The mid-block building located at 19 John St. West was built pre-1900 in the Ontario Vernacular style. Frank Adamson, who ran a gas station, lived in this house after World War II. It later became the home of Henry Bell and Phyllis for a short time. The 1½-storey, three-bay cottage has a rectangular plan, a centre hall, a symmetrical façade and a shallow-pitched, gable roof. It has a kitchen at the rear and a simple porch at the front. Wood frame construction has brick veneer cladding which is not original. The structure has a parged, stone foundation. According to the 2000 inventory, apart from the modest form, little of the original building is apparent. It notes that the (replacement) entrance canopy, windows, and cladding successfully hide clues regarding the structure beneath. (1, 2, 3)
The frame building located at 38 and 40 Holland St. East was bought many years ago by Mr. McWilliams. He remodeled the structure and put the entrance for the upstairs apartment on the east side (42 Holland St. E.). He died many years ago and Mrs. McWilliams (a sister of William Hirlehey) and her son Bill lived in the apartment. Bill worked on the marsh and in a hockey stick factory. There were two shops downstairs. Joe Scotto barbered at 40 Holland St. East (on the east side of the building) for a number of years before moving across the street to “Rusty” Worfolk’s property at 27 Holland St. East. There was a shoemaker and leather shop for years at 38 Holland St. East (on the west side of the building). There have been several other businesses here including Joyce’s Curio Shoppe (as seen in this photo taken in 1995). (1, 2)
The Thorpe House is located at 33 Joseph St. (on the northeast corner of Joseph and Moore Streets). It was built pre-1900 in the Ontario Vernacular style. The two-storey, two-bay house has a simple, rectangular plan, a side hall, and a medium-pitched, hip roof. A large addition has been added to the rear. The original, wood trim is still apparent around the replacement windows and door. Wood frame construction is clad with vinyl siding. The original cladding was shiplap siding. According to the 2000 inventory, the modern, metal awning over the entrance is not sympathetic with the remainder of the building. It also notes that this modest house probably had few decorative details originally and that few existing building elements (other than the building’s form) appear to be original. (1, 3)
The large, two-sorey structure located on the east side at 319 Simcoe Road was the home of George Peterman, his wife Sarah (Leopard) and his children (Ernest, Melville, Gurnard, Bertrand, Ila, Norma and Doris) many years ago. He bought Lowery farm (on the south side of Simcoe Road to the 6th Concession, south boundary of Bradford, and north side of the road to the Kneeshaw farm). George raised cows and farmed. Ila and Doris delivered milk (produced by cows on their farm) to Bradford by horse and wagon twice a day. There was a large barn just west and south of the house and road. A milk house was once attached to the woodshed at the back end of the house. Ernie worked on the marsh haying, labored drilling the town well, and then worked for Collings in the marsh. Mell laboured and worked with marsh vegetables and owned marsh land. Gurnard laboured. Bert, a good sportsman, left the farm after finishing school. (1, 2)
The mid-block duplex located at 13 and 15 John St. West was built pre-1900 in the Neoclassical Duplex style. During the 1920’s, the building was moved back from the street and onto new concrete foundations that were built by Leonard Saint. The building was a rental property that was possibly owned by Jim Webb at one time. The 1½-storey, rectilinear building has a shallow, gable roof and paired entrances at the centre of the building. Window and door openings are not original and they have been significantly altered. The chimneys and shutters are also not original. Bevelled, vinyl siding conceals alterations to the structure beneath. Originally, the cladding may have been wood cove siding over the wood frame construction. According to the 2000 inventory, apart from the building’s form, little of the original building remains (including the parged-stone foundation). Additions and alterations, such as the front metal awning, entrance doors with side panels, and the windows are unsympathetic with the original character of the building. (1, 2, 3)
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)
This one-storey house is located at 156 John St. West. The original cladding was stucco and there was a kitchen at the back. Mrs. Belfry owned the building many years ago. After her death, Merle Woodcock bought (and repaired) the house. John Holancin and his wife Zuzana (Balint) and large family lived here for a number of years. They were market gardeners on Highway #9. (1, 2)
The two-storey house located at 78 Simcoe Road was once the home of Bob Root, his wife Sarah, and children (Bill and Mildred). The family moved here from Newton Robinson many years ago. He was a pump maker and a repairman. Howard Robson, Evelyn, Alvin, Garret and Phyllis, Budd and Shirley also lived here at one time. Howard worked on the railway and then at Bender Caskets in Newmarket. He retired and later died in this house. His wife looked after (and nursed) Miss Sterling (Stirling?), an unmarried woman who left her money to many people when she died in the 1930’s. (1, 2)
An interview with Mr. and Mrs. John West, discussing harvesting onions, potatoes and carrots, with mentions on the harvesting machines that were used in farming such vegetables.
The Wilkinson House is a mid-block building located at 31 Simcoe Road. It was built by Art Saint and/or George Stoddart around 1923 in the Arts and Crafts style. The house was sold to Chris Long, his daughter, and her husband Fred Wilkinson (a printer for the Bradford Witness) and daughter Marjorie. When they moved to Toronto to work at the DeHavill and Aircraft Company during WWII, the house was sold to a market gardener whose family lived here for many years. The 1½-storey, two-bay ‘bungalow’ has a simple form with an asymmetrical façade and a rectilinear plan. A broad, steeply-pitched, gable roof extends down to reduce the scale of the building from the street. It covers the open front porch and is supported on wood half columns on brick piers. There is an off-centre hall entrance from the porch. The porch (entered from the front) is raised and has a simple, wood handrail and baluster. There are wide window openings with low floor to ceiling heights. A wide band of windows across the front of the dormer emphasizes the horizontal lines and massing of this house. The wide windows are set into rectangular openings. Smaller, second-storey windows in the front dormer are offset from the ground-floor windows and have plain, wood sills and trim. The windows and the second entrance door are not original. A mix of exterior cladding materials is common to this style. The house has returned eaves at the dormer roof. Wood frame construction has brick, masonry cladding and vinyl siding on the dormer. The original cladding would have been wood. There is a painted, concrete foundation. According to the 2000 inventory, the house is in good condition with many original features that have been maintained well. (1, 2, 3)
