Description of Historic Place

The Wagler Property, located at 1138 Sndyer's Road West, is situated on the north side of Snyder's Road West, east of Nafziger Road and the Nith River in the Village of Baden, now the Township of Woolwich. The property consists of a two-storey stone residence that was constructed in 1857, along with six outbuildings, including a barn, a drive shed, a wash house, a bake house, a wood shed and a building containing a water tank, all which date back to 1900 or earlier.

The property was designated, by the Township of Wilmot, in 1992 for its heritage value and interest, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 92-102).

Heritage Value

The Wagler Property, with its stone farmhouse, wooden windmill and many outbuildings, is representative of farmsteads of old in Wilmot Township.

The Wagler Property was originally settled by Joseph Lichti, a pioneer settler, who arrived in the Wilmot area from Alsace, France in 1825. Joseph Lichti sold 50 acres of the land to his niece, Maria Lichti and her husband Joseph Zehr in 1850. Zehr went on to build the stone residence that sits on the property today as well as the other buildings on the estate. The Wagler Property was sold by Joseph Zehr to his son-in-law, Christian Wagler, in 1890, and it has remained in the Wagler family.

The Wagler Property residence, constructed in 1857, is a fine example of a stone Georgian farmhouse. Characteristic of this style, the house is constructed of fieldstone and exhibits symmetry in its design. Another feature of this farmhouse is the stuccoed verandah which spans the length of the façade. Also of note are the 8 over 12 windows and the two stone chimneys.

Sources: Township of Wilmot, By-law 92-102; Wagler Property, Features to Designate, 1992.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Wagler Property include its:
- two-storey stone residence
- fieldstone and stucco construction of the farmhouse
- rectangular floor plan
- symmetrical design
- stucco verandah which spans the length of the façade
- two stone chimneys
- 8 over 12 windows
- outbuildings, including the barn, the drive shed, the wash house, the bake house, the wood shed, the building containing a water tank and the wooden windmill above the well
- siting of the buildings on the property