Description of Property
The 2.83 hectare property municipally-addressed as 2 Dartnall Road, Hamilton, is comprised of a three-storey concrete grain elevator constructed in 1943, known as the former Harris Grain Elevator. It is located on a deep setback from the roadway on the western side of Dartnall Road, on a stretch of the Chippewa Rail Trail running between Stone Church Road East and Rymal Road East, in the neighbourhood of Hannon North in Hamilton, Ontario.
Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest
The concrete structure located at 2 Dartnall Road, Hamilton was constructed in 1943. It has design or physical value as it is a representative example of a concrete three-silo grain elevator. This property is associated with local businessman William Harris (1888-1959), local business Binbrook Feed Mills, the home front in Ontario during the Second World War (1939-1945) and to the historic Hamilton and Port Dover Railroad.
Contextually, the property is important in defining the historical agricultural character of the area. It is visually, historically, functionally, and physically linked to its surroundings, being located in a formerly rural area close to a historic rail line. A unique, distinctive, and prominent structure, 2 Dartnall Road is a local landmark along the Chippewa Trail.
Description of Heritage Attributes
Key attributes that embody the physical value of the property as being a representative example of a concrete grain elevator, and its association with the Binbrook Feed Mill and the Hamilton and Port Dover Railroad, include:
- All elevations and the roofline of the three-storey concrete grain elevator, including its:
- Poured concrete grain silos arranged in triangle;
- Truncated hip roof with gable roof extension to the east;
- Projecting metal-sheathed headhouse; and,
- Metal sheathing stamped with maple leaves;
Key attributes that embody the contextual value of the property as a defining feature of the historical agricultural character of the surrounding area, including its:
- Location fronting onto the Chippewa Rail Trail; and,
- Visibility from the public right-of-way on Dartnall Road.