The Municipality of Clarington plans to designate the property at 4-10 King Avenue East, Newcastle, for its architectural and historical value under the Ontario Heritage Act.
Heritage designation is the formal recognition of a property’s heritage value and its significance to the community. It helps to conserve important places for the enjoyment of present and future generations. Learn more about Clarington’s heritage properties at www.clarington.net/Heritage.
Reasons for Proposed Designation
Description of Property
4-10 King Avenue East is located in the commercial core of the historic Village of Newcastle, at the historic four-corners. It consists of a two-storey Italianate building constructed circa 1859.
Statement of Significance and List of Character-Defining Features
Physical/Design Value
4-10 King Avenue East is a representative example of a building constructed in the Italianate architectural style, specifically the commercial Italianate form. The two-storey red brick building is composed of two distinct sections divided by a firewall, which creates a rectangular plan fronting towards King Avenue East. The heavily ornamented side gable roof and one-storey rear wing located on Mill Street carry through the Italianate aesthetic and emphasize the building’s location on the corner. The building has predominantly segmentally arched window openings with brick voussoirs and tin-clad sills, which is typical of Italianate architecture. The building showcases eave returns and an ornate bracketed cornice along the façade and west elevation, composed of individual projecting brackets of varying sizes and a moulded frieze board, which is a key characteristic associated with Italianate design. The building has a balanced façade, with each section showcasing balanced composition and rhythmic elements. The west portion of the building, known as 4 King Avenue East, includes a three-bay façade with two entryway openings topped with rectangular transoms, whereas the east section’s centrally placed entrance includes a decorative transom and sidelights flanked by one-story canted bay windows. The bay windows are topped by truncated hip roofs with bracketed cornices and include decorative brickwork features which are representative of the Italianate architectural style.
Contextual Value
4-10 King Avenue East is important in defining, supporting, and maintaining the four corners of the commercial core within the historic village of Newcastle. The development of the commercial core in the mid-to-late 19th century played a significant role in the social and economic development and growth of the community of Newcastle, which resulted in its incorporation as a village in 1856. The lot lines, layout, and built form of the historic core are consistent with the typical 19th-century commercial streetscape found throughout Ontario. The King Avenue streetscape is comprised of predominantly one-to-two-storey commercial and institutional buildings of primarily brick construction with narrow, uniform setbacks along the street. Furthermore, the stylistic similarities between several properties, including red brick construction, ornamented rooflines, decorative brickwork and balanced façades with formal entrances, strengthen their contribution to the historic character of the commercial area. 4-10 King Avenue East helps support the historic core through its setback, massing, and decorative details, which are consistent with the surrounding area. Due to its prominent location at the north-east corner of King Avenue East and Mill Street, the importance of 4-10 King Avenue East at the historic four corners is reinforced by the detailed ornamentation on both the façade and west elevation. The four corners anchor the commercial core in the historic village of Newcastle and define the east and west sides of King Avenue.
Description of Heritage Attributes
4-10 King Avenue East is a representative example of a building constructed in the Italianate architectural style, specifically the commercial Italianate form. The property contains the following heritage attributes that reflect this value:
4 King Avenue East
- Two-storey building constructed in the Italianate commercial architectural style
- Red brick construction
- Balanced three-bay façade
- One-storey rear wing with gable roof and segmentally arched window with brick voussoirs
- Side gable roof with return eaves
- Decorative bracketed cornice with moulded frieze board along façade roofline and side gable roof
- Segmentally arched window openings with tin-clad sills
- Two entryway openings topped with segmentally arched transoms
10 King Avenue East
- Symmetrical three-bay façade
- Decorative bracketed cornice with moulded frieze board along façade roofline
- Segmentally arched window openings with tin-clad sills
- Centrally placed formal entrance opening with transom and sidelights
- Canted bay windows with truncated hip roofs, bracketed cornices, and decorative brickwork
4-10 King Avenue East is important in defining, supporting, and maintaining the four corners of the commercial core within the historic village of Newcastle. The property contains the following heritage attributes that reflect this value:
- Two-storey building constructed in the Italianate commercial architectural style
- One-storey attached wing located along Mill Street
- Red brick construction
- Location at the intersection of King Avenue and Mill Street
- Overall massing, setback, and decorative details
The following heritage attributes were provided by the Clarington Heritage Committee at their meeting on October 21, 2025:
- The building at 4-10 King Avenue East, Newcastle was Newcastle Village’s post office from 1880 to 1923; and
- 4-10 King Avenue East, along with the two addresses 57 Mill Street South and 15 King Avenue West, were part of the Newcastle Village four corners, as discussed in the Feb 22, 2010, Staff report (PSD-031-10).
Any person who objects to a proposed designation may, within thirty days after the date of publication of the notice of intention, give the Clerk of the Municipality a notice of objection setting out the reason for the objection and all relevant facts.
If a notice of objection has been given, the Council of the Municipality of Clarington shall consider the objection and make a decision whether or not to withdraw the notice of intention to designate the property within 90 days after the end of the 30-day period.
Dated at the Municipality of Clarington, this 7th day of January 2026.
June Gallagher, B.A., Dipl. M.A.
Municipal Clerk
40 Temperance Street
Bowmanville, ON L1C 3A6
