Whitchurch Stouffville
History of Whitchurch Stouffville
Whitchurch and Stouffville developed independently of each other until 1971, when Whitchurch Township and the Village of Stouffville amalgamated to form the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville. The respective histories of Whitchurch and Stouffville are as follows:
Whitchurch was one of 19 counties formed in 1792, by John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada. Whitchurch is named after a town in Herefordshire, England, which was the birthplace of Simcoe’s wife Elizabeth. Many of the first settlers in Whitchurch were Huguenots from France; however, they did not stay long. They were followed by Quakers from Pennsylvania, Hessian (German) Loyalists, and Mennonites from the United States. By the 1840s Whitchurch had 59 grist mills and 186 saw mills operating from the base of the many creeks and rivers that flowed through this county.
The Village of Stouffville was founded in 1804, by Abraham and Elizabeth Stouffer who immigrated here from Pennsylvania. The Stouffer family established their own saw and grist mills at the intersection of what is now Main and Mill Streets. Soon a whole village including a school, church and general store were added to this community. The Toronto & Nipissing Railway arrived in Stouffville in 1871. That same year Stouffville was incorporated as a Village. Stouffville retained its Village status for 100 years until 1971, when it amalgamated with Whitchurch Township to form what is now the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville.
Upcoming Events
May 26, 2012 · Community Berczy Park Planting:MarkhamMay 26, 2012 · Farmers Markets East Gwillimbury Farmer's MarketMay 26, 2012 · Entertainment Rik Emmett An Acoustic Night of Triumph - The Stephen Leacock Theatre -GeorginaMay 26, 2012 · Arts Richmond Hill Group Of Artists 21012 Gallery SeriesMay 27, 2012 · Community 2012 Upper Canada Mall Easter Seals 10k - the Newmarket Riverwalk Commons!