For more information about Doors Open Richmond Hill,
email heritageservices@richmondhill.ca
or call 905-737-1818, ext. 6007.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
The Key to Exploring your Community
Saturday, May 14 ∙ 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Enjoy this FREE opportunity to explore the heritage,
arts, architecture and culture Richmond Hill has to offer.
Celebrate Richmond Hill’s past, present and future with
our featured 16 sites.
RichmondHill.ca/DoorsOpen
Area 1 - Gormley Heritage District
the Town in the 1920s.
15. Richmond Hill Central Library
1 Atkinson Street
16. The Burr House and Guild Hall
528 - 530 Carrville Road
Hwy 7
* Map not to scale
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Area 4 - South of Major Mackenzie & Richvale
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14. St. Mary’s Anglican Church
10030 Yonge Street
16
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(now Canada), who stopped in the area.
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Governor General of British North America
13. Richmomd Hill Presbyterian Church
10066 Yonge Street
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Lennox, the 4 Duke of Richmond and
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12. The Richmond Hill Sports Hall of Fame
43 Church Street South – 2nd floor of Elgin Barrow Arena
Yonge S
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around 1819 in honour of Charles Gordon
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11. Richmond Hill Lawn Bowling Club
43 Church Street South – Behind Elgin Barrow Arena
Dunlap St.
Centre St. E
Kersey Cr.
10. The Richmond Hill Heritage Centre (Amos Wright House)
19 Church Street North
settlement was renamed Richmond Hill
th
Trench St.
Area 3 - The Village of Richmond Hill
Avenue
area Miles Hill. According to history, the
Centre St. W
re
Cent
st St.
Charles Gordon
Lennox IV
9. The Curtain Club
400 Newkirk Road
Bathur
travellers’ stop. Miles soon became the
Wright St.
Richmond St.
8. The Eyer-Wideman Homestead and Ropes Challenge Course
1045 Elgin Mills Road East
on Yonge Street, which became a
9
Crosby Ave.
Mill St.
7. Thomas Boynton House
Richmond Green Sports Centre and Park
1300 Elgin Mills Road East
built a log house and opened a hotel
settlers honouring him by naming the
Lucas St.
6. National Public Works Week Open House and Healthy Yards
1200 Elgin Mills Road East
in the early 1800s. Squire Abner Miles
Hill’s most prominent resident, with the
Rd.
5. Artifact Storage Centre - Operations Centre
1200 Elgin Mill Road East
ettlement in Richmond Hill began
Bayvie
3
1
Gormley Rd.
19th Ave.
Rd.
4. The Hindu Temple Society of Canada
Richmond Hill Hindu Temple
10865 Bayview Avenue
Gamble Rd.
Newkirk
3. St. Mary and St. Joseph Coptic Orthodox Church
11308 Yonge Street
Newkirk Rd.
Bathur
Area 2 - Yonge Street North & Elgin Mills East
Stouffville Rd.
w Ave.
st St.
2. Cober-Johnson General Store
217 Gormley Road West
Yonge S
t.
1. Gormley Missionary Church
120 Gormley Road West
Dr. E
LOCATIONS & DETAILS
Area 1 - Gormley Heritage District
Steeped in history, The Hamlet of Gormley is a gem in Richmond
Hill. Settlement here began with the arrival of Pennsylvania German
immigrants in the first decade of the 19th Century. Visitors will enjoy
strolling along the street and viewing the heritage homes, many are
approximately 100 years old. Celebrating their 110th anniversary this
year, this proud community will be serving up some old fashioned
hospitality for all ages to enjoy!
Art at the Door!
In Gormley, you can watch artists in action
creating their interpretion of the natural heritage,
architecture, and culture around them.
For more information, contact Michelle Zikovitz, Art Supervisor at
michelle.zikovitz@richmondhill.ca or call 905-787-1441, ext. 222.
1. Gormley Missionary Church
120 Gormley Road West
905-887-5846
www.gormleychurch.org
• Property donated in 1873 by John Leary
• Original structure built in 1934
• Displays of historical mementos
• Displays of photos with historical significance of the church site
and area
2. Cober-Johnson General Store
217 Gormley Road West
• Built in 1912. Now a residence, the Cober-Johnson Store is the
best preserved early commercial building in Richmond Hill
• Peek inside from the doorway to see an eclectic mix of
architectural elements
Area 2 – Yonge Street North,
Newkirk Road and Elgin Mills Road East
The Hamlet of Elgin Mills was located where Elgin Mils Road today
intersects Yonge Street. This community maintained a certain
pride in its distinctiveness and its own name. Here at the mid 19th
Century stood a steam-powered sawmill, a gristmill, a tannery - all
providing work for Richmond Hill men. Here began the Elgin Mills
and Markham Plank Road, a toll road running east to present-day
Woodbine Avenue.
3. St. Mary and St. Joseph Coptic Orthodox
Church
11308 Yonge Street
416-800-3333
smsj.ca
• One of the oldest congregations to preserve its traditions, rituals
and theological beliefs since its inception at the birth of
Christianity
• Learn about the unique architecture, the history of the church and
enjoy Coptic art and music
4. The Hindu Temple Society of Canada Richmond Hill Hindu Temple
10865 Bayview avenue
905-883-9109
www.thehindutemple.ca
• The largest Hindu Temple in North America built and run under the
Agama Sastra traditions
• The temple was designed by Mr. V. Janakiramana Sthapathi, who
hails from the same architectual family that built the famous Big
Temples in Thanjavur, South India during the Chola period
5. Artifact Storage Centre - Operations Centre
1200 Elgin Mill Road East
905-780-2927
• Houses thousands of acquired artifacts dating back over 100 years
• Behind-the-scenes look at the artifacts and collections
• Learn how the items are catalogued, preserved and maintained
• Additional parking at Richmond Green Sports Complex
6. National Public Works Week - Open House
and Healthy Yards
1200 Elgin Mill Road East
905-884-8013
RichmondHill.ca/HealthyYards
• Interact with Public Works staff and learn about the services they
provide
• Equipment and Truck demonstrations
• Charity Barbecue from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.*
• Healthy Yards Event
7. Thomas Boynton House - Richmond Green
Sports Centre and Park
1300 Elgin Mills Road East
RichmondHill.ca/BoyntonHouse
• Built in 1875, classic Ontario farmhouse
• Featuring Artist Alexander MacKenzie Student Art Show
“Entelechy”
8. The Eyer-Wideman Homestead and
Ropes Challenge Course
1045 Elgin Mills Road East
905-737-9210
Richmondhill.ca/EyerHomestead
• Built in 1828, this home is considered one of the earliest
surviving examples of a Pennsylvania-German Mennonite
dwelling in Richmond Hill
• Currently used as a local youth centre, featuring an outdoor high
and low ropes challenge course and a climbing wall
• Craft activities will be offered for children
• Refreshments served
• Guided Tours
9. The Curtain Club
400 Newkirk Road
905-773-3434
thecurtainclub.org
• Founded in 1954, the club rehearsed in members’ homes, built
sets in garages and stored costumes in attics while performing
in local halls and schools
• In 1971, club members raised funds and hammers to create their
current facility at the corner of Newkirk and Elgin Mills, which
opened in 1972
• The Royal Canadian Air Farce broadcast its first few seasons in
the theatre in the early 1970s
• Guided tours and “dress-up” stations for children
Area 3 – The Village of Richmond Hill
Yonge Street, Richmond Hill’s “Main Street”, was established by
order of Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe in the 1790s.
By the early 19th Century, came the development of businesses,
homes and institutions - creating the core of a new village.
Although time has brought many changes to Richmond Hill’s
“Main Street”, some landmarks can still be seen that date back to
a time when Yonge Street was a dirt road, and the horse and
buggy was the preferred means of transportation.
10. The Richmond Hill Heritage Centre
(The Amos Wright House)
19 Church Street North
905-780-3802
RichmondHill.ca/HeritageCentre
• Amos Wright House is a well-preserved example of an Ontario
Regency Cottage
• Built in 1840 by Amos Wright, the first Reeve of Markham
Township
• Today, it’s home to the Richmond Hill Heritage Centre and
surrounded by picturesque Amos Wright Park
• Exhibits on display include “Once Upon A Time - Medieval
Exhibit” and “Logs to Bricks - The Evolution of the Home”
• Shop in the Gift Shop featuring specialty teas and local books
about Richmond Hill
Museum of the Streets Grand Reopening Tour 11 a.m. Richmond Hill Heritage Centre
While at Doors Open, take some time to enjoy a unique museum
experience! Richmond Hill’s Museum of the Streets takes away
the four walls of the traditional museum and opens the heritage
of the Town to all. Let our outdoor signs and accompanying
self-guided tour booklet guide you through Richmond Hill’s
streets providing both the obvious - and sometimes not so
obvious - signposts of our fascinating past. Maps and tour
booklets are available at the Richmond Hill Heritage Centre
or online at RichmondHill.ca/HeritageCentre.
11. Richmond Hill Lawn Bowling Club
43 Church Street South –
Behind Elgin Barrow Arena
416-239-3718
rhlawnbowling.com
• Formed in 1918 by some of Richmond Hill’s most prominent
citizens
• Try your hand at lawn bowling in this resort-like atmosphere!
• Tour the club house and view artifacts related to the club’s
history
• Refreshments available
12. Richmond Hill Sports Hall of Fame
43 Church Street South – 2nd floor of the
Elgin Barrow Arena
905-884-1368, ext. 225
RichmondHill.ca/SportsHall
• Honouring athletes, teams and builders whose sport
achievements have had a lasting effect on the community
• Test your athletic abilities at our Sports Skills Challenge
• Children’s crafts and face painting
13. Richmond Hill Presbyterian Church
10066 Yonge Street
905-884-4211
richmondhillpresbyterianchurch.org
• Built in 1880 in Gothic Revival Design with unique patterned bricks
and form
• The cemetery houses grave markers dating from 1806 to current
time
• Learn about the octagonal vault or dead house located in the
cemetery
• Demonstrations on the 100 year old Casavant Organ
• Pancake breakfast with eggs and sausages served 9-11 a.m. *
14. St. Mary’s Anglican Church
10030 Yonge Street
905-884-2227
saintmaryschurch.ca
• Built in 1872, it’s the oldest remaining church in the original village
core
• The structure itself reflects the Gothic Revival design, a
scaled-down version of St. James Cathedral in Toronto
• Guided tours of the historic chapel, 1960’s sanctuary and the
Arnold “indoor” burial plot
Area 4 – South of Major Mackenzie
and Richvale
Three hundred years before the construction of Yonge Street, a
Huron village stood on the east bank of the Don River where it
crosses present-day Major Mackenzie Drive. The Boyle-Atkinson
archaeological site as it is known, tells the story of a community of
native people living in a cluster of longhouses from about 1450 to
1500 A.D. By the late 1790s, a few hardy settlers had taken up land
in this area. It wasn’t until the arrival of Abner Miles, who would
build an inn and a store, that the foundations were laid for the
emergence of a village on the hill. This was the beginning of Miles’
Hill, a commercial centre that would eventually spread northward
and become Richmond Hill. The emerging community of Richvale
was the first registered residential subdivision and was developed
on the west side of the road between Langstaff and Carrville Roads
in 1910. Growth was slow at first, because of the lack of public
utilities, but eventually development began with Richvale School on
Spruce Avenue which held its first classes in the basement of the
local Methodist Church in 1923. Nine years later, in 1932, Richvale
Post Office was opened.
15. Richmond Hill Central Library
1 Atkinson Street
905-884-9288
• Award-winning design by Diamond Schmitt Architects
• Includes the Mary-Lou Griffin Local History and Genealogy room
that houses York Region’s largest local history collection
• Channel your inner Sherlock Holmes by joining in a Library Murder
Mystery
• Meet local authors, who will be selling signed copies of their books
• Learn how to take amazing photos on our “Art of Seeing” tour with
photographer Karen Merk
16. The Burr House and Guild Hall
528 - 530 Carrville Road
905-884-0327
• Built in 1820 by Rowland Burr
• The Guild Hall, built in 1857 by the Evangelical Association of
North America, was moved to this site in 1978
• Demonstrations of weaving, spinning and pottery making
• Tea and scones available for purchase in the Tea Room*
* Nominal fees apply