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The house located mid-block at 28 John St. East was built in the Edwardian Classicism style around 1850 in Amsterdam (on the east side of the Holland River). It was moved to its current site in Bradford around 1890 by Sam Lukes to provide housing for the staff of his flour mill. His mill was in its heyday at the turn of the century (1890-1910). This structure was the home of Stewart and Ina McKenzie (editors of the Bradford Witness newspaper) in the 1930-60’s.
The rectangular, two-storey building with a centre hall plan has simple details and a hipped, ‘Pedlar’ metal roof (made by Oshawa Roofing). The original porch was significantly altered after the move from Amsterdam. The simple form and composition of the house was then highlighted with a large, classically-inspired porch that has a pediment-type, porch roof addition. A space between the brick pedestals at the porch has been infilled and the original half columns have been replaced by glazing and infill framing. The house has large window openings and the windows are metal replacements. Shutters on the second-floor are not original. The smooth, brick veneer on the wood frame construction was also added after the house was moved from Amsterdam. There is a parged, block foundation. According to the 2000 inventory, the building is well-maintained l. (1, 2, 3)

The Tindall House is located at 7 John St. East (on the northeast corner of John and Barrie Streets). It was built by Isaac Coburn around 1910-20 in the Dutch Colonial Revival style. The house was built for Reuben Tindall (an implement dealer), his wife, and daughter Ida Evelyn (a school teacher). Dr. S. Hecking bought the property after WWII. He moved here from the northeast corner of Barrie and Holland Streets. His office was also in this structure. Its address was 47 Barrie Street. The building was eventually sold (in 1994) to Giuseppe (Joe) Campagnola. He has leased the doctor’s office since then and still owns the building in 2014.
The 1½-storey, two-bay house has a simple form with an asymmetrical façade and a rectilinear plan. The building has a steeply-pitched, gambrel roof with a gambrel-roofed dormer. The one-storey wings (reminiscent of the Classical Revival style) are reinterpreted here more modestly as entrance porches. There is an off-centre, hall entrance from an enclosed, front entrance porch. The raised porch has a shallow hip roof and is entered from the front. It has frame construction and is clad and finished as part of the main portion of the house (rather than a separate, attached structure). There are wide window openings with low floor to ceiling heights. The double window and door are set into rectangular frames of plain wood. The ground-floor and basement windows and the front door are set into segmented, arched openings with concrete sills. Second-storey dormer windows and a bay window are centred within the gambrel form and are offset from the ground-floor openings. This creates a more informal composition common to twentieth-century buildings. The original, multi-paned windows have plain, wood sills and trim. Front, ground-floor and second-floor windows are not original. The roof material appears to be a siding on the steep, roof slope. A wood fascia band, expressing the line of the floor structure between the foundation and ground floors, is common to this style. The house has wood frame construction, vinyl siding, and a textured, concrete-block foundation. The original siding was wood. According to the 2000 inventory, the building is in excellent condition with many well-maintained, original features. (1, 2, 3)

The house located mid-block at 34 John St. East was built in the Ontario Vernacular style around 1850 in Amsterdam (on the east side of the Holland River). It was moved to its current site in Bradford around 1890 by Sam Lukes to provide housing for the staff of his flour mill. His mill was in its heyday at the turn of the century (1890-1910). McClary (a high school teacher) once lived here. Bert and Margaret Hunt raised their children (Phyllis, Art, Oscar, George and Lorna) here. Bob Veale, a WWI veteran and banker, lived here after WWII until his death.
The two-storey, two-bay house has a rectangular plan with a side hall, an asymmetrical façade, and a medium-pitched, hipped ‘Pedlar’ metal roof. An enclosed, entrance porch with a shallow, gable roof was added after the house was moved to Bradford. It is raised slightly above grade and has a single door and windows on three sides. The house has small window openings and double-hung windows (not original) with plain, wood trim and sills. Wood frame construction is covered with horizontal metal siding and there is a parged, stone foundation. The original cladding was probably wood cove siding. According to the 2000 inventory, the house likely had few decorative details originally. It also notes that other than the building’s form, few existing building elements appear to be original (1, 2, 3)

The house located at 49 John St. East (on the northwest corner of Nelson and John Streets) was built around 1860-1880 in the Gothic Revival style. There was once a large garden on the east side and a small drainage ditch north of the laneway. Dave Ogilvie and his wife May (McKinstry) purchased this house around 1920. Dave had a livery stable, a jitney, and a taxi service. He also carried mail between the (railroad?) station, the Post Office and Bond Head. The taxi and jitney went to Newmarket to meet York Radial street cars. The Ogilvie family moved across the street and the building later became a boarding house that was run by Mr. and Mrs. Jones. It eventually became the home of the Morton family (retired farmers from the Scotch Settlement). At the time of this photo (1995), it was the home of Everett and Marie McVety.
The two-storey, rectangular building has a medium-pitched, gable roof and large window openings with high floor to ceiling heights. There are 2/2 wood, sash windows that have plain, wood lug sills and wood trim. The ground-floor front window is original. It is possible that the wooden shutters may also be original. There is a Regency-like, wide, front porch. The original porch columns have been replaced with simple, square, wooden ones. This structure has vinyl siding on wood frame construction and there is a stone foundation. The original cladding was probably wood cove siding. According to the 2000 inventory, the simple house is well-maintained and has much of its original character.
(1, 2, 3)

The mid-block building located at 65 John St. East was built pre-1900 in the Gothic Revival style. It was the home of Miss Hayes and her two sisters many years ago. They were known for lending money, especially to John Rob and family. The first Dutch family to move to Bradford (in 1925), the Hayes worked on the marsh and owned a greenhouse on Back Street. After the sisters died, the west lot was sold to Vic Turner in 1948.
The 1½-storey, four-bay ‘farmhouse’ has a modified, ‘L’-shaped plan with an off-centre hall and a medium-pitched, gable roof. The single-door entrance is raised slightly above grade level, the steps are not original, and there may have been a verandah originally. Large window openings contain replacement, ground-floor windows. Upper-floor, 2/2 sash windows with plain, wood trim may be original. Wood frame construction is clad with vinyl siding and the building has a parged, stone foundation. The original cladding was probably wood cove siding. According to the 2000 inventory, this modest house has probably not changed significantly since it was built. (1, 2, 3)

The mid-block building located at 89 John St. East is set well back from street. It was built around 1860-1880’s in the Ontario Vernacular Cottage style. John Edwin (or Harry) Cerswell, a retired gentleman, lived here at one time before selling the house. Dave Mundy and Walter moved here from their farm on the 10th line. Dave worked for Holland River Gardens and Walter worked for the Spence Lumber Co. Walter built a garage at the back of the house. When Dave died the house was sold. Years later, a small house was built along the back fence to provide housing for marsh workers. Joe McMillan and his daughter rented it, as did Dick Roberts and Wilma. Lorne Campbell and his wife also lived here after World War II. It was later demolished.
The one-storey, three-bay cottage seen in this photo from 1995 has a rectangular plan with a centre hall. A box hall was typical for this style. It also has a symmetrical façade and a shallow-pitched, gable roof. There is a simple entrance with a single door set into a rectangular opening. It opens directly into the house from slightly above grade level. No porch or weather protection shelters the entrance. The house has small windows with low floor to ceiling heights. There are double-hung windows on either side of the entrance. The 2/2 windows appear to be original. Windows are set into simple, rectangular openings with plain, wood frames and sills. The building has wood frame construction, vinyl siding, a stone-rubble foundation, and a basement with window openings. Originally, the siding was wood. A one-storey addition at the side of house is not original and it has different foundation material. According to the 2000 inventory, this simple cottage probably had few decorative details originally. It notes that other than the building’s form, few existing building elements appear to be original. (1, 2, 3)

The first hydro substation in Bradford was located on Nelson St. (south of John St. East). It was built in 1916 (or 1918) by Tom and Len Saint on a small piece of property owned by the foundry on Holland Street. (1, 2)
Please contact the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library (905-775-3328) if you have any other information about this photo.

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 William Campbell House is located mid-block on the north side at 43 John Street East. It was built around 1880 in the Gothic Revival style. This structure was once the home of William H. Campbell Sr. (a grain merchant) and his wife Bessie (Sutherland). His son Lewis was a doctor, and William L. (Billie) was a druggist. His daughter (Elizabeth/Libby) was born close to the day of the great fire of 1871 (Libby was born 15 May 1871 while the fire began on 25 May). She never married, though she took over her father's business after his death and remained in this house until her own. Dr. S. Hecking and his family purchased the house in the 1950’s and had it remodeled. He had one son (Stephen Jr.) and one daughter. As of 1995, Doctor Hecking was retired, training horses, and still riding occasionally.
The 1½-storey, ‘L’-shaped main building has a one-storey, rear addition. It also has a medium-pitched, gable roof with tall chimney stacks. An elaborately-carved bargeboard and brackets support the wrap-around porch. The wide entrance has sidelights and a transom. There are large window openings, high floor to ceiling heights, and large windows (4/4 sash windows at the ground floor). The structure has load-bearing, brick masonry construction and a stone foundation. According to the 2000 inventory, additions, replacement doors and the second-floor windows on the well-maintained house stray from the original design intent. (1, 2, 3, 5)

The mid-block structure located at 44 John St. East was built pre-1900 in Amsterdam (on the east side of the Holland River) in the Ontario Vernacular style. It was later moved to this site. This house was once the home of George Ogilvie, a tailor on Holland Street. He had moved here from Bond Head. After his death, it became the home of Dave Ogilvie and his family. When the house was remodeled, the bathroom was redone and stuccoed by Dick Saint, the carpentry work was done by Art Saint, the plumbing was done by Oswald Davey, and Ted Gapp did the wiring.
The two-storey, two-bay house has a rectangular plan with a side hall, an asymmetrical façade, and a medium-pitched, hip roof. An enclosed, entrance porch with a truncated, hip roof is raised slightly above grade. It has a single door and windows on three sides. The porch appears to be a later addition. The house has small window openings, double-hung windows (not original), and plain, wood trim and sills. Wood frame construction is covered with vinyl siding and there is a parged, stone foundation. The original cladding was probably wood. According to the 2000 inventory, the house has few building elements (other than the form) that appear to be original. It also notes that the house probably had few decorative details originally. (1, 2, 3)