Halton Hills is poised to recognize the historical significance of another building in downtown Georgetown.
Town staff has begun hammering out the details for a heritage designation of 8 James St., what was at one point called the Mackenzie Planing Mill.
Henry Pratt Lawson, a lumber magnate of Scottish origin, built the structure in 1897.
“Lawson and his family were active in local community affairs; H.P. served on Esquesing Council and was deputy reeve in 1893,” reads the Town evaluation report about the building.
The structure served the lumber industry in various roles throughout its life. It's where wood was sent, as the name suggests, to be planed and shaped into planks. The property also acted as a storage yard for wood.
Lawson sold the property in 1911 to John Boyd Mackenzie, a local lumber dealer who was born in Esquesing Township in 1876. The namesake of 8 James St. is also associated with another well-known downtown Georgetown property.
The Birches, located at 75 Mill St., was built by Mackenzie in 1915 - another heritage property being examined by the Town. He also renovated what was then called the Willoughby Stables, becoming what's now the Georgetown Legion, among many other of his projects in town. Not to be outdone, he no doubt rode his prominence in Georgetown to become mayor of the village he called home.
The Town’s research and evaluation report about 8 James St. calls the building a “late 19th-century vernacular industrial building.” Vernacular buildings are ones that are designed and constructed outside of any architectural tradition - like art deco, neo gothic or neo classical.
The two-storey edifice’s construction attributes and association with industrialist-politicians of Georgetown meet the criteria for heritage designation.
The agenda is not set in stone yet, but Town Heritage Planner Laura Loney anticipates that the property will go before council for consideration on March 25.