Showing 41 results

Contains clippings and photographs of Bradford West Gwillimbury residents and workers

Contains clippings and photographs of Bradford West Gwillimbury buildings and streets

Contains misc. items, lettered P- Z

The two-storey frame building located at 93 and 95 Holland St. East was originally a dry hotel and a boarding house. It was later divided into two separate living quarters. Henry Pringle and his family lived on the west side (93 Holland St. E.) for a number of years before moving to the north side of John Street. Tom Fuller and his sons Leonard and George lived on the east side (95 Holland St. E.) for years before moving to John St. (on the northwest corner of Colborne Street) to a house built by Dan Collings. (1, 2)

Miss Sinclair’s House is a mid-block building located on the south side at 92 Holland Street West. It was built in the 1890’s in the Italianate style. Miss Bertha Sinclair lived in this house for many years. When she died, her nieces Kay and Isabel (daughters of Robert Spence) moved into the house. They were hairdressers. Isabel later moved and part of the house was rented to George and Ethel Stewart. The building was eventually sold to a real estate agent. The office of Dr. Fitzsimmons was also here at one time. Next to this structure was a vacant lot belonging to the Sinclair family. Many years ago there was a Temperance Hall and a church located there.
The two-storey, rectangular, main building has a single-storey, rear addition, a symmetrical façade, and a moderately-pitched, hip roof with a central chimney. The grand, Italianate scale is reflected in the large window openings, high floor to ceiling heights, and the large, 6/6 sash windows. There are deep, projecting eaves with ornately-decorated, paired cornice brackets and ‘false quoins’ (wood detailing meant to resemble masonry). The window cornices are exaggerated. According to the 2000 inventory, the stone foundation, wood frame construction, horizontal, wood-sided exterior finish (resembling masonry), and painted, exterior, wood trim are maintained well. (1, 2, 3)

Miss Sinclair’s House is a mid-block building located on the south side at 92 Holland Street West. It was built in the 1890’s in the Italianate style. Miss Bertha Sinclair lived in this house for many years. When she died, her nieces Kay and Isabel (daughters of Robert Spence) moved into the house. They were hairdressers. Isabel later moved and part of the house was rented to George and Ethel Stewart. The building was eventually sold to a real estate agent. The office of Dr. Fitzsimmons was also here at one time. Next to this structure was a vacant lot belonging to the Sinclair family. Many years ago there was a Temperance Hall and a church located there.
The two-storey, rectangular, main building has a single-storey, rear addition, a symmetrical façade, and a moderately-pitched, hip roof with a central chimney. The grand, Italianate scale is reflected in the large window openings, high floor to ceiling heights, and the large, 6/6 sash windows. There are deep, projecting eaves with ornately-decorated, paired cornice brackets and ‘false quoins’ (wood detailing meant to resemble masonry). The window cornices are exaggerated. According to the 2000 inventory, the stone foundation, wood frame construction, horizontal, wood-sided exterior finish (resembling masonry), and painted, exterior, wood trim are maintained well. (1, 2, 3).

The mid-block building located at 71 John St. East was built around 1900 in the Edwardian Classicism style. It was once the home of Sam Stein and his son and daughter. He was the owner of the Toronto Manufacturing Co. (maker of baby carriages and wicker furniture). His business was located on the northwest corner of Dissette St. until around 1929. After its end, the house was rented to a number of O.P.P. officers and their families, including Ivan Spence and Sam Irwin (a talented violin player). It was also the home of Joe Kanyo (a market gardener) and his family at one time. Leonard Saint built a large cement garage at the rear of the house. It had a basement for storing vegetables and a ground-level room for vehicles. The house was eventually sold and redesigned into rental apartments.
The large, 2½-storey house has a rectangular plan with a side hall, an asymmetrical façade and a simple, formal composition. It has a prominent, gable roof. The Classical roof form is expressed as a pediment with extended eaves and mixed with the Queen Anne texture of wood shingles. A raised, entrance portico with a flat roof and balustrade with access from the second- floor portico roof is set on a plain entablature ornamented with a band of dentils and set on double posts on brick piers. The single door is off-centre. There are large window openings with high floor to ceiling heights. Multi-paned, double-hung windows are reminiscent of the Queen Anne style. Ground and second-floor windows are set into segmented, arch openings with brick voussoirs and concrete, lug sills. The third-floor windows have wood entablature and plain, wood trim and sills. Wood frame construction is covered with smooth brick and wood-shingle cladding. There is a parged, stone foundation. The portico steps, foundation and balustrade, and entrance door are not original. According to the 2000 inventory, the house is in good condition. It also notes that the original form and many details are still intact. (1, 2, 3)

The units located at 70 Simcoe Road (north side) and 72 Simcoe Road (south side) are part of an apartment building that was erected in 1980. The property was originally the site of a large, frame house that had a woodshed, chicken house, and a horse and cow stable on the back lane (Elizabeth Street). It was the home of Mr. Peachman (a farmer), his wife and sons (Wilbert, Harvey and Louis) many years ago. He was a day worker and a labourer. Charles Jackson and his wife (retired farmers) later lived here with their family before the house was demolished. (1, 2)

The Standard Bank is located at 65 and 67 Holland St. West. It was built in the Romanesque Revival style around 1860-1900. O.M. Seim, previous owner of the Bradford Witness newspaper (1916-1932), and his family (Gordon, Ken, Marjorie, Maurice and Betty) once lived here. Dr. McMichael, a dentist, lived on John St. but had his practice here many years ago. Aubrey Stewart (and her son Bruce) at one time had an Insurance company here and the living quarters were rented. The building was eventually converted into apartments.
The commercial building (67 Holland St. W.) is set close to the street. Originally, there was a large, walk-in vault at the rear of the building on the ground floor. Residential quarters were on the second floor. The two-storey building has tall window openings with high floor to ceiling heights and an asymmetrical façade with a simplified ‘temple’ form. There is a medium-pitched, ‘pediment’ gable roof facing the front and a tympanum with a rose window. Brick pilasters support a plain cornice and frieze at both the ground and second floors to create the image of a classical Greek temple (combined with the more Roman arch form). The commercial entrance is contained within one of the two corbelled arches and is raised slightly. A double-panelled door is topped by a multi-paned transom light. The ground floor bank window is set into a corbelled arch opening with a transom light and stone or concrete lug sills. Upper windows are set into rectangular openings with transom lights. The cornice and frieze at the ground and second floors are ‘supported’ on corbelled brick brackets. This building has brick masonry construction and a cut-stone foundation.
The residential wing (65 Holland St. West) is set further back from the street to provide greater privacy to the living quarters. It takes a more recessive form with an open verandah at the ground floor and an enclosed porch on the upper floor running the full width of the house. There is a hipped roof on the residential wing. The entrance door to the house also a transom light, but like the rest of the residential wing, it does not have the rich texture or detail found on the more public portion of the building. The residential porch posts, railing, door, and windows are not original. According to the 2000 inventory, the structure is in good condition with many original details remaining. (1, 2, 3)
Please contact the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library (905-775-3328) if you have any other information about this photo.