Industrial site.
Details of Site Location: The west bank of the Humber at St. Phillips Road.
Boundary History: The original property consisted of Lots 22 and 23 in Concession 3 of Etobicoke, a very large tract of land. It was bounded by the Humber on the east side.
Current Use of Property: The Weston Golf and Country Club.
Historical Description: There has been a mill on this site since the very early 1800s. Conrad Countryman was issued grist mill machinery in 1806 by the Commissary of Stores, and built a mill at this location in 1807. It is believed to have burned to the ground two years later. Lots 22 and 23 in Concession 3 were leased for 99 years in 1815 to David Holly. His son Joseph built a grist mill, store, sawmill, and distillery. The combination is frequently found in early Toronto’s history. From 1819 these buildings were leased to four men: John and James Farr took over the running of the grist mill and store, while Thomas and Edward Musson handled the distillery and sawmill. Charles and William Wadsworth purchased the grist mill, store, and lease from the Farrs, adding another sawmill in 1830 and a distillery in 1840, and rebuilding the grist mill to six storeys in 1856. In their sawmill the timbers for Dundurn Castle in Hamilton were produced. The sawmill was almost totally washed away in floods in 1878, and the sawmill business was closed down in 1890. Supplies of timber were also becoming scarce. The modernization of the grist mill in 1856 allowed the firm to operate 365 days per year and turn out 156 barrels of flour daily. This mill was converted into a rolling mill in 1906 by a Wadsworth descendant of Charles, and it was further reconditioned in April 1915 with electric power and new 24-inch grinders. After operating mills for 87 years, the family sold the property to the Weston Golf and Country Club and the old buildings were demolished.
Relative Importance: The Wadsworth Mills were essential to the economic growth and employment of Weston, and their historic importance lies in their being among the earliest mills or industries on the Humber River.
Planning Implications: It is recommended that a plaque be mounted on the St. Phillips bridge indicating that a milling complex once stood nearby and giving something of its long history to passers by.
Reference Sources: Files of the Weston Historical Society; City of York: A Local History (1987).
Acknowledgements: Weston Historical Society; Maps Project.