The Neilly House is located mid-block on the north side at 51 John Street West. It was built around 1900 in the Eclectic Edwardian style. The structure was designed by the same architect who was responsible for designing Bradford’s Anglican Church. This house was built for jeweler Andy Neilly. His business was on Holland St. (across from the Queen’s Hotel). He was a good hunter and sportsman and belonged to the Neilly Rifle Club. The club members met at Eagle Hill on the 13th Line (at the canal on the end of Back and Bingham Streets). This building was later the home of Mac Tobias and his wife. They ran a clothing store on Holland St. (in the second building east of the Queen’s Hotel) before moving to Toronto after World War II. Dr. McMichael, a dentist, lived and had his office here until he moved to Barry’s Bay. Merle and Shirley Woodcock and their family eventually bought, repaired, and remodeled the house. The two-storey, ‘L’-shaped building with gable roofs has a smooth, brick exterior. There is full height projection with a projected, gable roof above. A textured, wood-shake finish at the flared front gable and the elaborate trim and decoration at the gable window are also Edwardian features. The house has precast voussoirs above the semi-oval transom at the main front window and precast, lug sills. It has loadbearing, brick masonry construction and a stone foundation. According to the 2000 inventory, the new front addition is unsympathetic with the original building. A new, cedar-shingle roof with copper valley flashing was also noted. It considers the building to be well-maintained. (1, 2, 3) Please contact the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library (905-775-3328) if you have any other information about this photo.
The mid-block building located at 51 Moore Street was built post-1900 in the Ontario Vernacular Cottage style. The one-storey, three-bay ’cottage’ has a rectangular plan and a medium-pitched, gable roof. It has a simple form with a symmetrical façade and a centre hall plan. There is a simple, gabled awning above the entrance door. The 2/2 wood, sash windows have plain, wood lug sills and trim. Metal storm windows, the door, and the shutters are later additions. The cornice return at the gable ends may be an original detail. Wood frame construction is covered with shiplap siding and the structure has a parged, stone foundation. A one-storey addition was built at a later time. According to the 2000 inventory, this modest dwelling has been maintained well. (1, 3)
The two-storey, frame building in this photo (from 1995) was once located at 52 Holland St. East. It and sat on a narrow lot and had long sheds at the back. Several families lived here over the years, including Joe Graham, his wife, and sons Leonard, Ogil, Weldon, Gilford, Leeson and Donald. Joe was a semi-retired farmer from the Cookstown area and he ran a farm on Concession 6 on the south side (west of Simcoe Road). The boys had a butcher shop and Weldon trucked, hauling coal for the dredge on the big canal and fill for the dam from Simcoe Street. Harold Boyd eventually bought the property. He had Sinclair MacDonald remodel the structure and add a rental apartment upstairs. Harold’s daughter and her family lived in the rental apartment before the building was demolished in the 1990’s. A plaza was later built on this (and the adjoining McLain) property. (1, 2)
The small, frame house located at 52 John St. West was built by Art Saint after World War II for his father (Frank) and sister (Lena). After Frank’s death, Lena moved to Toronto and the house was sold. (1, 2)
The mid-block building located at 52 Simcoe Road was built post-1900 (1902?) in the Gothic Revival Cottage style. The house, which is larger than other older cottages of a similar style in Bradford, was built on property owned by Charles Adams. Originally, there was a garden to the west and a barn on the lane. Later residents of this house included Joe Brown (a retired farmer from the 10th line) and Jessie, who lived here until he died. Joe was a noted gardener who raised his granddaughter Margaret Turner. Paul Margetiak and his wife and son also lived here at one time. He was a gardener, too, and he built a garage on the property. Len Saint did the cement work and added a closed-in porch. Eventually the property was bought by Gary Swagerman. He lived in the house with his wife and family and eventually had the barn remodelled to become the site of a dry cleaner. The garden was paved and used as a parking lot for the business. The 1½-storey, three-bay cottage has a rectangular plan, a centre hall, and a symmetrical façade. The medium-pitched, gable roof has a centre gable over the entrance. There are single windows to the primary rooms on each side of the covered entrance porch. A raised, open porch has a hip roof supported on simple, wood columns set directly on the porch base/foundation. The porch has a simple, wood handrail and balusters. A single entrance door is set into a segmented, arched opening. Windows are set into segmented, arched openings with brick voussoirs and concrete lug sills. The windows and door are not original. A second-storey window set halfway into the centre gable is a reference to the Gothic Revival style. Locally-made bricks were placed by Tom Saint on the wood frame construction. According to the 2000 inventory, the house is in good condition. (1, 2, 3)
The house located mid-block at 56 Hurd St. was built in the 1860-1880’s in the Gothic Revival style. The level of the sidewalk above the front yard suggests that this house was built before the street was paved or town services were installed. It was the home of the Gummerson family (before moving to 151 Church Street). Charlie Wilson and his family lived here in later years. The 1½-storey, ‘L’-shaped house has an asymmetrical façade, a centre hall, and a medium-pitched, gable roof. The roof has an off-centre gable at the front façade projection. The Regency-style entrance has a flat, narrow transom with multiple lights and sidelights set into a rectangular opening. Wide, wood framing is topped with a shelf projection. The house has tall, narrow windows with high floor to ceiling heights. They are set into narrow, rectangular openings with plain, wood frames topped by shelf projections and plain, wood sills. A ground-floor bay window has a shallow hip roof supported on brackets. The 2/2 windows are the only original ones in the structure. Wood frame construction is covered with vinyl siding which replaces the original cove siding. The house has a parged, stone foundation. When the house was inventoried in 2000, a single fragment of ‘gingerbread’ was found hanging from one corner of the eaves. This suggests that more elaborate decoration was original to the house. (1, 3)
