Ancaster residents rallying against a plan to move a 180-year-old house on Wilson Street

Heritage advocates are expectedtorallyin downtown Ancaster Saturday to protest a developer's plan to pick up a180-year-old stone house and move it.

The local branch of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO) and others plan tomeet at 10 a.m. to support the Marr-Phillippo House, a heritage house built in 1840. They want the city to overturn a decision that would allow the current owner, Wilson Street Ancaster Inc.,to move the building to the back of the lot. In its place, the developer plans tobuild a seven-storey condo development.

Bob Maton, president of the AncasterVillage Heritage Community, says the move would put a significant nick in Wilson Street's heritage streetscape, which is a source of pride for the town. He also worries the old stone house won't survive the move.

"The uncertainty is causing a lot of frustration in town," Maton said.

The building, located at 398 Wilson St. E.,has been "a fixture for 180 years, and they're basically destroying the streetscape," he said.

Lloyd Ferguson, Ward 12 (Ancaster) councillor, begs to differ. Ferguson says no one is moving the building until the ownerabides by 18 strict conditions. That includes an architectural engineer assessing the condition of the building, a signed letter from an engineer who hasexperience with historic stone structures, and a cultural heritage impact study.

"We're a long ways away from moving this thing," he said."These 18 conditions are tough to meet."

Sleepless nights

The land is contaminated from a gas station that once sat next to the house, Ferguson says. The plan is to pick up the house, remediate the contamination that is as deep as eight metres underground, and move the houseto a new foundation. The new access to the Marr-Phillippo House would be from Lorne Avenue.

The city's municipal heritage committee turned down the plan, saying if the house is relocated, it should still be visible from Wilson Street.On Oct. 5, the city planning committee voted 4-3to approve the plan with the Lorne Avenue access.

The issue is an emotional one, Fergusonsaid. "We've struggled terribly to come to grips with it. Ihad a sleepless night last night thinking about it."

City council ratified the plan on Oct. 13. That means to reverse course, two-thirds of council would likely have to vote to revisit it.

John-Paul Danko, Ward 8 (west Mountain) councillor, said the contamination is so deep that any other building would simply be demolished.

"My understanding is there's really no other option there," he said on Oct. 13.

Pretty but fragile

Maton says he wants to see more evidence of contamination, and more reassurance that the developer will abide by the conditions.

Developers have chipped away at the streetscape for years, Maton says, and too much of it is gone already.

The house dates back to cabinet maker Adam Marr, who built it for John Phillippo, a stone mason and township constable, says the ACO. It was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1981.

"It's a rubble stone, very distinctive and very charming Georgian-style home which is very typical of the time," Maton said. "It's very fragile. The mortar has leached out over the years from between the stones. There area lot of places where stones are sitting upon stones. It's very pretty but very fragile."