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The mid-block building located at 89 John St. East is set well back from street. It was built around 1860-1880’s in the Ontario Vernacular Cottage style. John Edwin (or Harry) Cerswell, a retired gentleman, lived here at one time before selling the house. Dave Mundy and Walter moved here from their farm on the 10th line. Dave worked for Holland River Gardens and Walter worked for the Spence Lumber Co. Walter built a garage at the back of the house. When Dave died the house was sold. Years later, a small house was built along the back fence to provide housing for marsh workers. Joe McMillan and his daughter rented it, as did Dick Roberts and Wilma. Lorne Campbell and his wife also lived here after World War II. It was later demolished.
The one-storey, three-bay cottage seen in this photo from 1995 has a rectangular plan with a centre hall. A box hall was typical for this style. It also has a symmetrical façade and a shallow-pitched, gable roof. There is a simple entrance with a single door set into a rectangular opening. It opens directly into the house from slightly above grade level. No porch or weather protection shelters the entrance. The house has small windows with low floor to ceiling heights. There are double-hung windows on either side of the entrance. The 2/2 windows appear to be original. Windows are set into simple, rectangular openings with plain, wood frames and sills. The building has wood frame construction, vinyl siding, a stone-rubble foundation, and a basement with window openings. Originally, the siding was wood. A one-storey addition at the side of house is not original and it has different foundation material. According to the 2000 inventory, this simple cottage probably had few decorative details originally. It notes that other than the building’s form, few existing building elements appear to be original. (1, 2, 3)

Miss Sinclair’s House is a mid-block building located on the south side at 92 Holland Street West. It was built in the 1890’s in the Italianate style. Miss Bertha Sinclair lived in this house for many years. When she died, her nieces Kay and Isabel (daughters of Robert Spence) moved into the house. They were hairdressers. Isabel later moved and part of the house was rented to George and Ethel Stewart. The building was eventually sold to a real estate agent. The office of Dr. Fitzsimmons was also here at one time. Next to this structure was a vacant lot belonging to the Sinclair family. Many years ago there was a Temperance Hall and a church located there.
The two-storey, rectangular, main building has a single-storey, rear addition, a symmetrical façade, and a moderately-pitched, hip roof with a central chimney. The grand, Italianate scale is reflected in the large window openings, high floor to ceiling heights, and the large, 6/6 sash windows. There are deep, projecting eaves with ornately-decorated, paired cornice brackets and ‘false quoins’ (wood detailing meant to resemble masonry). The window cornices are exaggerated. According to the 2000 inventory, the stone foundation, wood frame construction, horizontal, wood-sided exterior finish (resembling masonry), and painted, exterior, wood trim are maintained well. (1, 2, 3).

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)

This structure faces Mary Street and is located at the rear of the former Winchester Arms Restaurant (on the southwest corner of Holland and Barrie Streets). Green, board and batten cladding had been added since the photo was taken in 1995 or 1996. (1)