The structure located at 98 John St. East was the home of the Collings family years ago. The large, two-storey, frame and stucco-clad house has a long shed at the back that was once used for automobile storage (and later as a utilities room). Before World War II, there was a small building used for repairs and a blacksmith shop located east of the house. Along the lane fence at the south end of the property was a large, one-storey building used for storing marsh hay. South of the main house was a cement sidewalk that led to Holland Street. There was a garden (and later, grass) on each side of the house. Originally, the family owned a horse stable located at 100 John St. East. Bill Peters and his wife were housekeepers for Ernie Collings Sr. when he lived here around 1907. Ernie owned marshland on the west side of the Holland River at the 10th Line. Years later the house was bought by James Armstrong and his wife Jane (Saint). Jim was a marsh hay worker and he owned land above the 10th Line on the west side of the river. Jim was an implement sales man on Holland Street (around the time of WWII) after marsh haying was finished. He also ran a garage at 11 Holland St East with Fred Gregory after Dennis Nolan closed his garage. Jim and Jane raised their daughters in this house. Daughter Shirley and her husband Bill Watson remained in the house after Jim and Jane died, but it was eventually sold. (1, 2)
The mid-block building located on the north side at 101 John St. East was built pre-1900 in the Gothic Revival Cottage style. Originally, there was a woodshed across the back. It was the home of Mrs. Leduc or Mrs. Paul Courier, a French descendant from the old lumber mills. She wove rugs and blankets and repaired clothing. After her death the house was rented. Howard Robson and his wife lived here with part of their family, namely, Alvin, Garret and Phyllis. The building then became the home of Henry Pringle and his wife Joan. He was a retired railroad section man and owner of a garage on Holland Street. It was still the home of Joan Pringle when this photo was taken in 1995. The 1½-storey, three-bay house has a rectangular plan, a centre hall, and a symmetrical façade. Its medium-pitched, gable roof has a centre gable over the entrance. The building has small windows with low floor to ceiling heights. There are double-hung windows in rectangular openings with plain, wood frames and sills. The entrance porch, its windows, screen door, and the metal awnings are not original. A brick chimney at the exterior wall is also a recent reconstruction. The building has wood frame construction, vinyl siding and a parged stone foundation. Originally, the cladding was stucco. According to the 2000 inventory, the building’s basic form is camouflaged by the later additions. (1, 2, 3)
The first hydro substation in Bradford was located on Nelson St. (south of John St. East). It was built in 1916 (or 1918) by Tom and Len Saint on a small piece of property owned by the foundry on Holland Street. (1, 2) Please contact the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library (905-775-3328) if you have any other information about this photo.
The building located at 27 John St. West (on the northeast corner of John and Moore Streets) was built around 1890 in the Gothic Revival style. It was the home of John Lee (a retired farmer from north of Bradford) for many years. After World War II, it was the home of Mildred Peelar and her family. Walter Mundy later lived here before the house was sold. The 1½-storey, ‘L’-shaped, main building has a medium-pitched, gable roof with a steeply-pitched, gable dormer. These are Gothic features. There are round-head, coloured transom lights over several ground-floor windows that are structurally supported above by arched, brick voussoirs. There is also a rectangular transom over the entrance door. Windows of various sizes (indicating post-1880 construction) have the original, wood lug sills. The structure has brick, masonry construction and a rusticated, stone foundation. According to the 2000 inventory, the replacement porch varies from the original design intent. (1, 2, 3)
This house was once located at 89 John St. West. It was probably built pre-Confederation and it was considered to be one the best examples of the Regency Cottage style of building in Bradford. The one-storey, stucco, square building had an addition at the rear that contained a couple of rooms. There also was a long wooden shed behind the house. Mr. Robinson lived here in early 1930’s. Later it became the home of Bill Hounsome and his wife, Lena, and son Allen. Sam Caen (?) and his wife Daisy and their sons lived here after World War II. In its final years this building was the home of the Everitt family. It was demolished on April 11, 2014 (Bradford Times, April 24, 2014). (1, 2)
This house is located on the south side at 96 John St. West. It was considered to be “new” when this photo was taken in 1995. Many years previously, this property was owned by Bill and Mae Fuller. (1, 2)
The mid-block building located on the north side at 111 John St. West was built around 1880 in the Neoclassical style. It was known locally as “The Edmanson Home”. Thomas Edmanson was an undertaker and a businessman who lived here for many years. The house became the home of Charles Soper and his wife Eva (Edmanson) and daughters Doris and Caroline before World War II. The two-storey, rectangular building has a one-storey rear addition that was originally the summer kitchen. It also has a symmetrical façade, a centre hall plan, and a medium-pitched, gable roof. The original entrance probably had sidelights, a transom, and a roof with a steeper slope. It may also have been wider. The house has large window openings with high floor to ceiling dimensions and large, double-hung windows. Second-floor windows are slightly smaller than those at the ground floor (a local vernacular modification). The original windows would have been multi-paned. Wood frame construction has replacement exterior siding and there is a parged, stone foundation. The existing chimney is also a replacement. Chimneys originally located at the roof peak have been demolished. According to the 2000 inventory, the existing entrance, porch, and many windows and doors do not reflect the original design intent. (1, 2, 3) Please contact the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library (905-775-3328) if you have any other information about this photo.
The John Cook House is located mid-block on the east side at 65 Moore Street. It is set well back and was built around 1880 in the Gothic Revival style. The building was owned by the Cook family for many years. Originally, a series of sheds ran along the south side of Joseph Street from Moore Street almost to the houses on Barrie Street. These sheds were owned by John (Jack) Cook. He ran the local livery business and he was also a seed merchant. Fred (the son of Jack) lived in this house after his father’s death. Fred was an insurance agent, town politician, school board member, and a lay minister. The Fred C. Cook Elementary School in Bradford is named after him. The 1½-storey, ‘L’-shaped building has large window openings with high floor to ceiling heights and a steeply-pitched, gable roof. There is an elegant, shallow-pitched, hip roof at the porch. It has elaborately-carved, wooden brackets at the support posts. There are (replacement) sash windows with wide, wood trim and projected, wooden hood moulding above the windows. The entrance door has the original transom and sidelight. Wood frame construction is clad with stained board and batten siding and the house has a stone foundation. The original cladding was stucco. According to the 2000 inventory, the house has been maintained well and it is pleasingly renovated. It also notes that although the shutters are not original, they are a tasteful (and not inappropriate) addition. (1, 2, 3)
The mid-block building located at 94 Moore Street was built in the 1920’s in the Ontario Vernacular Cottage style. It was once the home of the Simpkin family. George Simpkin was a plumber and electrician. His brother Robert was a policeman. On the Collings’ map, the Simpkin gardens ran from Frederick St. to James St. (along the west side of Moore Street). In later years, Mr. Simpkin built a new home on his south garden lot (at James Street). The one-storey, three-bay ‘cottage’ has a symmetrical façade, a rectilinear plan, and a shallow-pitched, hip roof. There is a centre, hall entrance from a prominent, covered front porch. The open, front porch is raised and has a gable roof with a decorative, wood pediment. Its roof is supported on wood half columns on brick piers at the back of the porch, and triple wood posts on brick piers at the front. The porch is raised and has a turned-wood handrail and baluster. There are narrow window openings and narrow windows with low floor to ceiling heights set into segmented, arched openings with concrete lug sills. The house has wood frame construction with brick masonry cladding and a parged, concrete foundation. According to the 2000 inventory, the house is in good condition with many original features that have been maintained well. It also notes that the windows, pre-cast concrete porch stairs, and rear, one-storey addition are not original. (1, 2, 3)
The two-storey house located at 21 Simcoe Road was built by George Stoddart before World War I. Originally, it was clad in brick and there was a large barn at the rear across the full lot. There was also a 2’-square dumb waiter in the house. It was operated by a pulley system and used to move things from the basement to the upper floors. Mrs. Stoddart and her son (George) lived here for many years. Tom Bell retired from the Bank of Commerce in the 1930’s, and he and his wife and daughter (Dorothy) were next to live in this house. Dorothy lived here until her father died and she was too old to remain. (1, 2)
