Description of Historic Place

The Newmarket Train Station (also known as the Grand Trunk Railway Station and the Canadian National Railway Station) located at 470 Davis Drive was built in 1900. This one-storey Stick style frame building is an outstanding example of a late nineteenth-century standard station embellished with picturesque details.

The Newmarket Train Station has been designated for its historical and architectural significance by the Town of Newmarket, By-law number 1987-110.

Heritage Value

The first railway to arrive in Newmarket was the Ontario, Simcoe and Lake Huron Union Company Railway in 1853, which was later acquired by the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR). The train station was later acquired by the Canadian National Railway and was used as a GO Transit station until 1978 when they relocated to a small depot in a commercial complex to the north. For a period the building was leased to a local Member of Parliament as a constituency office. In 1997 Newmarket's Chamber of Commerce arranged to lease the building and has been located there since.

The Newmarket station represents the crucial role played by the railway in small town development in Ontario. Newmarket was a shipping centre for local agricultural produce, and the arrival of the railway consolidated Newmarket's role. Other industries that grew up in the town were dependent upon the railway for their existence. The station represents the prosperity ensured by the continued presence of the railway, for it was built to handle increased passengers and freight traffic, and recognized the aspirations of the local community.

This rectangular one-storey structure has a hip roof with projected eaves and three chimneys. The exterior of the building is sheathed in board and batten characteristic of the Carpenter Gothic style. The west elevation is symmetrically arranged around a projecting bay window which was designed to house telegraphic equipment and provide the dispatcher with a clear view along the tracks. Above the bay window is a gable dormer with decorative vergeboards. A moulded wood label is above the bay window with the name of the town written in black paint. On either side of the bay were waiting rooms, one for men (north) and one for women (south), with their corresponding doors, windows, and cargo sheds. A gable dormer with decorative vergeboards is on the north end of the building. Identical to the west elevation, a moulded wood label houses the name of the town. The train station is essentially the same today as it was when built, except for the extension at the south end which was integrated into the design.

Sources: Town of Newmarket heritage designation By-law, 1987-110, July 20, 1987 and Heritage Newmarket file: 450 Davis Drive

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that illustrate the heritage value of the Newmarket train station include its:
- Class 1 model design that was developed by the Grand Trunk Railway Company
- Carpenter Gothic style elements such as the board and batten siding
- three chimneys (located at the ridge of the roof)
- projecting bay window on the west elevation
- gable dormer with decorative vergeboards located on the north and west elevations
- wooden moulded labels with 'Newmarket' in black paint on the north and west elevations