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The Edey House is one of the finest early houses in Markham and can be said to be an icon of pre-confederation architecture in Ontario. It was originally located on the west side of Yonge Street at Jane Street, and relocated to this location to preserve it from demolition in 1966. In their classic book on domestic architecture of Upper Canada, At Home in Upper Canada, Marion Macrae and Anthony Adamson feature this building in their chapter on Regency architecture. The house was constructed in 1845 by master builder John Edey, as his personal residence. Edey designed and built a number of local buildings, and some of his drawings are preserved in the archives of the Markham Museum. Ownership remained with John Edey descendents until the late 1930s. The noted local architect, Napier Simpson Jr. directed the restoration of the house following its relocation.
The architecture of the Edey House is remarkable for its excellence of design and execution, as well as its superior state of preservation. It has been described as being of Regency Classic Revival design as it contains elements of both of these stylistic influences. The second storey windows, with their delicate Regency glazing and Tudor arched heads, add a touch of Gothic Revival to the overall composition. The house is a testament to John Edey's skills as a designer that all of these stylistic elements were brought together in such a pleasing harmony.
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