Markham Village Town Hall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Markham Village Town Hall
Former names	Old Town Hall, Towne Cinema
General information
Architectural style	Italianate architecture
Address	96 Main Street North
Town or city	Markham, Ontario
Country	Canada
Coordinates	43°52′39″N 79°15′40″W / 43.877429°N 79.260987°W / 43.877429; -79.260987
Elevation	179 metres (587 ft)
Completed	1881 (1881)
Inaugurated	1882-01-16
Client	Town of Markham
Design and construction
Main contractor	John Wilson
Designations	Heritage site under the Ontario Heritage Act

The Markham Village Town Hall, also known as the Old Town Hall, is an important building in Markham, Ontario, Canada. You can find it at 96 Main Street North. From 1882, this building was the main office for the Markham Town Council. The Town Council is a group of elected people who make decisions for the town. They later moved to a new location on Woodbine Avenue.

This historic building was finished in 1882. A local builder named John Wilson constructed it. It was built in the Italianate architecture style. This style was popular in the 19th century and often features grand, decorative designs. The building uses brick from a local brickyard. A skilled mason named Joseph Sampson laid all the bricks.

What Was Inside the Old Town Hall?

Besides being the meeting place for the Town Council, the building had other uses. It even had a local jail inside! It also hosted meetings for groups like the Masonic and Oddfellow Lodges. These were social and charitable organizations.

From Town Hall to Cinema and Beyond

The building was sold in 1946. After that, it became a movie theater called the Towne Cinema. It stayed a cinema until 1980. Later, the building was carefully rebuilt to look like its original design. Its inside was also changed to fit new needs.

As of 2016, the Old Town Hall housed business offices. It is one of many old buildings on Main Street Markham that are kept in good condition.

A Protected Heritage Site

The Markham Village Town Hall is a very special building. On April 23, 1985, it was officially named a heritage site. This means it's protected under the Ontario Heritage Act. This act helps save important historical places in Ontario.

Key Features of the Building

The heritage designation highlights several unique parts of the building's design:

• It has a two-story outside made of coral-colored brick.
• The roof is a shed roof, which means it slopes in one direction.
• The main entrance has a semi-circular window above the door called a fanlight.
• Around the fanlight, there are wedge-shaped stones called voussoirs, made of yellow brick.
• You can see yellow brick details in these voussoirs.
• There are also yellow brick lines, called string courses, connecting parts of the building.
• The top part of the wall, called the cornice, is decorated.
• Strong wooden beams, known as a heavy timber truss, support the second floor and the roof.
• The windows have a rounded top shape.
• There are reconstructed brick chimneys on the roof.