Intention to Designate 880 Centre Road, Flamborough (Flamborough Hall)

Description of Property

The 16.9-hectare lot municipally addressed as 880 Centre Road is comprised of a two-story red brick dwelling constructed circa 1888 with a detached timber framed consolidated barn to the rear. It is located on the east side of Centre Road between Concession Roads 5 and 6, south of the historic settlement area known as Flamborough Centre in the community of Flamborough, within the City of Hamilton.

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

The property at 880 Centre Road is comprised of a two-storey brick dwelling, known as Flamborough Hall, constructed circa 1888. The property has design value as a representative example of a vernacular farmhouse influenced by the Gothic Revival style of architecture. The property also displays a high degree of craftmanship, as demonstrated by its decorative bargeboard. The physical value of the property also lies in its detached barn, which is a representative example of a surviving agricultural accessory building.

The historical value of the property lies in its associations with the locally significant Binkley Family, and with themes of early settlement and agriculture in Flamborough. Purchased in 1826 by Jacob Binkley, the property would be first farmed by his son, Abraham Binkley (1811-1865). Abraham, who was influential in the local community, was Councillor for Ward 3 of East Flamborough Township in 1854 and ran a tannery on the property. In 1854, Abraham severed 10 acres from the property and donated the land to become School Section No. 4, which today is home today to Flamborough Centre Elementary School. Abraham’s son, Peter Binkley (1843-1903) constructed the brick farmhouse on the subject property circa 1888, after dividing the lot in half and selling the portion with his father’s original framed dwelling to his nephew Wellington S. Griffin (1856-1943). The Buzza family would purchase the property in 1921 and continue the property’s agricultural use for two generations into the 1960’s. The property’s long-standing agricultural activity for more than 180 years, from 1830’s into the 1960’s, offers important insights into agricultural adaptation and rural development in East Flamborough.

Contextually, the property is important in maintaining the historic character of rural Flamborough. The farmhouse and its surviving detached barn reflect a successful and long-standing farming estate that adapted and survived for more than 180 years. The property is visually, historically, and physically linked to its surroundings and is historically connected to the neighbouring Flamborough Centre Elementary School property. 

Key attributes that embody the physical value of the property comprised of representative examples of a Gothic Revival farmhouse and an agricultural accessory building, and historical associations with the prominent Binkley Family and early settlement and agriculture in East Flamborough, include the:

• Front (west) and side (north and south) elevations and the roofline of the circa 1888 two-storey brick farmhouse, including its:
  • Common bond brick construction;
  • T-shaped gable roof with gabled dormers and projecting eaves with decorative bargeboard;
  • Projecting three-sided bays in the first storey of the side elevations with hip roofs, projecting eaves and decorative bargeboard below;
  • Round-headed and segmentally-arched window openings with brick voussoirs and stone lug sills;
  • Front entrance with transom and flanking sidelights;
  • Covered front porch with decorative square wooden columns and brackets, which is a reconstruction of the original porch; and,
  • Stone foundation.
• Detached barn set to the rear (east) of the farmhouse including its:
  • L-shaped plan;
  • Side gable roofs;
  • Timber frame construction;
  • Vertical wood cladding; and,
  • Remaining parged stone foundation.

The one-storey rear wood-frame addition on the brick farmhouse is not considered to have cultural heritage value or interest.

The property is also comprised of a one-storey wood-frame dwelling and a detached drive shed, which are not considered to have cultural heritage value or interest.

The key attributes that embody the contextual value of the property as maintaining Flamborough’s historical character and its contribution to the rural agricultural landscape include its:

• Moderate setback of the brick farmhouse from Centre Road;
• Original locations of the brick farmhouse and its accessory timber frame barn set to the rear, along with their visibility from Centre Road; and;
• Proximity to Flamborough Centre Elementary School at 922 Centre Road.