Description of Historic Place

The Cambridge Farmer's Market is located at 40 Dickson Street, east of the Grand River, north of Main Street and east of Ainslie Street North in the former City of Galt, now the City of Cambridge. The property features the original 1887 one-storey yellow brick building, and a two-storey red brick addition, constructed in 1896.

The property was designated in 1984 by the City of Cambridge for its heritage values under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 166-84).

Heritage Value

The Cambridge Market Building is one of many landmark buildings in the Civic Square area of downtown Cambridge; an English tradition. This building is still used as a market in its original location and structure.

Constructed in 1887, the Cambridge Farmer's Market was originally a one-storey vegetable market. In 1896, a two-storey addition was constructed by a local builder with guidance from local architect, Fred Mellish. Mellish also designed the Galt Fire Department Hall and Carnegie Library. The Cambridge Farmer's Market has been a flourishing market in the City of Cambridge for over 100 years. It was also home to Galt's early library (the Mechanic's Institute) and Galt's Kiltie Band.

The building was restored in 2002, after a report revealed that the exterior paint had sealed moisture inside the bricks, causing them to crumble. During the restoration efforts, yellow brick was exposed in the one-storey back section underneath the red paint, which was likely applied to match the red-brick addition. As a result, this section of the Cambridge Farmer's Market has been restored to reflect the original yellow-brick colour.

The original one-storey gabled roof section of the Cambridge Farmer's Market is of modest design. It was built using clay buff yellow brick with soft red clay brick quoins and bottom courses. The two-storey red, pressed clay brick addition to the original structure has a prominent arcaded tower, which provides an entrance from both Dickson and Ainslie Streets, and from the market verandah which runs the entire length of the east elevation. Both the original building and the later addition have a series of wood and glass doorways located under the verandah.

Sources: Christopher Borgal Architect, Cambridge Market Report, 1991; City of Cambridge By-law, 166-84.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Cambridge Farmer's Market include the:
- original buff clay yellow-brick
- hip roof and chimney
- 6 over 6 hung windows with brick radiating voussoirs
- wood and glass doorways located under the verandah
- red pressed clay brick
- arcaded tower with a pyramidal bell-cast roof with ornamentation and bracketed wood cornice
- hip roof broken by a pediment
- tall brick chimney with moulded top rising above the roof
- asbestos shingled roof on the tower and main body of building
- dentil trimmed wood cornice at the roof line
- second-storey windows on the tower with round arched transom panes, stone stills, brick voussoirs with slightly projecting hood-moulds and brick pilasters between the paired windows
- moulded brick ornament on the entrance tower and east elevation
- location in the Civic Square area of downtown Cambridge