Description of Historic Place

The Levi Rogers House (also known as the McCaffrey house), located at 170 Lorne Avenue, was built in circa 1887-1889 and was expanded and updated in 1926. This two-and-a-half-storey residence incorporates elements of early 20th century Edwardian classicism.

The Levi Rogers House has been designated for its heritage value by the Town of Newmarket, By-law number 1992-105.

Heritage Value

The original structure was built between circa 1887 and 1889 for Levi Rogers, a descendant of Newmarket founder Timothy Rogers. The land west of Lorne Avenue was relatively undeveloped at the time of construction, making the building one of the first in the area. The two-and-a-half-storey residence, constructed in the Georgian style, was sold to Alexander B. Davidson in 1889.

The property was sold again to William Andrew McCaffrey in the 1920s and the structure was expanded and renovated in 1926. The renovation, carried out according to the plans and specifications of the Toronto architectural firm Sandford, Smith and Everett, transformed the Georgian style home into a vernacular Edwardian classicism structure.

This two-and-a-half-storey residence is a wood frame structure with a brick façade that has been covered with stucco. The stucco helped to visually unite the original house with its alterations. Many elements of the original structure remain.

In the building's original state, it was composed of three bays: two windows and a central door. It now features four bays with the entrance offset in the building. The overall structure has very little decoration, with the exception of the main entrance with its classical monumental pediment.

Symmetry on the main façade has been achieved through the alignment of the windows on the ground and second floors, which is a characteristic of the Georgian style. A running bond that runs beneath the sill of the window on the second floor and continues around the perimeter of the building breaks the elevation. There is a bull's-eye window on the north elevation while French windows on the south elevation provide access to a second storey balcony.

The floor plan had been taken from rectangular to an irregular floor plan after its renovation. The home features a hip roof with wide eaves, along with multiple gable dormers. The east elevation features a gable dormer while the west elevation features a dormer and a tall chimney. A gable roof protects the two-and-a-half storey extensions on the north and south elevation of the building, with a tall stone exterior chimney on the south wall. A single storey servery, with a hip roof, was added to the northeast corner. The east and north end gables features window(s) surrounded by wood shingles.

The building is noted for its elegance as a 19th century home with some added early 20th century styling which maintains the overall stateliness.

The principal façade, facing Lorne Avenue, features four bays. The main entrance features a classical door case that is original to the structure. There are various shapes and sizes of windows that express the vernacular, and two window styles that dominate the building overall. The original windows on the ground floor are wood frames, six-over-six, sash windows with a voussoir; these are located to the south of the main entrance. The remaining windows on the ground and second floors are two-over-two, wood frame, sash windows with a voussoir. Many of the windows on the second floor feature wood shutters.

Sources: Town of Newmarket Heritage Designation By-law 1992-105; Heritage Newmarket file: 170 Lorne Avenue.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements which illustrate the heritage value of the Levi Rogers House include its:
- irregular floor plan
- two-and-a-half storey construction
- various windows
- two chimneys
- hip roof with an assortment of gables and gable dormers that create a collage
of interesting details
- main door case
- stuccoed cladding
- original brick