Description of Historic Place

The building at 397 Main Street, commonly known as the Madden Store, is situated at the intersection of Main and Front Streets, in the commercial core of the Village of Newburgh. The two-storey vernacular structure was built in 1855 by local industrialist John Madden and is one of the oldest buildings remaining in the village.

The exterior of the building is protected by an Ontario Heritage Trust conservation easement. The property is also designated by the Township of Stone Mills under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (Bylaw 82-09).

Heritage Value

The Madden Store is one of the oldest remaining buildings in the Village of Newburgh and it contributes significantly to the visual quality of Main Street. Unlike the densely filled commercial cores of other Ontario towns, Main Street in Newburgh is characterized by its low density and comparably rural atmosphere.

Constructed in 1855, the Madden Store is historically significant for its association with the second generation of industrial and commercial growth that occurred in Newburgh in the 1850s. After originally being settled in 1822, Newburg was a thriving village of 1200 residents by the end of the 1850s and its prosperity lead to competition with the then Village of Napanee to become the county seat of Lennox and Addington. Development in Newburgh began to slow down in 1863 when Napanee was named as the county seat. In addition, a large burden was placed on the village when 84 buildings were lost to a fire in 1887. The village never fully recovered after the fire and only a handful of buildings were ever rebuilt. The survival of the Madden store is a testament to the quality of its stone construction, which proved to be fire resistant.

The building is also significant for its association with John Madden, an early settler and industrialist in the Village of Newburgh. In addition to building the store, Madden is credited with the construction of the village's second gristmill (1825) and its second sawmill (1831).

Constructed of local stone and garnished with well-executed details, the Madden Store is an example of a modest pre-Confederation commercial structure. The large ground floor windows on the main façade reinforce the building's commercial function, and the use of ashlar on this elevation is indicative of a commercial and civic pride. Topped with two imposing stone chimneys, stone corbels and eaves, dressed quoins on all four corners and overall symmetry on the main façade, the Madden store exemplify the structure's pre-Confederation style.

Source: Conservation Easement Files, Ontario Heritage Trust.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Madden Store include its:
- broken-faced ashlar to compose the main (west) façade and coursed rubblestone for all other elevations
- symmetry of the main façade's three bay design
- main entrance composed of twin wooden doors with large glazed panels, a large rectangular transom and two flanking posts of stone
- ground floor windows of the main façade which are segregated into twelve panels by wooden muntins
- double-hung sash windows with twelve-over-twelve glazing patterns
- side-gabled roof clad in sheet metal and is highlighted by imposing stone chimneys on both sides
- existence as one of the oldest buildings remaining in Newburgh
- location on Main Street, the low-density commercial centre of Newburgh