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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)

The William Curry House is a mid-block building located at 73 Holland St. West. It was built in the Gothic Revival style around the 1890’s. Bill Curry, a carpenter, and his wife and children (Harvey and Jessie) moved here from the 14th Line, West Gwillimbury. Members of the Curry family have lived in this house for many decades.
The two-storey, ‘L’-shaped building has large window openings, high floor to ceiling heights, and a medium-pitched, gable roof. The shutters (but probably not the colour) may be original. A wrap-around entrance porch is original and has Regency overtones. Although the windows and doors have been replaced, the original wood, lug sills remain. The building has brick veneer on wood frame construction. Window awnings and attic vents are twentieth-century alterations. The soffit infill, if original, has an altered eaves detail. According to the 2000 inventory, the building is surrounded by a well-maintained, landscaped yard. (1, 2, 3)

The building located at 120 Holland St. West in this photo from 1995 replaces one built by Watson (a cement block and sidewalk builder) just before, or during, WWI. That structure had a barn and shed for stock and chickens at the back. The Slothin family moved here from Toronto around the time of the Depression. They had one daughter and a son named Max. At one time Elgar Houghton and his wife lived here with their daughter (Muriel) and sons (Gordon and Lloyd). He drove a team (before he got a truck) and delivered gas for Imperial Oil. Paul Gres, his wife, and family (market gardeners) lived here years later. This house and property (around 25 acres) was still owned by the Gres family in 1995. (1, 2)

The mid-block building located on the south side at 48 James St. was built in 1840-60 in the Ontario Vernacular style. The one-storey cottage was once the home of Mrs. Peterman.
It has a rectilinear plan, a medium-pitched, gable roof and an asymmetrical façade. There is no porch addition. The glazed entrance door has a transom above and a more recent awning addition. All the original windows have been replaced, but the plain, wood, lug sills and trim remain. The shutters are not original. Wood frame construction is covered by vinyl siding. The structure probably had wood cove siding originally. There is a parged, stone foundation. According to the 2000 inventory, this building is very old. (1, 3)

This one-storey house is located at 68 James Street. (1)

This house is located at 103 James Street. (1)

The house located at 61 John St. East was built on what was originally the west lot of Miss Hayes’ property. It was built in 1949 by Vic Turner. He was a retired farmer from the Scotch Settlement. The structure became the home of Vic and his wife (Irene) in February, 1949. Vic sold fertilizer and worked for Holland River Gardens. The small, 1½-storey, frame house had a garage underneath on the east side of Nelson Street. (1, 2)

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 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)