THE VILLAGE OF FAIRBANK
The original town of Fairbank was centred around the intersection of Dufferin Street, Eglinton Avenue and Vaughan Road.
As for the name itself, Fairbank is derived from the view looking south from the top of the hill on Dufferin Street right where the City of York was separated from the City of North York. The area has many rolling hills and steep climbing streets and, on a sunny day, the vista was simply one of a “fair bank.”
About 200 years ago, settlers travelled on rutted roads west from Yonge Street or northwest on Vaughan Road to reach the “village” of Fairbank. History shows that it was the name adopted by Matthew Parsons for his farm, situated northwest of the Fairbank United Church. In fact, the land for the church was donated by Matthew Parsons (see below). Across the road, the Anderson farm was known as Springbank, and the Watson Farm, Sprucegrove, which belonged to John Thomas Watson. His farm adjoined the Ross Farm on the south, later owned by John Anderson. To the north and west of Dufferin Street lay Matthew Parson’s property, where the church was built on the southeast corner. South of the church lay Isaac Dollery’s home and farm. These were the founding pioneers of Fairbank, mainly British stock – farmers, market gardeners and building tradesmen.
About 200 years ago, settlers travelled on rutted roads west from Yonge Street or northwest on Vaughan Road to reach the “village” of Fairbank. History shows that it was the name adopted by Matthew Parsons for his farm, situated northwest of the Fairbank United Church. In fact, the land for the church was donated by Matthew Parsons (see below). Across the road, the Anderson farm was known as Springbank, and the Watson Farm, Sprucegrove, which belonged to John Thomas Watson. His farm adjoined the Ross Farm on the south, later owned by John Anderson. To the north and west of Dufferin Street lay Matthew Parson’s property, where the church was built on the southeast corner. South of the church lay Isaac Dollery’s home and farm. These were the founding pioneers of Fairbank, mainly British stock – farmers, market gardeners and building tradesmen.
The Watson Farm, Sprucegrove, was just east of Dufferin Street and north of Eglinton Ave.
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By 1840, the settlement had organized enough to establish a school. To a little log house, originally on the grounds of Briar Hill Public School, now closed because of low enrollment, came the boys and girls who, unlike many of their parents, had been born in this country. Children came from quite a large area with boundaries of Wilson Ave. on the north, Weston Road to the west, St. Clair Avenue to the South and on the East, a line halfway between Dufferin and Bathurst. It was a pretty simple school, but they learned the three Rs of reading, writing and arithmetic, and how to become good citizens. It was known officially as S.S. No. 15, but often called Needham’s.
By 1840, the settlement had organized enough to establish a school. To a little log house, originally on the grounds of Briar Hill Public School, now closed because of low enrollment, came the boys and girls who, unlike many of their parents, had been born in this country. |
Children came from quite a large area with boundaries of Wilson Ave. on the north, Weston Road to the west, St. Clair Avenue to the South and on the East, a line halfway between Dufferin and Bathurst. It was a pretty simple school, but they learned the three Rs of reading, writing and arithmetic, and how to become good citizens. It was known officially as S.S. No. 15, but often called Needham’s (Needham was a class leader for a number of years).
This building continued to serve the large district until 1908 when an extension was built and two teachers were employed. In 1863, the log building was displaced by a brick one-room schoolhouse called Fairbank. (A contractor for the stone added an S to Fairbank, but this was a mistake.) South of Eglinton Avenue, Fairbank Public School, serving JK to Grade 8, still stands, and celebrated a reopening in 2013 with about three million dollars’ worth of renovations. And don’t confuse Fairbank Public School with Fairbank Memorial Community School at 555 Harvie Avenue, west of Dufferin Street and south of Eglinton Avenue, built after the first World War, in 1920, as a memorial to the young men from the Fairbank area who died during the Great War.
As well, in 1874, the Post Office decided to open a depot in the growing community, and the name Fairbank was selected as the most suitable one. Residents must have cheered, as it meant that they no longer had to make the long journey to Yorkville to pick up their mail. William Todd was the first postmaster of the office, located near the corner of Dufferin and Eglinton. Nestled among the farms, right in the heart of Fairbank was Thomas MacFarlane’s Fairbank Hotel, which became even more important when it acquired the post office in 1877. When the hotel burned down in 1879, he rebuilt about 600 feet north of the intersection, which also burned but still endured, in fact, as the New Fairbank Hotel and later a gentleman’s club, now known as Backstage Theatre.
All that was missing was a church. Religious services were originally held at Needham’s log schoolhouse, but when they began we do not know for sure. It was customary to open the schools for any minister who wanted to hold a service, however it was not until the 1840s and ’50s when the Wesleyan Methodist Church established churches at Asbury and Downsview. 1863 is the first year that Fairbank is listed separately, collecting $95.30 for missions.
In the fall of 1888, the Presbyterians started service in a room in McFarlane’s Hotel and in 1889, they opened their new church on Vaughan Road. That inspired the Methodists to build their own church as well. A site for the new church was donated by Matthew Parsons and plans were made for one that would compare well with others around it. The architect, Mancel Willmot, received $50 for his services. Built in 1889, the red brick church on the west side of Dufferin about a half mile north of Eglinton (at the top of the fair bank!) celebrated its Centennary in 1989, and the little red brick building still stands to serve the present-day community.
This building continued to serve the large district until 1908 when an extension was built and two teachers were employed. In 1863, the log building was displaced by a brick one-room schoolhouse called Fairbank. (A contractor for the stone added an S to Fairbank, but this was a mistake.) South of Eglinton Avenue, Fairbank Public School, serving JK to Grade 8, still stands, and celebrated a reopening in 2013 with about three million dollars’ worth of renovations. And don’t confuse Fairbank Public School with Fairbank Memorial Community School at 555 Harvie Avenue, west of Dufferin Street and south of Eglinton Avenue, built after the first World War, in 1920, as a memorial to the young men from the Fairbank area who died during the Great War.
As well, in 1874, the Post Office decided to open a depot in the growing community, and the name Fairbank was selected as the most suitable one. Residents must have cheered, as it meant that they no longer had to make the long journey to Yorkville to pick up their mail. William Todd was the first postmaster of the office, located near the corner of Dufferin and Eglinton. Nestled among the farms, right in the heart of Fairbank was Thomas MacFarlane’s Fairbank Hotel, which became even more important when it acquired the post office in 1877. When the hotel burned down in 1879, he rebuilt about 600 feet north of the intersection, which also burned but still endured, in fact, as the New Fairbank Hotel and later a gentleman’s club, now known as Backstage Theatre.
All that was missing was a church. Religious services were originally held at Needham’s log schoolhouse, but when they began we do not know for sure. It was customary to open the schools for any minister who wanted to hold a service, however it was not until the 1840s and ’50s when the Wesleyan Methodist Church established churches at Asbury and Downsview. 1863 is the first year that Fairbank is listed separately, collecting $95.30 for missions.
In the fall of 1888, the Presbyterians started service in a room in McFarlane’s Hotel and in 1889, they opened their new church on Vaughan Road. That inspired the Methodists to build their own church as well. A site for the new church was donated by Matthew Parsons and plans were made for one that would compare well with others around it. The architect, Mancel Willmot, received $50 for his services. Built in 1889, the red brick church on the west side of Dufferin about a half mile north of Eglinton (at the top of the fair bank!) celebrated its Centennary in 1989, and the little red brick building still stands to serve the present-day community.