Barn destroyed by fire was part of a historic site in Mississauga

The barn destroyed in a fire yesterday was part of an important historic site in Mississauga.

The fire broke out around 6:15 p.m. Wednesday (Oct. 4) at 5576 Hurontario St. and completely destroyed the barn, Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services tell insauga.com.

The fire was under control a couple of hours later but crews were still on scene Thursday morning checking for hot spots.

There were no injuries reported in the blaze.

The cause of the fire is not yet known. The Office of the Fire Marshal has been contacted but it’s not clear yet if they will investigate.

In the meantime, the community has lost part of a historic site, the Conover Barn, at the Old Britannia School House property.

“How incredibly tragic to see this historic barn that’s an important part of our City’s history lost this way,” said Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie.

Fire in a old Barn at Hurontario and Bistrol Road. Firefighters quick actioned. Good job Mississauga firefighters. @MississaugaFES @ECAlertON24 @CP24 @MissiNewsRoom @regionofpeel pic.twitter.com/N1r8LgvJkx

— X Man (@GTAHamster) October 4, 2023

The Old Britannia School House and other historic buildings, including the historic farm home, were not impacted by the fire.

The property has an unusual history. As early as 1819 the farm land was appropriated by Order in Council for the use of a schoolmaster, according to the Friends of The Old Britannia Schoolhouse.

In 1833, King William IV of England granted the land in a trust to support and maintain the school and for education in Toronto Township (now Mississauga). Eventually the property was passed to the Peel District School Board.

The schoolhouse welcomed generations of children from 1852 to 1959 when it finally closed its doors.

The Conover Barn, built around 1900, was moved to the property in 1989 along with the Gardner-Dalton house (c.1830), according to a 2021 heritage assessment from Parslow Heritage Consultancy, Inc.

(Photo: Parslow Heritage Consultancy, Inc. report)

The buildings were meant to serve as teaching aids to depict the development of multi-generational rural farming.

The two original structures on the site are the Britannia Farmhouse (c.1850) and the Britannia School House.

The Conover Barn was not designated or listed under the Ontario Heritage Act but is indirectly referenced as a contributing structure to the larger Cultural Heritage Landscape, according to the assessment report.

(Photo: Parslow Heritage Consultancy, Inc. report)

The barn was in “very good” condition in 2021.

“Only minor damage was observed in the siding and the roof appears in good repair. The windows in the foundation have been boarded, presumably to deter entry to the structure and to conceal past vandalism,” the report noted.

The Gardner-Dunton house and farmhouse were both in poor condition.

In 2018, the property was rezoned to allow for residential development on part of the property.  However, thus far, there has been no firm plans to build.

Located near the future LRT, the property is one of the last farm properties in the area.

“…surrounded by recent development; Britannia Farm stands out as the last remaining large scale agricultural landscape in the immediate area and the larger City of Mississauga,” Parslow Heritage Consultancy, Inc. noted.

For more information on the history of the property, see the heritage assessment here and the Friends website here.

How incredibly tragic to see this historic barn that’s an important part of our City’s history lost this way. Thankful that the Old Britannia School House was not impacted and there’s no reported injuries at this time. Thanks @MississaugaFES @IAFF1212 for your swift response. https://t.co/0pHFIGrroH

— Bonnie Crombie (@MayorCrombie) October 5, 2023