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The structure located at 38 Holland St. West (on the southwest corner of Holland and Drury Streets) was built around 1900 in the Ontario Vernacular style. B.B. “Ben” Collings lived upstairs with his wife (a Waldruff), and children Bernice, Kathleen and Norman. Both daughters became school teachers and Norman (“Dodger”) was a professional hockey player who helped his father and later took over the business. Ben’s workshop was also located here and there was a horse stable at the rear of the property many years ago. The back end of the building was destroyed by fire in the 1920’s. Ben Collings was involved in several businesses. He was also known as an organizer and sports manager. At one time this building was the site of the Collings’ mattress factory. Ben also cut marsh hay and hauled it down the river on a scow. Sometimes the hay was stacked for winter baling. The horses wore four wooden boots and wouldn’t get off the scow until they were applied. Ben was a furniture maker and an undertaker. His first experience as an undertaker was with the body of his own father. He bought Jack Spence’s fishing business (including nets, reels, pulleys, ropes and the fish shanty at the mouth of the river on the east side opposite the 8th Line). His largest catch of fish was five tons of carp. He fished in the spring and fall and put nets under the ice in winter. Carp was caught (when in season) and had to be kept alive for the Jewish market. He employed about eight men all year round. Later he had old cars cut down to make tractors. Ben and another man broke (worked?) Col. Bar’s marsh land at the north end of Federal Farms Rd. (Bathurst Street). The Newmarket Canal started and died on this property.
The two-storey, commercial ‘row’ building has second floor offices (or living space), a wide, rectangular plan with symmetrical organization, and a flat, built-up, tar and gravel roof. The ‘Main Street’ frontage with a typical, storefront façade is located at the street line. The Drury Street façade on the north portion of the building (fronting Holland Street) has a more informal façade with openings placed as required to suit the building’s requirements. The Drury Street building has a plain, symmetrical façade and is dominated by a wide, segmented, arch entrance raised slightly above the sidewalk. A loading door to the rear portion of the Holland Street building has a segmented, arch opening and a concrete sill raised above street level. The existing doors and windows are not original. There are several window openings with segmented, arch openings and concrete lug sills. Several basement windows (all topped with segmented arches) have been fully, or partially, blocked in. This suggests that the building was built before the existing road or town services were installed. The building has masonry construction, brick cladding, and a parged, stone foundation. According to the 2000 inventory, this modest, commercial building is in good condition with some original details. (1, 2, 3)
Please contact the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library (905-775-3328) if you have any other information about this photo.

Looking north west in Bradford at the intersection of Holland Street and Yonge Street.
This is the northwest corner of the main intersection in Bradford. This building was first known as the Innis House. In 1906, it was called the Central Hotel, and ran by Peter Holt. He had purchased the property in 1899 from Mr. L. Algeo. It had 22 bedrooms, and two sitting rooms. It was heated by a furnace, and lighted by acetylene. At this time, it was the longest established hotel in Bradford, and was frequented by the farming community when they came into Bradford. In this picture, it is the Uneeda Hotel. It later became the Bank of Commerce and then the 11 and 88 Convenience Store. Today, it is the Coffee Culture cafe.

"Norm Barron, owner of Barron's Dominion Hardware, has retired after 32 years in the hardware business. The store was founded by Norm's father Harry Barron in 1932 in a location now occupied by John Gaus Interiors and N.S. Smith Real Estate. The elder Mr. Barron, a native of Brampton, had been a foreman at the Peace Foundry before making a move to Bradford and starting in the hardware business. Norm helped his father part-time in the store until the Second World War broke out and he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was stationed in the western provinces during the war and taught aerial photography, and while out west met and married his wife Carol.After the war, Norm returned to Bradford and entered into full partnership with his father."

"Mayor Roy Gordon will be on hand tomorrow (Thursday) at 10 a.m. at Stedman's on Holland Street west to "re-open" that store in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. New owner Cliff King took over the Bradford commercial landmark February 7 from Ron Bannerman, after the store had been in the Bannerman family for more than 30 years. Mr. King, a native of Fergus, was a district manager for Stedman's before buying the Bradford store. He and his wife, Monique, and their five children, Kathy, Christine, Kim, Ricky and Nicole are going to buy a home in Bradford, but Mr. King reports they have been so busy with the store that they haven't found the time. Monique, Kathy and Kim help in the store, along with employees Mary Saint and Audrey Stevens. Mr. King is closing at 4 p.m. this afternoon to get ready for the big opening festivities that include prizes of two antique radios and special sale items. He said that he appreciated the assistance he received from Mr. Bannerman when he first took over the store. Mayor Gordon will be presented with a special pair of gold scissors for the ribbon-cutting."

"Gordon Compton, who owns the Bradford IGA, was born in London, Ontario, where his father ran the local A and P store. Gord's family moved around quite a bit from the time he was born in 1933, until they settled in Bradford. His father owned the old IGA store, now the site of 'Flowers by Tina.' After graduating from high school, Gord studied for a year at the School of Mines in Haileybury, Ontario, but gave up his studies and returned to help out in the family business when his father became ill. He eventually took over the business and saw IGA move into its present home in 1966."