Victoria Square, Ontario

Victoria Square is an unincorporated community in Markham, Ontario, Canada. The community was formed in the early nineteenth century.HistoryHistoric Victoria Square began at 4th Line and 18th Line in 1805 with mostly Mennonites from Pennsylvania beginning in 1803 and then by British and Amerian settlers in the 1820s. The area was initially called Heise Hill for the Heise family whom were part of the first wave of settlers.The first church was built in 1830s on the east side of 4th Line, where the cemetery is still located. The Wesleyan Methodists built a wood-frame church south of the Victoria Square corner in 1845. This was replaced by a red brick edifice in 1880 at what was once William Frisby's old blacksmith shop.The Wesleyan Methodists and Primitive Methodist merged locations in 1884 at what is now Victoria Square United Church.A number of business emerged in the 1830 at the intersection of 4th Line and 18th Line: William Frisby blacksmith and farm implement shops southeast corner William Cantly's inn emerged in the 1830s on the northeast corner and later became a tavern when William Durose was granted a licence in 1849 Post office was opened in the northwest corner in 1854 By 1860 and 1870s a few more businesses appeared: carriage maker - Joseph Hall John Rowbotham, former wheelwright with Frisby opened a shop manufacturing wagons and bobsled maker and repair to implements for FrisbyThe 1877 SS No. 69 was opened further south and was used until 1966. The building was altered and became a business then as residence until it was restored back for use as a Montessori school in 2010.The farmer implement related business would eventually disappear with competition of larger rivals in Toronto. The tavern destroyed by fire in the early 1900s was not replaced and the post office closed in 1914. The four corners were replaced by residences wiping out all traces of commercial activity in the area.