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The Thompson Fisher House is located at 37 Queen St. (on the northeast corner of Queen and Rebecca Streets). It was built around 1880 in the Eclectic Neoclassical style. It belonged to J.C. Wood in the 1950’s. He was the principal at the original, adjacent Bradford High School.
The two-storey, rectangular building has a symmetrical façade and a centre hall plan (Neoclassical features). A medium-pitched, hip roof with a wide overhang and a full-width, awning roof at the porch are Regency Revival features. The house has large window openings with high floor to ceiling heights. Ground-floor windows and the entrance door have transom lights. The arched shutters may be original. Decorative details at the porch columns, a busy verge board, and paired, soffit brackets (over new metal soffits) appear to be twentieth-century additions. The house has solid brick construction as well as the original wood banister, doors, and 12” baseboards. According to the 2000 inventory, the decorative trim is excessive and without precedent in the community. It also notes that while some degree of eclecticism is not out of place, the total effect on this well-maintained building is unconvincing. (1, 3, 5)

The Fred C. Cook Senior Elementary School is located at 75 Queen Street. It is not the original building to be found on this site. That structure was a small, two-room, grammar school from Bond Head that was loaded onto a sled and pulled by horses many years ago to the newly-formed town of Bradford. It was set among the pine trees found on a plot of land between Fletcher and Queen Streets. That structure eventually became the first high school in Bradford. It was destroyed by fire in 1890 and a new school was opened on the same site. It burned as well. The Fred C. Cook Senior Elementary School (as seen in the photo) was erected in its place in 1923 or 1924. It was built in the Colonial Revival style. A four-room wing was built in the rear school yard in 1956 (1960’s?) to alleviate over-crowding.
The main building has 2½ storeys. Its large, simple, rectangular form dominates this site. The structure is set well back from the street on a broad expanse of lawn. This positioning suggests its importance in the community. There are large window openings with high floor to ceiling heights, and a flat roof (probably covered with built-up tar and gravel). The entrance is raised one-half storey above grade level. Stairs lead directly to an over-scaled entrance door framed by white-painted pilasters and a plain, wood entablature above. The double door and transom do not appear to be original. The tall, ‘Venetian” windows (characteristic of the neoclassical style) have pilasters and three-foot ‘lights’. The first and second-storey windows are joined by recessed, wood panels. A white-painted, urn-trimmed, roof balustrade is set into a brick, parapet wall. Thin pilaster strips (set into a continuous ‘sill’ at the ground-floor level) sub-divide the front façade into multiple bays. The building has concrete, masonry construction with brick, masonry cladding, applied wood details, and a concrete foundation. According to the 2000 inventory, the building is in excellent condition with many original details.
A new, modern version of the Fred C. Cook Elementary School opened in September, 2013. It is located at 20 Fletcher Street. (1, 3, Bradford District High School’s web site)

"Marta Ozals, a student in John Gabel's class at Earl Rowe Public School, was hard at work last week on her poster for the Kinsmen's Heritage Day celebrations this weekend. The posters will be judged Saturday and will be on display Sunday at the high school. A dance and free films are among the other activities planned for the weekend."

"As Bernard Horn retired after 30 years of teaching at Bradford District High School, the building ceased to be a high school. Mr. Horne saw each addition built on the old school built on the old school building but he will never teach in the new school, scheduled to open in September. Mr. Horne, geography teacher at Bradford District High School, taught for 42 years. He wasn't always a geography teacher nor was he always a high school teacher. His first post was at a log school house in Muskoka Township. He taught six elementary grades which was a real challenge. Children had to do a lot of seat work as instruction time was limited. During the winter, they were isolated. The nearest doctor was 16 miles away in Gravenhurst."

"After 31 years of teaching about 1,000 pupils at Bradford public school, Barbara Stewart is retiring at the end of this school year. It's a thought that brings a mixture of emotions for her. On one hand is the anticipation of doing the things she has been dreaming of for years: travelling extensively in winter and relaxing at her cottage in Minden in summer. On the other hand: "I'm going to miss the children," she admits, 'And the staff too. I have many good friends here. I retired as the organist last June. I guess you could say I'm tearing up all my roots...no, routines. I'm tearing up all my old routines.'Although she is leaving Bradford for good at the end of this school year, Miss Stewart has reassured her friends that she will be coming back often to visit."

"Peter and Josefina Catania, on their way to Brazil to teach and conduct research, recently visited Peter's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Catania of RR 2, Newmarket, and Peter's brother and sister-in-law, Edward and Betty Catania. Mr. and Mrs. Catania will teach for two years at the Universidade Federal de Paraiba in Jona Pessoa. Dr. Peter Catania will study solar energy at the university and Dr. Josefina Catania will teach psychology, as part of a project of the Canadian government. Peter was born and raised in Bradford and he attended St. Mary's separate school, Aurora High School, the University of Waterloo, University of Edmonton, and University of Regina. Josefina was born and raised in Cebu City, The Philippines. The couple had two children, Carleon Miguel, 5, and Alaine Mia, 1.5."

"The Easter Parade at Sunnybrae School in Stroud was a lively event. The children of the Junior Division marched around the gym with musical accompaniment of 'In Your Easter Bonnet' to proudly model their handmade bonnets and top hats."

"Bradford District High School won the York Simcoe High School Boys Softball Championships for the sixth year in a row. They defeated Dr. G.W. Williams High School in Aurora 4-2 with three innings overtime.
[Back row], Jim Brown, Barry Neilly, Cliff Corner, Jim Lynn, Rick Ellis, Bill Jackson, and coach Don Jarvis.
[Front row], John Scheuremann, Ted Richards, Ian Campbell, Larry Callicragas, and Scott Forbes."

"Maude Jackson shows seven-year-old Michelle Harris how to knit a sweater for the upcoming frosty days of winter. Knitting was just one of many attractions at Pioneer Day last week at Sir William Osler School near Bond Head. The entire school and many area residents took part in the event."

"The styles have changed, but high school students haven't changed all that much from the days this photo was taken at Bradford High School in 1934. Front row, Mildred Faris, Orma Wilcox. Second row, Norma Walker, Vira Sutherland, Mildred Feaver, Etta Hunter, Irene Brown, Eileen Church, Mary Webb. Third row, Frank Edney, Edward Dunn, Harvey Jeffries, George Stoddart, Lorne West, Don Wilson."