The former Presbyterian Manse is located at 123 John St. West (on the northeast corner of John and Essa Streets). It was built around 1880 in the Eclectic Neoclassical style. Presbyterian ministers lived here in the 1920-1930’s. Rev. McLaren and his wife and daughter lived here in the 1930’s. Jim and Aida Catania later lived here for a number of years. They were followed by Bill Nesbitt and his family after World War II. The two-storey, rectangular building has a symmetrical façade, a centre hall plan, and a wide entrance with sidelights and a transom. Large window openings with high floor to ceiling heights and the large, 6/6 sash windows (with painted, wood lug sills and shutters) are all Neoclassical features. The monumental pilasters with stepped-brick, stylized bases and capitals, and elaborate, wood soffit detail that accentuate the pilaster capital are Classic Revival features. A medium-pitched, hip roof with a wide overhang and the original veranda (demolished) which extended across the full width of the front façade are Regency Revival features. Dichromatic brickwork at the pilasters is a Gothic Revival feature. The house has solid-brick construction (Flemish bond pattern), a brick foundation, and metal roof cladding. According to the 2000 inventory, the metal awning, the metal screen door at the entrance, and the garage addition are unsympathetic with the original building. It also notes that the façade is unique and handsome. (1, 2, 3)
The mid-block building located on the south side at 126 John St. West was built in the 1880’s in the Gothic Revival Cottage style. Originally, there was a back lane for Jim Woods' house and barn next to this house. Pratt lived here many years ago with his wife and two sons. Elgar Houghton bought this house around the time of World War II. He lived there for a time and then he had the house converted into four apartments which were rented. He later sold the building. The 1½-storey, five-bay cottage has a rectangular plan with a centre hall, an asymmetrical façade with an off-centre gable over the entrance, and a medium-pitched, gable roof. There is a simple, rectangular entrance (at grade level) with windows to the primary rooms on each side. The existing roof over the entry is not original. Small windows at the ground and second floors are not original. They are set into segmented, arch openings with plain, wood frames and painted, stone lug sills. Brick, masonry construction is clad with stucco (not original) and the structure has a parged, stone foundation. According to the 2000 inventory, this modest house has few original details other than the building’s form. (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)
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 mid-block building located at 19 John St. West was built pre-1900 in the Ontario Vernacular style. Frank Adamson, who ran a gas station, lived in this house after World War II. It later became the home of Henry Bell and Phyllis for a short time. The 1½-storey, three-bay cottage has a rectangular plan, a centre hall, a symmetrical façade and a shallow-pitched, gable roof. It has a kitchen at the rear and a simple porch at the front. Wood frame construction has brick veneer cladding which is not original. The structure has a parged, stone foundation. According to the 2000 inventory, apart from the modest form, little of the original building is apparent. It notes that the (replacement) entrance canopy, windows, and cladding successfully hide clues regarding the structure beneath. (1, 2, 3)
This building is located at 57 John St. West. Originally, it was the site of a small, mud-brick house with a porch on the front (on the west side) and a frame kitchen in the rear. Roy Gordon, a lawyer, eventually bought the house and had it remodelled to become his law office. (1, 2)
This house is located at 187 John St. West (on the northwest corner of John and Toronto Streets). The 1½-storey, frame building was originally clad in stucco and it had a kitchen and rooms upstairs at the rear. There was also a garden and lawn at the back of the house. George Mapes and daughter Ella (wife of Jack Gapp), Curly Madian (?) and their daughters (Vivian and Margaret) lived here at one time. George was a retired farmer, dealer, and buyer. Years later, carpenter Joe LeBlanc and his family bought the house. He remodeled it and built a porch on the east side of the kitchen. Originally, there was a long barn (with a frame loft above) at the rear of the property. Joe’s daughter eventually had a nursing home built where the barn had stood. (1, 2)
This one-storey, cove-sided house is located on a hill at 207 John St. West. It was built well and has been maintained well over the years. Originally, there were stables and a woodshed behind the house. It was once the home of the Robert Spence family. Daughters, Kay (a hairdresser) and Isabel, lived here. After Mr. Spence died, the house was sold. The family inherited, and then moved to Bertha Sinclair’s house on Holland Street. (1, 2)
