City recommends delisting this 1870s house from heritage registry for new high school

A London city staff report is supporting a property owner's bid to remove a house that dates from the 1870s from the city's heritage registry. If approved, the change will allow the owner to sell the property to the London District Catholic School Board (LDSCB) for the construction of a future high school. 

The two-storey house at 1927 Richmond St., located on the west side of Richmond just south of Sunningdale Road West, was built in 1877. It was originally owned by a farmer named Charles Sifton, who is not related to the family that owns the development firm Sifton Properties. 

In 1945 it was owned by lawyer Edward Melville Winder and later Edward Dixon Winder, who also practised law and died in 2017. 

Edward Melville Winder owned the property at a time when many prominent Londoners had large estate properties north of what was then London's city limits.

Other former estate properties in the area include: 

• Windermere Manor (200 Collip Circle, associated with the Smallman family). 
• Gibbons Lodge (1836 Richmond St., associated with George C. Gibbons).
• The Hylands (120 Chantry Place, associated with Richard G. Ivey).
• The Baran Estate (1875 Richmond St., associated with the Trudell family). 

Edward Dixon Winder's son, Ashley Winder, submitted a letter to the city's planning advisory committee supporting the removal of the property from the city's cultural heritage resources list. 

A heritage evaluation report by Stantec Consulting and commissioned by Winder found the house was originally built in the Italianate style. However, later renovations added Tudor revival elements, resulting in a mix of both styles.  

"This blending of architectural styles does not constitute a recognizable style of a type of architecture that is particular to a group, time, or place," the report reads.  "It cannot be considered to serve as a symbol or portrayal of Tudor Revival or Italianate architecture." 

Under provincial rules, a property must meet at least two of nine criteria for heritage designation. The city staff report found the two-storey house at 1927 Richmond St. met only one.

A letter from Debbie Jordan, LDCSB executive superintendent of business and corporate services, was submitted to the city's planning advisory committee. It said the board has entered into an agreement to purchase 1927 Richmond St. and some adjacent land parcels for the construction of a new secondary school. 

"Given the planned development for low, medium, and high density housing in this area, there will be a significant shortage of space for students," Jordan wrote. 

Last year, the board listed a new high school in north London with a capacity for just under 2,000 students as one of its priority capital projects. 

City council's planning committee will consider the application at an upcoming meeting.