Cheltenham – In 1816 Charles and Martha Haines and three children left
England for New York; the following year they arrived in York, Upper Canada,
where Charles, a millwright, built mills. In 1819, the Chinguacousy Township
survey was completed and Haines purchased 100 acres along the Credit River with
a mill site west of Creditview Road. The Haines family settled in what he named
‘Cheltenham’ after his birthplace. It is located north-west of Brampton.
In 1827 he built a grist mill, dammed the river and chiseled mill
stones. In 1842, Frederick Haines, the second son, built Cheltenham’s first
store. In 1845, the first tavern was built and run by C. Spence. In 1847, to
meet demand, Haines built a larger mill with three runs of stone, and he constructed
a saw mill on the south side of the river. In 1848, William Henry built an Inn.
In 1850,the first blacksmith shop was built. In 1852, Cheltenham post office
opened with William Allan as first postmaster. By 1853, Cheltenham had three
hotels.
In the 1860s, the commercial core expanded with the addition of four
shoe stores, a saddlery, and two cabinet makers. In 1874, the Hamilton &
Northwestern Railway arrived north of the village (later became CNR). In 1877,
the Credit Valley Railway arrived about one kilometer east of the village,
accessed by Station Road. In the 1870s, Kee’s steam tannery was started and two
distilleries produced ‘Cheltenham Wheat Whisky’. In 1887, fire destroyed a
major block of buildings; rebuilding began. In 1914, Interprovincial Brick
Company opened a plant just west of the village center.
In 1822, Joseph Kenny was awarded a Crown Grant in Chinguacousy
Township of 100 acres along the Credit River on which much of Terra Cotta now
sits. It is located south of Cheltenham. In 1857, Henry Tucker purchased 40
acres from Kenny to build grist and saw mills powered by a dam and mill race on
the Credit River. Simon Plewes bought the mills in 1859 and the hamlet became
known as Plewes Mills.
By the time a church, the Wesleyan Methodist Church, was built in 1862
the village had been renamed Salmonville for the annual spawning frenzy. A post
office opened in 1866 and by 1874 there were thirty-four surveyed lots in the
hamlet on the banks of the Credit River.
This early community spread westwards and straddled the boundary of
Chinguacousy and Esquesing townships. This divided the village schoolchildren,
their two schoolhouses being in opposite directions. By 1873 the village had
acquired telegraph facilities, two sawmills and a grist mill, and in 1877 the
Hamilton & Northwestern Railway arrived, stimulating local industry and
farm exports.
Industry began with brickworks exploiting the local red clay, and by
1891 the post office was renamed Terra Cotta. In the 1930s, the brickworks
became victims of the Depression and only a kiln chimney remains. Quarries east
of Terra Cotta were established in the 1840s and the arrival of the railway
broadened their market reach, allowing local sandstone to be used as far away
as Ottawa in the Parliament Buildings.
In the 1940s, community enterprise expanded into recreation. The
river’s abundant water resources were used to develop Clancy’s Ranch as a
weekend resort, expanded in 1949 into Terra Cotta Playground, and purchased in
1958 by Credit Valley Conservation.
14376 Creditview Road, Cheltenham – Frederick Haines House – circa 1887 -After losing his first home to the 1887 fire, entrepreneur Frederick Haines, son of Cheltenham’s founder, built this red brick house with intricate yellow brick patterning. Later additions are compatible with the original three gable Victorian Gothic style. In the 1940s-1950s, it became a United Church rest and holiday home. It later housed an antique shop before being converted back to a private residence. It has a bell cast roof over each front bay, an arched entry and etched glass transom and sidelights of the central entrance.14411 Creditview Road, Cheltenham – King Store/Residence – circa 1870s -This Victorian Gothic general store/residence was built for Charles King, a Cheltenham merchant. In the 1880s, it became the Harris General Store with John and MaryAnn Harris living in the residence. Postmaster Albert Kee purchased it in 1928, removed the store portion and ran the post office here until 1931. His widow, Ada Louise Kee, took over as postmistress until she retired in 1958. There are cornice brackets on the eaves and there is a double Gothic window above the front bay window.14396 Creditview Road, Cheltenham – Henry’s Hotel – circa 1887 – William Henry’s pre-1859 Inn was destroyed in the 1887 fire. He rebuilt, replacing the Inn with this two-storey Georgian style frame building with hip roof and brick veneer. He named it ‘Henry’s Hotel’ operating it until his death in 1904. Thomas and Nathaniel Browne took it over as ‘Browne’s Hotel’. It was later a butcher shop with home above. In 1958 it was adapted to commercial/apartment use.14387 Creditview Road, Cheltenham – Claridge House – circa 1915 – This ‘four-square’ frame house is built in the Edwardian Classical style characterized by an asymmetrical floor plan, pyramidal hipped roof and large attic dormers. The partially enclosed verandah has a roof slope that matches that of house roof above. The original owner was a carpenter.14377 Creditview Road, Cheltenham – Neo-Classical Cottage – late 1850s -This 1½ storey frame cottage was likely built by John Lyons. It was sold soon after to Thomas Mercer who lived here for the next 20 years. The covered verandah with its hip roof has a banister running from both sides to the central entrance/steps along with a decorative frieze under the eaves.1499 Mill Street, Cheltenham – Horatio Haines Cottage – circa 1847-1851 -This 1½ storey, timber frame Georgian style cottage is unique with its identical front and rear facades, providing views to the grist and saw mills across the river and to the developing village core. Haines family members were its builders, carpenters, lumber suppliers and intended occupants, the first being Horatio Haines, miller and fifth son of Charles and Martha Haines. Horatio died in 1856, aged 32 and it was later sold to his brother Frederick.Mill Street, Cheltenham – Neo-Colonial – gambrel roof14409 Creditview Road, Cheltenham – Beaver Hall – circa 1884 – This 1½ storey timber frame building was built by store owner John Harris, who rented it out to the community for political meetings, concerts and dances until the mid-1930s. Built into the hillside, it has a substantial stone foundation with an 1884 date-stone in the front wall. The main floor is supported with large squared timber beams visible in the unfinished basement ceiling. About 1900, a cement tile business operated from the back of the hall.King Street, Terra Cotta – Gothic Ontario Cottage 396 King Street, Terra Cotta – The Grange – 400 m east of High Street – This building has evolved from John McComb’s 1840s squared timber cottage. In 1867 George Campbell and his brother William modified it into a two-family stone dwelling. It was inherited by George Campbell’s daughters in 1887 and later sold to Edward and Janet Little in whose hands it evolved into this elegant residence.49 Isabella Street, Terra Cotta – Stringer House – circa 1870s – This 1½ story Victorian Gothic house was originally a frame cottage later veneered in the red and yellow brick produced locally by Terra Cotta Pressed Brick. The projecting front bay has yellow brick detailing.Boston Mills Road – log cabin
