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)
The Dr. Clement House is located at 41 Simcoe Road (on the southeast corner of Simcoe Road and Centre Street). It was built around 1830-1860 (1840’s?) in the Classic Revival style. Dr. Clement lived and died here after practising in the 1870-80’s. He was buried in Clement Cemetery on the 2nd Line in Innisfil (east of Highway 11). His wife Rachel lived here until her death. The house was then rented to Walton, a railroad man for the C.N.R. The barn and garden behind the building ran to William St. (as did all the properties on the east side). Sam Catania and his wife Sarah lived here in later years. They converted the house into two apartments and had a dry cleaning business in the garage that was eventually destroyed by fire. Sam sold the house to Bruce and Barbara Verney. They were still living here when this photo was taken in 1995. Bruce was a chiropractor. A building used as a dry cleaner was constructed later on the property. Jack Pong (a restaurant owner on Holland St.) built a house on the back of this property that extended to Centre Street. The street level has apparently been raised considerably around this house as the current 1½-storey, two-bay house was originally 2½ storeys. It has an asymmetrical façade and entrance, a simplified ‘temple’ form, and a medium-pitched, gable roof. The pediment roof shape has return eaves facing the front. A hip roof on the raised entrance portico is supported on wood beams with decorative, wood dentils. The corner columns have wooden ‘flutes’ and are mounted on brick pedestals. A wood-panelled door is flanked by narrow sidelights and is topped by a transom light. The house has small window openings with low floor to ceiling heights. Small, upper-floor windows are set into rectangular openings with plain, wood frames and sills. A ground-floor, bay window is an angled projection with a hip roof. The brick masonry foundation appears to be a replacement. A horizontal belt line at the top of the foundation is expressed with wood trim. The structure has wood frame construction with stucco cladding and a cut-stone foundation. Bricks found at the bay window foundation and at the entrance porch are probably not original. According to the 2000 inventory, the house is in good condition with many original details. (1, 2, 3, 4)
The mid-block building located on the west side at 60 Barrie St. was built pre-1900 in the Ontario Vernacular Cottage style. The one-storey, three-bay cottage has a symmetrical façade, a square plan, and a centre hall. A box hall was typical for this style. It has a shallow-pitched, hip roof and small window openings with low floor to ceiling heights. The double-hung windows at the ground floor have plain, wood trim and sills. Some 2/2 windows appear to be original. The enclosed porch was added at a later date. It has a single door opening to one side. The house has wood frame construction with vinyl siding (probably wood originally) and a parged, stone foundation. There is a single, brick, masonry chimney at the centre of the house. According to the 2000 inventory, few existing building elements appear to be original (other than the form). It also notes that the cottage probably had few decorative details originally. (1, 3)
Construction of the house located mid-block at 129 Barrie St. (and six others) was begun in 1912 by Lieutenant George Stoddart. When Stoddart went overseas during WWI, the project was completed by builder Art Saint. This house was built in the Edwardian Classicism style. Mr. Moore, who ran a store on the north side of Holland St., moved to this house from John Street. It was eventually bought and sold in the 1990’s by Murray Quinn and family. The two-storey house has a bell-cast, hip roof. A square plan and simple form are highlighted with a large, classically-inspired porch. The hip roof on the entrance porch is supported by painted wooden columns and simple, rounded bracket supports. Simple, double-hung windows are balanced within the façade. The dormer window mimics the roof line of the main house. Construction is solid, smooth brick with simple details. According to the 2000 inventory, the screening (added later to enclose the porch) does not detract from the building’s appearance. It also notes that the house is well-maintained. (1, 2, 3)
The single-family residence located mid-block on the west side at 146 Barrie St. was built around 1900 in the Eclectic Edwardian style. The two-storey, ‘L’-shaped building has a hip roof and a projecting, two-storey bay that includes a gable roof with bracket supports. There are Doric colonnettes on brick piers that support the porch roof and balcony. When first built, the second-floor balcony would have had a simple, wooden handrail similar to the one on the ground floor. Another Edwardian feature is found in the large windows (replacements) with a transom division at the principal windows. The variety of shingle textures and colours at the exposed gable is a Queen Anne feature. The hip roof and roof curb are Italianate features. The house has brick masonry construction, a stone foundation, and a painted wood porch and gable features. According to the 2000 inventory, the enclosed balcony above the porch and the aluminum soffits and trim are unsympathetic with the original design. (1, 3)
The Professor Day House is located at 162 Barrie St. (on the northwest corner of Barrie and Queen Streets). It was built in the early 1880’s in the Gothic Revival Cottage style. Stables were originally located in the rear yard. Mrs. Creighton, a daughter of Dr. Stevenson, once lived here. A granddaughter, Gretchen Dewhurst, was still living here in 1996. The 1½-storey, three-bay cottage has a 1½-storey, rear ‘kitchen’ wing. It also has a symmetrical façade, a centre hall plan, and a medium-pitched, gable roof with a centre gable over the entrance. An open porch with a gable roof is supported on plain wood posts with an open railing. The house has large window openings with high floor to ceiling heights. There are large double-hung, multi-paned windows at the ground floor and smaller, double-hung windows at the second floor. Shallow, pediment-shaped trim is found over the ground floor windows as well as plain, wood trim on the sides with wood slip sills. There are shutters at the windows on the front façade. The house has wood frame construction with painted, stucco cladding and a stone-rubble foundation and cellar. A stone chimney and fireplace were added in the 1950’s by Reverend Creighton. According to the 2000 inventory, the house is in excellent condition with many original features (including doors and windows). It also notes that the changes that have been made to the house are in keeping with its original character. (1, 3) Please contact the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library (905-775-3328) if you have any other information about this photo.
The Dan Collings House is located mid-block at 33 Colborne Street. It was built in the Gothic Revival style in the 1880’s. There were once barns (for animals and equipment as well as for marsh hay) on the property. It was the original home of Dan Collings. He was always a teamster who worked the marsh and he later bought and sold junk and farm machinery. Dan had three daughters, Edna, Olive (Al Readman) and Emily (Chet Wilkinson). Dan was considered to be a real character who lived to the age of 93 years. Mrs. Collings died in the 1920’s. The 1½-storey, two-bay ‘farmhouse’ has an ‘L’-shaped plan with an off-centre hall and a medium-pitched, gable roof. There is a single door with a multi-paned transom and sidelights. The structure has large window openings with low floor to ceiling heights. Large, replacement, double-hung windows are set into the original openings with plain, wood trim and sills. The house has wood frame construction with vinyl siding. Originally, the siding was probably wood. According to the 2000 inventory, despite its new colours, the basic Gothic Revival form is very evident in this house. (1, 2, 3)
