Showing 134 results

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 21 Joseph St. was built around 1880 in the Gothic Revival style. It is a 1½-storey, ‘L’-shaped building with a steeply-pitched, gable roof. The house has large window openings with high floor to ceiling heights and large replacement windows. It has wood frame construction and new, board and batten siding. The original cladding was stucco. According to the 2000 inventory, all early wood siding in Bradford was either cove or shiplap siding. This new siding is not historically accurate and it would have been painted a colour. A replacement porch, while generally in keeping with the original building style, does not reflect historically-accurate detailing and finishing. It also notes that little of the original building is visible except for the basic form. (1, 3)

The mid-block building located at 51 Moore Street was built post-1900 in the Ontario Vernacular Cottage style. The one-storey, three-bay ’cottage’ has a rectangular plan and a medium-pitched, gable roof. It has a simple form with a symmetrical façade and a centre hall plan. There is a simple, gabled awning above the entrance door. The 2/2 wood, sash windows have plain, wood lug sills and trim. Metal storm windows, the door, and the shutters are later additions. The cornice return at the gable ends may be an original detail. Wood frame construction is covered with shiplap siding and the structure has a parged, stone foundation. A one-storey addition was built at a later time. According to the 2000 inventory, this modest dwelling has been maintained well. (1, 3)

The John Cook House is located mid-block on the east side at 65 Moore Street. It is set well back and was built around 1880 in the Gothic Revival style. The building was owned by the Cook family for many years. Originally, a series of sheds ran along the south side of Joseph Street from Moore Street almost to the houses on Barrie Street. These sheds were owned by John (Jack) Cook. He ran the local livery business and he was also a seed merchant. Fred (the son of Jack) lived in this house after his father’s death. Fred was an insurance agent, town politician, school board member, and a lay minister. The Fred C. Cook Elementary School in Bradford is named after him.
The 1½-storey, ‘L’-shaped building has large window openings with high floor to ceiling heights and a steeply-pitched, gable roof. There is an elegant, shallow-pitched, hip roof at the porch. It has elaborately-carved, wooden brackets at the support posts. There are (replacement) sash windows with wide, wood trim and projected, wooden hood moulding above the windows. The entrance door has the original transom and sidelight. Wood frame construction is clad with stained board and batten siding and the house has a stone foundation. The original cladding was stucco. According to the 2000 inventory, the house has been maintained well and it is pleasingly renovated. It also notes that although the shutters are not original, they are a tasteful (and not inappropriate) addition. (1, 2, 3)

The mid-block building located at 94 Moore Street was built in the 1920’s in the Ontario Vernacular Cottage style. It was once the home of the Simpkin family. George Simpkin was a plumber and electrician. His brother Robert was a policeman. On the Collings’ map, the Simpkin gardens ran from Frederick St. to James St. (along the west side of Moore Street). In later years, Mr. Simpkin built a new home on his south garden lot (at James Street).
The one-storey, three-bay ‘cottage’ has a symmetrical façade, a rectilinear plan, and a shallow-pitched, hip roof. There is a centre, hall entrance from a prominent, covered front porch. The open, front porch is raised and has a gable roof with a decorative, wood pediment. Its roof is supported on wood half columns on brick piers at the back of the porch, and triple wood posts on brick piers at the front. The porch is raised and has a turned-wood handrail and baluster. There are narrow window openings and narrow windows with low floor to ceiling heights set into segmented, arched openings with concrete lug sills. The house has wood frame construction with brick masonry cladding and a parged, concrete foundation. According to the 2000 inventory, the house is in good condition with many original features that have been maintained well. It also notes that the windows, pre-cast concrete porch stairs, and rear, one-storey addition are not original. (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 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 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 Mark Scanlon House, also known locally as ‘The Pines’, is located at 168 Church St. (on the northwest corner of Church and Queen Streets). It was built in the Gothic Revival style around 1850 by Mark Scanlon. He was a lawyer and one of the original town fathers. This structure later became the home of Professor Day, the Misses Lane, and eventually lawyer Robert (Bob) Evans.
The two-storey, ‘L’-shaped farmhouse sits on a large corner lot. It has 1½-storey rear additions. The main building has an asymmetrical plan, a steeply-pitched, gable roof with dormers, and multiple chimneys. A wide entrance has sidelights and a transom with etched glass in a pattern. The wood screen door is not original. A line in the brick indicates an original wrap-around porch (Regency style). The existing porch is a twentieth-century replacement. There are large window openings with high floor to ceiling heights. The large, 6/6 (original) sash windows are compatible with modern, storm additions. The bay windows are 2/2 sash. There are painted, wood lug sills and a projecting, bay window with a crenellated cap. The house has a false rose window in the side gable (with a chimney stack behind). The shutters are original. There is an elaborately-carved, deep, bargeboard trim (beneath the sloped gables only) with rectangular, upright and dropped finials. There is also dichromatic brickwork at the corner reveals, window labels, and label stops. The building has loadbearing, brick masonry construction and a stone foundation. Rare, pink brick used as cladding was possibly made in Newmarket. According to the 2000 inventory, the picturesque house is well-maintained. (1, 3)

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)