Jan 24 – Mapping Heritage Farms in sw Ontario
January 24, 2026 @ 11:00 am - 1:30 pm
A Workshop with Evan Abma
Friday, January 24, 2025
11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Lunch provided (you are welcome to bring a contribution)
📍 Location: The Archives, 178 McKellar Street, Glencoe, ON
Join the Glencoe & District Historical Society for an engaging midday session with Evan Abma, local historian, Chair of the Sarnia Heritage Committee, and a leading voice in documenting Ontario’s disappearing rural heritage.
Over the past several years, Evan has undertaken an ambitious research project mapping historic farmhouses across Lambton County. Using a wide range of sources—including historical land registers, tax assessments, farm directories, topographic maps, census records, satellite imagery, concession maps, and digital tools such as Google MyMaps—he has documented approximately 1,700 historic farmhouses still standing, down from about 2,000 in 2009.
In this 30–40 minute presentation, Evan will:
- Walk participants through the research methods and tools used to identify and map historic farms
- Demonstrate how these approaches can be adapted by local historians, heritage groups, and landowners
- Share insights into patterns of loss, including farm consolidation, demolition trends, and planning barriers
- Reflect on why preserving historic farmhouses matters for understanding our rural landscape, settlement history, and architectural heritage
The Facebook Group: Lost Lambton, Found!
What are the implications here in SW Middlesex?
Over the years, Glencoe & District Historical Society members have been actively documenting heritage architecture, historic farms, cemeteries, and rural landscapes across Southwest Middlesex. We are eager to learn how historical land records, assessments, directories, and census data can be layered with modern tools such as Google MyMaps to create living, shareable records of our rural heritage. This presentation may help spark ideas for how we can apply similar methods locally, building on the work already underway in our community.
Call to Action:
If you have an interest in historic farmhouses, rural architecture, mapping, research, or local history—and especially if you’ve already gathered notes, photos, or stories—this session is for you. Come learn, ask questions, and imagine what a shared, community-driven heritage map for Southwest Middlesex could look like. Your knowledge and curiosity are part of preserving the stories written into our landscape.
Background
Evan’s work began after he noticed that many historic homes featured in an online article about Warwick Township were no longer standing. What started as a small tracking project quickly expanded to all of Lambton County, revealing uneven patterns of preservation—some areas retaining many historic homes, while others have seen rapid decline.
These farmhouses represent more than buildings. They embody the aspirations of early rural settlers, marking a transition from log cabins to substantial homes that reflected permanence, prosperity, and connection to the land. Their loss, Evan argues, erodes not only housing stock but also our tangible link to rural history.
The presentation will be followed by time for conversation, questions, and informal discussion over lunch.
This event will be of interest to:
- Local historians and genealogists
- Farmers and rural landowners
- Heritage advocates and planners
- Anyone interested in rural history, landscape change, and preservation
All are welcome.
Please join us for learning, conversation, and community around the shared task of understanding—and caring for—our rural heritage.