Description of Historic Place

The Wilton Barn is located at 13831 Leslie Street, just north of Bloomington Sideroad, in the former community of White Rose in Whitchurch Township.

Built circa 1840, this English-style raised barn has been recognized for its heritage value by the Town of Aurora By-law #4729-05.

Heritage Value

The Wilton Barn's location on a high point on the Oak Ridges Moraine makes it a very visible feature of the landscape when viewed from the south. Its preservation in situ provides an important reminder of early agricultural life and of the community of White Rose, which has all but disappeared.

Samuel Wilton Jr., an English immigrant, acquired the farmland in 1837, and it remained in the Wilton family well into the 20th century. The family were active members in the small community of White Rose, so named for the local grist mill which produced White Rose brand flour. The community declined in the late 19th century, when agricultural conditions on the Oak Ridges Moraine became poor due to the felling of trees that turned the sandy soils to a wasteland of dust.

The Wilton Barn is a rare survivor of an early pre-confederation English-style raised barn, built of old-growth lumber. Likely erected through a community barn-raising, the Wilton Barn was built in the English style, three bays wide, with a plain gable roof. It remains intact largely due to the poor agricultural conditions on the moraine, which limited the need for expansion to the more common gambrel roof of the late 19th century. Instead, the barn was carefully raised to accommodate a fieldstone foundation and poured concrete floor to provide space for livestock.

Source: The Wilton Barn Heritage Designation Report, prepared by Michael Seaman July 2005

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements of the Wilton Barn include its:
- overall three bay English-style barn form with medium pitched gable roof
- historic wood frame and beams of old-growth lumber, including the 20” wide swing beam
- fieldstone foundation, concrete floor and livestock stalls from the late 19th century
- original entrance with raised earth ramp, and secondary entrance to the 19th century livestock accommodations
- historic window and door openings
- location on a high point of the Oak Ridges Moraine