Uxbridge is a township in the Regional Municipality of Durham in south-central Ontario and is located about forty kilometers northeast of Metropolitan Toronto. The main center in the township is the community of Uxbridge. Other communities within the township include Coppins Corners, Goodwood, Leaskdale, Sandford, Siloam, Victoria’s Corner, and Zephyr.
It was named for Uxbridge, England, a name
which was derived from “Wixan’s Bridge”.
The first settlers in the area were Quakers
who started arriving in 1806 from Pennsylvania. The community’s oldest
building, the Uxbridge Friends Meeting House, was built in 1820 and overlooks
the town from Quaker Hill, a kilometer to the west.
The first passenger-carrying narrow-gauge
railway in North America, the Toronto and Nipissing Railway arrived in Uxbridge
in June 1871, and for over a decade Uxbridge was the headquarters of the
railway. In 1872, the Village of Uxbridge was separated from the Township and
incorporated as a separate entity.
With the creation of the Regional
Municipality of Durham in 1974, Uxbridge Township was amalgamated with the Town
of Uxbridge and Scott Township to create an expanded Township of Uxbridge.
Today, Uxbridge is as a mostly suburban
community in northern Durham Region. Major manufacturing employers include Pine
Valley Packaging (packaging, containers and portable shelters), Koch-Glitsch
Canada (mass transfer systems) and Hela Canada (spice and ingredient
manufacture). Many residents commute to other centers in Durham and York
Regions and beyond.
169 Brock Street West – Jones House – Town Constable – c. 1876 – Gothic Revival with verge board trim and finial on gableAt the southeast corner of Brock and Toronto Streets stands the Uxbridge Public Library (c. 1887). It was beautifully restored in 1985. Uxbridge’s citizen, Joseph Gould, commissioned it as a Mechanics’ Institute and John T. Stokes of Sharon was the probable architect. It is in the High Victorian Gothic style of architecture which is reflected in its picturesque roofline, impressive clock tower and lavish attention to detail such as projecting brick courses, buttresses, bricks set in a diagonal pattern, decorative red brick, ornate chimneys and dropped brick keystones over the windows.22 Brock Street East – Gothic – dichromatic brickwork35 Brock Street East – patterning in gable, decorative cornice and brackets, arched windows and voussoirs, banding112 Brock Street East – This house was built in 1871 by Samuel Umphrey, a prominent Uxbridge Businessman, who played an important role in the Uxbridge Cabinet Organ Factory. This Victorian house has a fine example of bargeboard, spool work and fretwork.55 Dominion Street – Thomas & Lucy Chapple House, Barrister & MPP – c. 1885 – fish scale patterning in gable, decorative cornice and brackets, rounded double windows with voussoirs, banding50 Dominion Street – wraparound verandah, verge board trim on gable, two-story square tower23 First Avenue – c. 1888 – David Thirsk (carpenter) purchased the lot in 1887 and built this Gothic Revival two-storey yellow bricked home with a coursed fieldstone basement. In 1908 it was purchased by W.H. Brownscombe who was in the Boot and Shoe business. There is a widow’s walk with iron cresting on the rooftop.41 First Avenue – The 1½ story Ontario Cottage style Wheler House was built in 1860 by Edward Wheler at the northwest corner of Brock and Main Street with the lumber coming from the local mill owned by George Wheler. It was moved to its present location by Ira G. Crosby in 1871. He was the Town Treasurer for many years.
