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George Jackson Len Saint Barn
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223 Simcoe Road

This two-storey, frame and cement-clad house is located south of the “Y” at 223 Simcoe Road. Mr. Bruce bought this house and the land (which extended south to the town limits and over the canal) many years ago. A marsh laneway ran east and there was a bridge across the canal for the road to the marsh. The lane circled the house and came out on Simcoe Road. There was a large barn east of the entrance to the property. It had a basement for animals and chickens. Albert Readman and his family (Mildred, Albert Jr., Olive, and Tom) lived in this house for a number of years. Mike Kasik (a market gardener) eventually bought the property. Len Saint built a cement garage and a storage building south of the house on the end of the bank and the lane. (1, 2)

George Jackson

47 and 49 Simcoe Road

The mid-block building located at 47/49 Simcoe Road was built around 1830-1860 in the Neoclassical Duplex style. Originally, there was a long, one-storey, frame house located at this site. It had a verandah on the northwest side, a picket fence along the street, a large barn on the south side of the house, a garden at the back and it was the home of Lew McConkey Sr. (a grain and seed merchant), his wife, and son. Lew had an office on the north side of Holland Street. New owner Paul Sadlon had Len Saint build a garage and a storage building at the back. Paul and his wife were market gardeners. Their son owned Bruce Sadlon Motors. The house was later converted into two apartments. Jack Gibney and his wife (Sadie Copeland) and their three daughters (Doris, Joyce and Muriel) lived here at one time. He was a horse trainer and worked for Dick Crake for many years. Jack replaced Alfred Payne (a bachelor who lived at the Queen’s Hotel). The current duplex was built on the same property after the house was demolished. Harold Gwyn, owner of a plumbing and heating business, was the owner of this newer building at the time this photo was taken in 1996.
The two-storey, four-bay, semi-detached house has a rectangular plan, a formal, symmetrical façade, and a medium-pitched, gable roof that has a central chimney (not original). Slightly-raised, separated, side-hall entrances are located at either end of the façade. This gives greater privacy than paired entrances, but it places habitable rooms along the party wall. The doors are set into plain, rectangular openings and are not original. There are large window openings with low floor to ceiling heights. Equal-sized, ground-floor and second-floor windows (not original) with high sills are set into plain, rectangular openings. The openings have plain, wood frames and sills. Similar window openings above the entrance doors may have once existed and then been covered. The building has wood frame construction with vinyl siding (not original), a cut- stone foundation, and a basement. According to the 2000 inventory, few original details remain other than the building’s form. It also notes that the slightly-sagging roof suggests insufficient structural supports in the centre of each house. (1, 2, 3)

George Jackson

52 Simcoe Road

The mid-block building located at 52 Simcoe Road was built post-1900 (1902?) in the Gothic Revival Cottage style. The house, which is larger than other older cottages of a similar style in Bradford, was built on property owned by Charles Adams. Originally, there was a garden to the west and a barn on the lane. Later residents of this house included Joe Brown (a retired farmer from the 10th line) and Jessie, who lived here until he died. Joe was a noted gardener who raised his granddaughter Margaret Turner. Paul Margetiak and his wife and son also lived here at one time. He was a gardener, too, and he built a garage on the property. Len Saint did the cement work and added a closed-in porch. Eventually the property was bought by Gary Swagerman. He lived in the house with his wife and family and eventually had the barn remodelled to become the site of a dry cleaner. The garden was paved and used as a parking lot for the business.
The 1½-storey, three-bay cottage has a rectangular plan, a centre hall, and a symmetrical façade. The medium-pitched, gable roof has a centre gable over the entrance. There are single windows to the primary rooms on each side of the covered entrance porch. A raised, open porch has a hip roof supported on simple, wood columns set directly on the porch base/foundation. The porch has a simple, wood handrail and balusters. A single entrance door is set into a segmented, arched opening. Windows are set into segmented, arched openings with brick voussoirs and concrete lug sills. The windows and door are not original. A second-storey window set halfway into the centre gable is a reference to the Gothic Revival style. Locally-made bricks were placed by Tom Saint on the wood frame construction. According to the 2000 inventory, the house is in good condition. (1, 2, 3)

George Jackson