Showing 3 results

The mid-block building on the north side at 107 John St. East was built around the 1880’s in the Gothic Revival Cottage style. The main house was moved to this site from the saw mill in Amsterdam during the early 1900’s. It was the home of Arthur “Mike” Saint and his wife Alice and children (Russell, Eric, Ralph, Zella, Rita and Archie). He had immigrated to Bradford from London, England in 1871 with his parents (William and Sarah) and siblings (Thomas, Harry, Frank, George, Annie and Maria). William died in 1875. All of his sons were in the building trade. Mike was a well-known brick layer and he also raised and showed chickens. There once was a 1½-storey frame barn at the back of the house that was used to store feed, a horse, and a cow. A chicken house was attached to the barn. A huge, old well was found (beyond the back fence) that was thought to belong to the first hotel (located on the only street) when Bradford was first founded.
The 1½-storey, three-bay house has a rectangular plan, a centre hall, a symmetrical façade with a centre gable over the entrance, and a medium-pitched, gable roof. A porch with a hip roof supported on wood posts and brick pedestals was added after the building was relocated. The enclosed porch was open originally, with only the brick pedestals remaining visible. Small windows have high floor to ceiling heights. Double-hung windows are set into rectangular openings with plain, wood frames and sills. The 2/2 windows are original. Wood frame construction is covered with vinyl siding and there is a parged, stone foundation. Originally, the cladding was stucco. According to the 2000 inventory, the building’s form is unmistakable despite the new cladding. (1, 2, 3)

The mid-block building located on the north side at 15 John Street East was built around 1890 in the Eclectic Neoclassical style. It was the home of Miss Arnold, a well-respected member of the community, during WWI. Dick Saint had part of the house before and during WWII. The building is currently (in 2014) owned by Giuseppe (Joe) Campagnola. It has been his family’s home since the mid 1950’s.
The two-storey, rectangular building has symmetrical openings and a centre hall plan. A medium-pitched, hip roof with a curbed deck above is a Regency Revival feature. It is reminiscent of construction before a belvedere or cupola is added and it accentuates the horizontal roof-line. The upper-floor windows are narrower than the lower ones (neoclassical features). This suggests late nineteenth-century construction. The full-width, front verandah is another Regency Revival feature. Elaborately-carved, wood brackets and turned wood posts at the verandah are original. The typical low porch railing and wood newels at the stair railing are more Gothic Revival features. This building has rusticated, loadbearing, cement-block construction and a cement-block foundation. These blocks were made by William Turner during WWI. The block pattern is considered to be interesting. According to the 2000 inventory, this unique house has been well-maintained and many original features remain. It also notes that the ground-floor replacement windows with sliders, screen door, and window A/C unit are unsympathetic with the original design. (1, 2, 3)

The mid-block structure located at 79 John St. East was built around 1860-1890’s in the Gothic Revival style. Originally, there was a shed and garage attached to the house at the rear and a vacant lot on the east side. This building was the home of Charles Aitcheson and his wife Carol for many years. He was a painter and decorator and he worked for Bill Sutton. Cyril Mestagh was the next owner of the house. He and his wife Jennie and their daughters (Vera and Gladys Irene) lived here. Cyril was a small, market gardener and a well-known grower. He hauled vegetables to the Toronto market. The house was sold when Cyril retired.
The 1½-storey structure has an ‘L’-shaped plan with a centre hall, a one-storey, rear, kitchen wing and a medium-pitched, gable roof. The asymmetrical façade has an off-centre, front gable above the façade projection. There is a raised, front porch with a shed roof set onto wood posts on brick. The steps, door, windows, and enclosing walls of the porch are not original. This building has small windows with high floor to ceiling heights. A wide, Regency-style, ground- floor window has a wide, centre opening flanked by narrow lights. It is set into a rectangular opening with a plain, wood frame and sill. An upper window is centred above the lower window in the projecting bay. It is also set into a rectangular opening with a plain, wood frame and sill. Only the 2/2 windows in the structure are original. The building has wood frame construction, vinyl siding (not original), and a parged, stone foundation. According to the 2000 inventory, some original details still remain. (1, 2, 3)