historic window and door openings. It is one of the
oldest buildings in Aurora and the last remaining railroad hotel in the Town.
The hotel was a prominent community landmark and gathering place for both local
Aurorans and travellers who rode on the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Union Railroad -
the Province's earliest fare-paying steam train journey. In response to the railway's
opening and anticipation of population growth, John Mosley and Richard Machell
subdivided their land holdings on the property, and in 1854 "Machell's Corners" was
renamed "Aurora", after the Grecian goddess or dawn, to enthusiastically mark the
turning point in direction - symbolically and actually - of the community. The Railroad
Hotel represents the growth of commercial life as part of this new era for the Town.
Prominent Aurora and area business people including John Kersopp and the Button
family from Markham also owned the property for periods of time. Since the present
railway station (built c.l900) is not the original terminal, the hoteJ stands as the Jast
vestige from the mid-l 9th century for the area surrounding the railway crossing.
Description of Heritage Attributes
Important to the preservation of the property are the original key attributes that express
its value, which include:
Exterior Elements
* Roundel/keyhole window
* North and south gables
* Historic window and door openings