November 16, 2024
The area around Stouffville was covered with a mature white pine forest when the Europeans began to arrive in the 1800s. The indigenous peoples used the forest for hunting and gathering but the white people saw a source of timber and soon began to cut the forest down to feed into their sawmills. The hamlet of Vivian is shown in this 1877 county atlas map. Robert McCormick owned several tracts of land as well as the sawmill which can be seen on the south end of the community.
George Sexsmith was one of the early settlers in the area and he operated a general store and an inn. The town was originally known as Sexmith’s Corners after him. The community centred around the lumber industry and its fortunes rose and fell with the supply of white pine. When Robert McCormick and his family arrived in 1866 they made a significant impact on the community. They owned the sawmill which also supplied materials to their shingles factory. They opened a blacksmith shop and operated a maple sugar bush. The south east corner of modern highway 48 and Vivian Road became the site of their general store and post office. The post office opened in 1866, the year that Robert arrived. The archive photo below shows the McCormick general store around 1900.
The store has lost some of its former glory with the removal of the front porch and partial removal of the one over the family entrance on the side. Some of the bargeboard, or gingerbread, has also fallen off. It is interesting to note that there were four hydro meters on the side of the building which indicates that there were probably four separate apartments in the building at one point in the past. I also notice that the centre door above the storefront has been bricked in at some point which is unfortunate as it eliminates a bit of the charm of the building.
The town took the name Vivian when the post office opened in 1866. By 1900 the local forests were depleted and the lumber industry collapsed. The people started to move away and the population declined until by 1924 the post office was closed. The site of the school, which is seen on the county atlas, is now occupied by the Vivian Outdoor Resource Centre.
The building was for sale recently, reportedly for $1.2 million. This would have included 3 acres of land. With the encroachment of the city and the growth of Ballantrae to the south, it is only a matter of time before this area starts to see a spurt of growth. Hopefully, this building will be restored and turned into some form of commercial venture again. It would be a shame to lose it forever.
The McCormick house used to stand on the north west corner of the intersection but has since been demolished after a fire in 1971. This house was designed to compliment the store and used similar architecture. The two buildings with their similar brickwork and gables gave the community a distinct character which has been partially lost due to the removal of the hotel which had become quite run down. The store is in a state of disrepair but has not reached the point of neglect that would require it to be demolished as well.
The Lake Simcoe Junction Railway was chartered on March 29, 1873. The line was completed in 1877 and ran for 42 kilometres from Stouffville to Sutton. It ran parallel to modern Highway 48 through the community of Vivian. Much of the passenger traffic was taken away by the Toronto and York Radial Railway in 1908. By 1979 the line was completely abandoned and the rails were lifted in 1981. The remains of the rail bed can still be found in the trees near the intersection. The archive photo below shows the Vivian railway station and the two lines of rails that passed through the community.
The community of Vivian doesn’t resemble the early hamlet as most of the original buildings are gone. However, the McCormick store remains on the corner as a testament to the past when the hamlet was a thriving community.
Related stories: Toronto & York Radial Railway
Google Maps Link: Vivian
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That house is part of the Vivian Plantation now. They sell Christmas Trees every year and I know for a fact, it is a busy place when they do. As I live approx. 12 km from this Intersection. Regardless, this Gorgeous place deserves to be saved
The upper “centre window” of the general store that the author mentions that was bricked over, had actually been a door.
If you no longer have an upper level to the porch there would be no sense in having a door leading to it.
I hope this does not get demolished. Architecture and history is erased by bulldozers in a few minutes which takes sometimes centuries to create.
great history of the house.
hopefully it can be restored and used for years to come
I lived in the upstairs of this house for 5 or 6 yrs it was great for my young kids they rode their bikes in there it was so huge
I have wondered for years what the story was on this house. Absolutely LOVE it! Hopefully it will be restored.
Very interesting to know. have driven by hundreds of times and never without thinking it is haunted especially as there has always been a light visible in the back of the house and couldn’t help to wonder if it was still lived in. Sure would be wonderful to see it restored to its original glory.
on occasion when we go by there has been a car parked outside and lights on in a couple,
of the rooms. We figure someone lives there.
At what intersections is this place located. Thanks
Highway 48 and Vivian Road. There’s a Google Maps link at the end of the article that will take you there.
What year was the hotel demolished?
I have often passed this property with my partner and we have always been under the impression that it was haunted!
Low and behold, it just had a great and full history! I really hope they maintain this structure and give it a face lift before they ever consider taking it down knowing its history now.
I have often thought that the building would be a good location for a restaurant. Perhaps with the growing community that might be a possibility in the near future.
I always thought it would be nice to have a tearoom there for lunch and baking.