 The area's name is from the Silverthorn family led by John and Esther Silverthorn whom settled in the area north of Dundas Street and east of Etobicoke Creek in 1786 that later became a village called Silverthorn's and later Summerville.Silverthorn contained the central commercial district for the former City of York along Eglinton Avenue where the York Civic Centre, which housed York's municipal offices, is located.The area has a large number of Roman Catholics many of whom are Italian and Portuguese by descent.