10/14/2026
Map of the Village of Richmond Hill, from the Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of York, Toronto, 1878
This map shows the village of Richmond Hill as it appeared around 1878, including its streets, properties, businesses, churches, schools, and prominent landowners. The village’s northern boundary extended to Lot 48 or Levendale Road we know today.
Unlike many Upper Canadian villages, Richmond Hill had no distinct central intersection, or “four corners,” where buildings such as a post office, bank, general store, and church established the village centre. Instead, its homes, shops, and businesses were scattered along Yonge Street, creating what one early observer described as “a long village.”
Despite its spread-out appearance, Richmond Hill was a growing community with approximately 200–300 residents in the mid-1800s. Its commercial activity, churches, and schools reflected a maturing village. This map illustrates the subdivision of Lots 46 and 47 along both sides of Yonge Street, from Major Mackenzie Drive north to approximately Wright Street. These small residential and commercial properties helped shape the developing village.
# # # Prominent Landowners and Business Owners
John Palmer Jr. was one of Richmond Hill’s most successful hotel proprietors during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He operated the Palmer House Hotel and Tavern, as well as a coach company, serving the needs of travelers and local residents.
Abraham Law, another landowner identified on the map, was one of the 15 members of Richmond Hill’s first Methodist congregation. In 1873, he was elected the first Reeve of the newly incorporated Village of Richmond Hill. Law Crescent was named in his honour.
Telegraph Companies and Early Telephone Service
Both the Montreal Telegraph Company and the Dominion Telegraph Company appear on the map. The Montreal Telegraph Company was a major force in Canadian communications, but it faced stiff competition from the Dominion Telegraph Company, which was chartered in 1868. In 1878, the two companies attempted to reach a pooling or consolidation agreement to curb destructive price wars.
Richmond Hill received its first telephone service about ten years later, when a long-distance line connected the village to Toronto. Remarkably, the telephone service was installed in the same building that housed the Dominion Telegraph Company.
Richmond Hill’s Churches
Several churches shown on the map are familiar landmarks in Richmond Hill’s history.
Methodist Church: This congregation is associated with the church we know today as Richmond Hill United Church.
English Church: This refers to St. Mary’s Anglican Church. Its yellow-brick church building opened in 1872.
Presbyterian Church: The Presbyterian congregation was the first in Richmond Hill to have its own church building. Its first service was held in 1817 in the open forest, with a large tree stump serving as a pulpit. Construction of a wooden church began in 1819 and was completed two years later. The present church building opened in 1881 and does not appear on this map.
Roman Catholic Church: Notice the church on Mill Street. The original St. Mary Immaculate Church stood there from 1857 until 1894, when a second church was built and opened at the corner of Yonge Street and what is now Dunlop Street.
The Development of Arnold Street
John R. Arnold acquired the Vaughan portion of Lot 46 through his wife, Elizabeth Miles, who had inherited the property from her brother, James.
As shown on the map, Arnold Street originally extended only as far as Elizabeth Street. In the late 1940s, it was extended southward in a curve to Major Mackenzie Drive. This extension became known as Arnold Crescent. Years later, the eastern portion was renamed so that the entire street became known as Arnold Crescent.
Lot 46, Markham Township: The Beginnings of a Commercial Village
In 1798, Hugh Shaw was assigned Lot 46 in Markham Township and received the Crown grant in 1802 in recognition of his military service. His son James began subdividing the property's Yonge Street frontage in the 1820s, helping establish the foundations of Richmond Hill as a village.
Over the years, this stretch of Yonge Street became home to three hotel sites, a bakery, several blacksmith shops, a druggist, several shoemakers, the offices of the *Richmond Hill Liberal*, and a wide variety of retail businesses. These establishments helped transform the area into the commercial heart of the community.
Richmond Hill’s Grammar School
The map identifies Richmond Hill’s High School and Grammar School. The grammar school was first established in 1853, and a new building was constructed in 1873 in front of the existing Common School.
The building was later destroyed by fire. By 1897, the school had been rebuilt at the corner of Yonge and Wright Streets.
The Railway Station wasn’t in the Village
At the bottom of the map, the railway station is identified as Richmond Hill station, located 3 miles and 850 yards west of the village along the Vaughan Sideroad, now known as Major Mackenzie Drive. Although it carried the Richmond Hill name, the station was situated well outside the village and was later known as Maple station.
In 1853, the first regular steam train in Upper Canada completed its inaugural journey from Toronto to Aurora on the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railway. The line eventually extended to Collingwood on Georgian Bay, providing an important transportation link between Toronto and communities to the north.
However, the railway bypassed Richmond Hill village itself, following a more direct alignment that avoided the hills along the way.
About the Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of York
Between 1874 and 1881, approximately forty county atlases were published in Canada, covering counties in the Maritimes, Ontario, and Quebec.
These atlases typically included historical accounts, township and town maps, portraits, views of communities, and directories of residents and businesses. One of their most valuable features was the inclusion of residents’ names on the lots they owned or occupied.
The atlases were sold by subscription, and prominent residents could pay an additional fee to have biographical sketches, portraits, and illustrations of their homes or businesses included.
Today, these atlases remain valuable historical resources, offering a detailed picture of communities, property ownership, businesses, and the people who helped shape their development.
