The Morton House is located mid-block on the south side at 18 John St. East (between Barrie and Nelson Streets). There is a common laneway adjacent to the lot on the south side. The house was built around the 1860-80’s in the Gothic Revival Cottage style. It was the home of Miss Morton, an Anglican Church Sunday School teacher. George Morton, who was born in Holland Landing, served overseas in WWI. When the second Bradford Post Office was built in 1935-36, he became the Post Master and held that position until he died. The 1½-storey, three-bay cottage has a two-storey, rear wing that originally contained a two-storey stable and loft above. It was attached to the bake shop’s stable. There was also a large verandah on the laneway side. The garden on the east side of the house eventually became the location of a house built by Emery Belfry. The 2000 inventory noted that the house has a modified rectangular plan and a centre entrance hall. There is a medium-pitched, gable roof with a centre gable over the entrance and a symmetrical façade. The existing porch and second-floor balcony railing replace the original verandah. The original half sidelights (with lower wood panelling) and transom at the entrance door still remain. The house has narrow window openings. Ground-floor windows are double-hung with 2/2 panes and round-arched, decorated, wood trim. A bay window on the west side (at the ground floor) has a shallow, hip roof set on a plain, wood cornice. The second-floor windows and sliding door are not original. There is a single, exterior chimney on the west side. The house has wood frame construction with painted, stucco cladding. The inventory also notes that some original details are overshadowed by the newer porch addition. (1, 2, 3)
The Thorpe House is located mid-block on the west side at 184 Barrie Street. It was built post-1900 in the Eclectic Edwardian style. Miss St. Clair lived in this house many years ago. The two-storey, ‘L’-shaped building has a projecting, two-storey, angled bay with a wide, pediment-like gable. More Edwardian features include the classically-inspired entrance porch with a balcony above. The balcony is supported on slender Doric colonnettes set on brick piers. This porch appears to be a replacement. There are large windows and the principal windows have rectangular transom lights decorated with small squares of coloured glass. The gable window also has coloured glass inserts. A broad, hip roof, roof curb and wide eaves overhang are Italianate features. The house has brick masonry construction and a stone foundation. According to the 2000 inventory, metal siding conceals the original wood trim at the gable and soffit. It also notes that although the replacement porch columns, balcony railing, and the altered porch roof are not of the same proportions as the original design, the original character of the building is still maintained. (1, 3)
The Thorpe House is located mid-block on the west side at 184 Barrie Street. It was built post-1900 in the Eclectic Edwardian style. Miss St. Clair lived in this house many years ago. The two-storey, ‘L’-shaped building has a projecting, two-storey, angled bay with a wide, pediment-like gable. More Edwardian features include the classically-inspired entrance porch with a balcony above. The balcony is supported on slender Doric colonnettes set on brick piers. This porch appears to be a replacement. There are large windows and the principal windows have rectangular transom lights decorated with small squares of coloured glass. The gable window also has coloured glass inserts. A broad, hip roof, roof curb and wide eaves overhang are Italianate features. The house has brick masonry construction and a stone foundation. According to the 2000 inventory, metal siding conceals the original wood trim at the gable and soffit. It also notes that although the replacement porch columns, balcony railing, and the altered porch roof are not of the same proportions as the original design, the original character of the building is still maintained. (1, 3)
The Turner House is located at 185 Holland Street West (on the northwest corner of Holland and Toronto Streets). It was built in the 1880’s in the Eclectic Gothic Revival style. The two-storey, ‘L’-shaped building has an asymmetrical façade. The gable roofs above the front façade projection and at the centre of the façade facing Toronto Street are Gothic Revival features. A medium-pitched, hipped main roof with curb detail and wide eaves are Italianate features. The entrance is from an enclosed, asymmetrical porch with a shallow-pitched roof. The porch may originally have been open. Double-hung windows (of various sizes) are set into rectangular openings with plain, wood frames and sills. Painted, wood half-timbers decorate the front and side façades below the gables. There is a discontinuous eaves line, post and beam construction, and a parged, stone foundation. The stucco cladding has been replaced with insulbrick siding. According to the 2000 inventory, some original wood siding is visible below the gables. It also notes that other than the form and some details, there are few original features. (1, 3)
This article relates to the fire of Bradford on June 24th, 1862, which originated in an unknown stable in the main city sector. There is no lasting record of a newspaper published during the week of the fire.
"Fire Inquest
On Friday morning last [June 27th], Corner Allen, with a Jury, held an inquiry into the causes of the late fire. About a dozen witnesses were examined, after which the jury returned the following verdict: 'We, the Jury empannelled to inquire into the causes or origin of the fire that occurred in this village on the night of the 24th [June] inst., having heard the testimony brought before us, are of the opinion that such fire originated through accident, whose cause is unknown to this Jury. -A.S. Warburton, Foreman' No evidence was adduced to show that there was either a candle or lamp in the stable on the evening in question."
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)
An article about a highly destructive fire that swept through Holland Street, destroying multiple buildings, businesses and homes. The original article appeared in the May 22nd, 1871 edition of the Toronto Daily Telegraph and was reprinted in 1901 as part of the "Looking Backward" series.
