Photo: Andrea_44 from Leamington, Ontario , Canada · CC BY 2.0Older housing stands out in Essex: 33% predates 1961
Essex’s share is 1.9 times the typical 18%. The registers count 11 places within 25 km of Essex; the closest, Amherstburg First Baptist Church, is 18 km away. The nearest town with a top designation is Amherstburg, 16 km away. Of the 3 people born in Essex before 1914, Elijah McCoy came first.
Near Essex, within 25 km: built places from 1790 on
The area here stretches to 25 km around Essex: each historic place by the first construction date it records.
Within 25 km, building dates exist for 10 places. 9 predate Confederation. Park House, in Amherstburg, goes back furthest, to 1790.
7 places of national importance within 25 km of Essex
Nearest comes Amherstburg First Baptist Church, 18 km off, in Amherstburg. They stand in 2 towns, Amherstburg and Leamington among them. 11 places lie within 25 km.
The 11 nearest, within 25 km
| Amherstburg First Baptist ChurchNational Historic Site · 1848–1850 · 18 km away, in Amherstburg |
| Nazrey African Methodist Episcopal ChurchNational Historic Site · 1848–1849 · 18 km away, in Amherstburg |
| Christ ChurchOntario Heritage Trust easement · 1805 · 18 km away, in Amherstburg |
| Belle VueNational Historic Site · 1816–1820 · 18 km away, in Amherstburg |
| Amherstburg Navy YardNational Historic Site · 18 km away, in Amherstburg |
| Park HouseNational Historic Site · 1790–1797 · 18 km away, in Amherstburg |
| Commissariat Office / Callum HouseRecognized Federal Heritage Building · 1831–1833 · 19 km away, in Amherstburg |
| Fort MaldenNational Historic Site · 1796–1800 · 19 km away, in Amherstburg |
| LighthouseRecognized Federal Heritage Building · 1836–1837 · 19 km away, in Amherstburg |
| Bois Blanc Island Lighthouse and BlockhouseNational Historic Site · 1796–1840 · 19 km away, in Amherstburg |
| Canadian National Railway Station, Leamington, OntarioHeritage Railway Station · 1887–1888 · 24 km away, in Leamington |
33% of Essex’s homes were built before 1961
New building in Essex runs at the usual pace: 4.5% of homes from 2016–21, the typical town 4.1%. Few of Essex’s homes date from 2001 to 2015: 11%, the norm 15%. Over half of the homes in Essex were already standing by 1981.
2021 Census, private dwellings by period of construction (Statistics Canada); the typical town is the middle Canadian town of 2,500 or more.
Born in Essex before the First World War: 3 lives
Elijah McCoy is the most written about, in 11 languages. The oldest birth on the record is Elijah McCoy’s, in 1844. Longest lived was Elijah McCoy, 85 years in all (1929). At the other end is Frederick Alexander Cuthbert, from 1902.
Everyone born in Essex → Born before 1914 (the page’s periods: Confederation to the First World War). Birthplaces from Wikidata, each checked against the person’s Wikipedia article.
Essex and its neighbours
| Town | People | Places | Highest | Oldest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex | 23,872 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Kingsville | 25,302 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Amherstburg | 27,509 | 11 | 8 | 1790 |
Essex in brief
Older stock first: 33% of homes in Essex were standing by 1961, against 18% in the typical town. The town’s people of the past are Elijah McCoy (1844), Frederick Alexander Cuthbert (1902) and Murray Clark (1899). Beyond that, as with most towns its size, no historic place is listed.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- The federal register. Federal places come from Parks Canada’s directory, which counts National Historic Sites, federal heritage buildings, stations and lighthouses; their statements are the register’s own.
- Protection. A National Historic Site designation recognises significance; it doesn’t by itself protect a building the federal government doesn’t own. Legal protection comes from provincial and municipal designations, whose own registers aren’t open data outside Québec.
- People and events. Persons of national historic significance come with no location; a town gets one only by birthplace (name and both life years agreeing) or by one of its own places that bears the name and whose record tells the story. Events, which can’t be tied, are left out.
- The tiers. The highest designations are National Historic Sites, Classified Federal Heritage Buildings and Québec’s classements; then come the other federal designations; then provincial and local listings.
- Provincial and municipal lists. Outside Québec, provinces’ and municipalities’ heritage registers aren’t open data; their places are known only through Wikidata items with a register number, and only those with an encyclopedia article get a page.
- The grade. This page gives no grade; history doesn’t count toward a Canadian town’s letter.
Questions about Essex’s history
How many historic places does Essex have on the registers?
Essex has none of its own; Amherstburg First Baptist Church, in Amherstburg, the closest at 18 km, holds the highest designation.
How old are the homes in Essex?
33% of its homes were built before 1961, against 18% in the typical Canadian town.
Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada (Parks Canada).
Sources: Parks Canada, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations · Canadian Register of Historic Places (federal extract) · Wikidata (CC0) for map points, other names and articles · Statistics Canada, 2021 Census (homes by period of construction). Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).