‘Intentional neglect?’: Family shocked by condition of historic house in the neighborhood

Anne Lagacé Dowson and her family members received an unpleasant surprise during a trip to reconnect with their family roots in Newmarket.

The former CBC radio host and Montreal resident visited Newmarket a few weeks ago with family members to find out about their relatives’ history. The family line descends from John Bogart, a Quaker pioneer from Pennsylvania who operated a sawmill and grist mill in what is now Newmarket.

Bogart has a namesake house on Leslie Street, one of the oldest residential buildings in Newmarket, built in 1811. Although the house is historically designated, Dowson said they were shocked when they visited and found it was boarded up and appeared to be in poor condition . .

“Boggarttown was the anchor of what is now Newmarket,” Dowson said. “He built this very beautiful house, which is where it is now… It just seems very short-sighted and very unfortunate.

“Many other people … are remotely or directly connected to Bogart’s legacy,” Dowson added. “This isn’t just us, this is the entire community speaking. I’m sure there are many other people saying, ‘What the hell is going on with that house? Why has it been allowed to deteriorate so much? What is the obstacle? What is the stone in the road?”

The family is questioning the council about the condition of the Bogart House on Leslie Street, on land now owned by Forest Green Homes. Council approved a new 305-unit development on the site in 2022which received a maintenance allocation in 2024. Part of the development approval required the developer to restore the Bogart House and include it in its plans after the council rejected a request to demolish the house in 2018.

However, the family remains concerned about its condition and the responsibility for initiating repair work.

Kitchener resident Katherine Bitzer is also distantly related to Bogart and a second cousin of Dowson. She said she expected something like a preserved historic educational site or museum for a house that was so old and historic.

“I was really excited when I saw this house that was built by my great-grandfather’s great-grandfather,” Blitzer said. “Can you imagine my disappointment and shock? It looked like it was ready to be demolished, which hopefully isn’t deliberate neglect on the part of the developer.”

NewmarketToday did not receive a response to a request for comment from Forest Green Homes before publication deadline.

Jason Unger, director of planning and building services for the city of Newmarket, said the city is in regular contact with the developer regarding the status of the home “to ensure regular inspections are conducted, debris is cleared, fencing is secure and that the windows and doors are covered with plywood to keep out wildlife.”

“The house is intended to be part of the future residential community and will be restored when construction begins,” Unger said. “It was always the intention that the house would be restored and integrated into the buildings.”

When asked, Unger said the city has no record of the house ever being offered for sale to the city.

Although development is not yet moving forward, Unger said the developer still needs to keep the house in good condition.

“The developer is obligated to maintain the building until it is restored as part of the proposed development,” Unger said. “While the City has no control over the timing of the developer’s requirement to restore the building for its ultimate use, the developer is at all times responsible for preserving, preserving and protecting the structure and heritage features.”

But Blitzer said that based on what she sees of the property today, she is skeptical of this agreement to preserve the property for future restoration.

“What I saw recently is exactly the opposite of what I would expect as a result of that directive,” Blitzer said. “That is what they have done in six years working with the developer. It’s shocking.”

Erin Cerenzia, president of the Newmarket Historical Society, said preserving historic properties is important.

“We believe that preserving historic homes in Newmarket is extremely valuable as they continue to provide a sense of how the community has developed throughout history,” Cerenzia said. “The association maintains a strong partnership with the Heritage Newmarket Advisory Committee and the City of Newmarket, both of which are working to the best of their ability to preserve historic buildings under the Ontario Heritage Act.”

Dowson said the hope is that the building will be restored and suggested it might make sense for the city to take that on and turn it into an educational site.

“This very valuable historical relic of the past, of our shared past, is falling into disrepair,” Dowson said.

Communities like Newmarket must ensure they preserve these spaces that are part of their historic identity, Dowson added.

“What’s so sad to me is that I’m seeing now in southern Ontario that it’s becoming more consumed and built up, and places like Newmarket are becoming more and more bedroom communities for Toronto,” she said. “But they have their own existence, their own organized existence that deserves protection, and it would make Newmarket more attractive.”