Unincorporated community in Ontario, Canada
Seaforth (2021 population: 2,673) is a Southern Ontario community in the municipality of Huron East, in Huron County, Ontario, Canada.
History
Originally known as Four Corners and Steene's Corners after an early settler, much of the area of what is now Seaforth was acquired by brothers Christopher and George Sparling in anticipation of the construction of the Buffalo, Brantford and Goderich Railway. Developer James Patton of Barrie purchased the land and laid out a townsite in 1855. The name 'Seaforth' may be derived from the Scottish Seaforth Highlanders regiment or Loch Seaforth in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
A post office was established in Seaforth in 1859. Incorporation as a Village followed in 1868 and as a Town in 1874. In 2001, Seaforth was amalgamated with Brussels, Grey Township, McKillop Township and Tuckersmith Township to form the Municipality of Huron East.
In September 1876, at two o'clock in the morning, a fire broke out in Mrs. Griffith's Candy and Grocery Store, raging through Main Street and destroying 12 acres (49,000 m2) of the business section. The town rebounded and Main Street was rebuilt with the brick and block structures which stand today.
Seaforth's Main Street was designated in 1984 as a Heritage Conservation District because of its distinguished late 19th-century architecture. This architectural composition of two-storey brick buildings is unique in its uniformity of scale and character.[2] Through grants and local support, property owners have been encouraged to restore and preserve the architectural characteristics of their buildings so that this valuable resource may continue to be an asset to the community in the years ahead, and be a comforting reminder of Seaforth's history.
In many ways, Seaforth is the quintessential small Ontario town. The Victorian streetscape stands as a testament to the town's rich history and all the image and influences that make rural Ontario and its hierarchy of small urban centres unique.
Local attractions
The Main Street is one of the province's finest examples of commercial architecture from the nineteenth century.
The Van Egmond Reserve
Built by the eldest son of Colonel Anthony Van Egmond in 1846, it represents an example of Georgian architecture and Classical Revival styles. The house was restored with assistance from the Ontario Heritage Trust.[3] The bricks were handmade on the property. Their variance in colour in the exterior walls is an indication that the home was built over an extended period of time, their difference in colour being a result of the varying conditions under which successive loads of bricks were fired during the course of construction.
The house and grounds were saved in the early 1970s from demolition and a housing development by a group of community volunteers. Funds were raised to purchase the property and restore it to how it might have been prior to 1867. It was recognized as an Ontario Heritage property and signs indicative of that direct travelers to the Reserve. The Province of Ontario supported the restoration of the property and will become its owners should the local Van Egmond Foundation discontinue its work to ensure the property is safe and open to the public, in the summer and for special events. The Foundation continues to raise funds and to ensure the property is recognized as a local resource attempting to preserve the history of the early settlement and development of the region. Overlooking the Bayfield River, the grounds are a rural retreat offering a quiet spot for a picnic.
Canada
Ontario
