A richly illustrated regional study, Rural Roots documents the surviving pre‑Confederation architecture of the York region with careful descriptions, historical context, and photographic plates. Combining archival research with field surveys, the book highlights vernacular houses, farm complexes, and community buildings that shaped early Ontario life, offering both architectural detail and human stories that bring the region’s built heritage to life. Designed for historians, preservationists, and local readers, this volume is a compact but authoritative record of buildings that connect present communities to their 19th‑century roots.