Written By David Gomez
GLENCOE – Historic farmhouses that have disappeared from the rural landscape—and those that still remain—were the focus of a June 20 presentation at the Glencoe & District Historical Society Archives. Lambton County researcher Evan Abma shared the work behind his growing Built Heritage Project and the methods he has used to document some of the Lambton County's oldest rural homes.
The information session introduced local history enthusiasts to Evan’s online map, which records pre-1921 farmhouses across Lambton County. Using Google My Maps, the project links historic photographs to their original locations while identifying whether each house still stands, has been demolished or abandoned or was moved. Individual entries also include architectural descriptions, estimated construction dates and references drawn from archival and historical sources.
"The project started because I wanted to link historic photographs with actual locations in Lambton County, and then expanded from there," Evan said during his presentation.
Evan Abma explained that the project has grown well beyond simply collecting old photographs. Information has been gathered from aerial imagery, historic topographic maps, census records, land records, newspaper archives and online genealogy resources, allowing him to confirm locations, identify building materials and trace changes to individual properties over time.
“I started this map because I noticed that farmhouses in photographs (…) were just not there. They don’t exist anymore,” he said. “Many houses that I remember growing up also just don’t exist anymore.”
According to Evan, farm consolidation remains the primary reason many older rural homes are demolished. Other contributing factors include deferred maintenance, the cost of restoring heritage buildings and the limited availability of tradespeople experienced in traditional construction methods.
Throughout the presentation, audience members asked about everything from architectural styles to research techniques, while Evan demonstrated how historical maps, satellite imagery and archival records can be combined to identify long-lost farmhouses. He also noted that, for now, the project intentionally focuses on concession-road farmhouses rather than village or urban homes in order to keep its scope manageable.
The presentation also sparked discussion about creating a similar initiative in Southwest Middlesex. Denise Corneil, secretary of the Glencoe & District Historical Society and the event’s coordinator, said the organization hopes to build on existing local history projects and use Evan’s work as a model for documenting the region’s own historic places in the years ahead.
