Description of Historic Place

The Christner House, located at 1379 Christner Road, is situated on the south side of Christner Road, north of the Village of New Hamburg, between Wilmot-Easthope Road and the Village of Luxemburg, in the Township of Wilmot. The two-and-a-half-storey, rubble stone farmhouse was constructed in 1857, along with various outbuildings.

The property was designated, by the Township of Wilmot, in 1989, for its historic and architectural value and interest, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 89-65).

Heritage Value

The Christner House is situated immediately adjacent to the Hostetler House, which was designated as a heritage property by the Township of Wilmot at the same time as the Christner House. The Christner House and its outbuildings are an excellent example of an early pioneer farmstead and its proximity to the Hostetler house contributes greatly to the historic rural atmosphere of the Township.

The Christner family was one of the earliest families to settle in the area. John Christner was an early Dutch pioneer from Pennsylvania who, along with his eldest son Christian, settled the farm, at 1379 Christner Road, in circa 1840. The Christner family came from Alsace, Germany, before immigrating to the United States and later to Wilmot Township.

The Christner House is a fine example of a Georgian farmhouse and was constructed of rubble stone. Built in 1857, it is composed of a three-bay façade with a central entrance, two bays on the side elevations and a side-gabled roof. The central front includes a pedimented architrave. The one-and-a-half-storey rear addition is constructed of rubble stone and fieldstone. It includes a side porch that spans the length of the addition. The outbuildings on the Christner House property include a brick smokehouse, a belfry, a bread oven, and a fireplace.

Source: Township of Wilmot By-law 89-65.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Christner House include its:
- proximity to the Hostetler house
- its location in the rural area of the Township
- its outbuildings including a brick smokehouse, a belfry, a bread oven, and a fireplace
- fieldstone and course rubble construction of north façade, east and west elevations, including stonework and corner stones
- porch, architrave and posts of the façade
- 8 over 12 double hung windows on the façade, east and west elevations
- double-hung windows on the first-storey façade and elevations
- window lugsills and voussoirs