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There are currently 108 designated properties in the Township of Centre Wellington, including the six homes in the Brock Avenue Heritage Conservation District. A complete list of designated properties is provided below. To view a profile of a property; scroll through, and click on thumbnail pictures below. |
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 Elora |
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  Geddes Street 255, Rosemount CottageRosemount Cottage was built in the early 1870s in the Italianate Revival style.
This house was built around 1869 for William Knowles, a hardware merchant in Elora. McGillvary Knowles, the famous artist, was born here.
Jacobs, the partner of Judge Drew, also lived here.
In 1964, it was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Owens, who converted it into Elora Nursing Home.
In 1976, this house was converted into a non-residential private school for girls.
It was later converted into a residential home once again.
Some of the key architectural elements include all of the ashlar stone and coursed rubble walls, double semi-circular windows on the front facade, front entrance (segmental doorway, transom, blind arched sidelights) and property features, such as the stone wall and stone gate posts. Year Built: Around 1869 Building Status: De_Designated Official Bylaw Victoria Crescent 190Built in 1878, possibly by John Gibb, a merchant.
This house is designated primarily for its architectural merit. The structure is built in an Eastlake Victorian style, with distinctive features such as a prominent front porch with decorative brackets and posts, as well as bay windows, arched windows, and cream-coloured voussoirs and quoins. Year Built: 1878 Building Status: De_Designated Official Bylaw  Smith Street 220 Dating from around 1870, this house is based on Ontario Vernacular architecture. However, the fine details such as the elaborate fascia is representative of Picturesque architecture.
This land was once owned by J.M. Fraser in 1868. Fraser was one of the most successful millers at the Elora Mill, and it enjoyed its’ peak years during his tenure. Fraser was a volatile Scotsman, with a very flamboyant style, so he was a very visible public figure in Elora. He had a very short temper and often resorted to fisticuffs to settle his disputes, and often bested opponents who outweighed him by 100 pounds.
During Fraser’s tenure, the Elora Mill suffered three major fires. The third one was in 1870, and the entire outside wall needed to be pulled down. The loss totaled $20,000, about $4,000 more than the insurance. Coincidentally, this was the same year that Fraser sold this property.
The house is assumed to be built by George Allan, a farmer.
*Historical information (regarding the Elora Mill) was gathered from Steve Thorning, The Elora Sentinel, July 23, 1991.
Year Built: 1870 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Chalmers Street 101 Dating from 1871, this house is based on Picturesque or Renaissance Revival architecture.
This is one of four houses on the corner of Chalmers and Church Streets with similar floor plans but distinctive elevations.
One of two houses built by John Gibb. He purchased the vacant lot from Elora lawyer A.G. MacMillan, who had been holding it as an investment. Gibb completed the house in 1871, but probably started the year before as he liked to allow the foundations of his houses to settle over a winter. The design was the same as the other three houses on the corner, but the exterior was done in two-brick. Like the house on the northwest corner, it featured a bay window on the southern façade.
One of the most attractive streetscapes in Elora is at the corner of Chalmers and Church Streets. The rear wall of Knox Church is only half a block away and a mixture of young and mature street trees shade the sidewalks and much of the roadway. It is the houses, though, that make this intersection unique. A one-and-a-half storey residence sits on each of the four corners. They were all built to the same basic design in the same year.
Year Built: 1871 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Colborne Street 94 Dating from around 1859, this house is loosely based on second empire and folk Victorian architecture.
Some key architectural elements include the wooden brackets supporting the eaves, the truncated pyramidal roof, the round-topped window on the front facade and all wooden posts supporting the verandas.
It is difficult to establish the exact date of construction, but the properties were signed off in a Will by Charles Allan in 1859, and would remain in the possession of the Ex Trustees of Charles Allan for several years.
Charles Allan was a Mill Owner and a Builder in Fergus and Elora.
A native of Perthshire, Scotland, he came to Canada in 1832. While in Waterdown for two years, he built a house for Hon. Adam Ferguson. He was urged to take up a tract of land in the Township of Nichol. He settled in the Village of Fergus, where he supervised construction of several early buildings, including the first St. Andrews Church, opened in 1853.
As candidate for election as District representative, Mr. Allan lost by a margin of three votes to Mr. James Webster.
After his election defeat, Charles Allan formed a partnership, Ross & Allan and moved to Elora. Under his management a new dam was built in 1842. A bridge was built over the river for the first time on the site of the present Victoria bridge. In 1843, work was commenced on a large frame flourmill and a new sawmill. On the south side of the river, a carding mill was built to take care of the woolen business for the settlers clothing. The company also had a large store.
Although unsuccessful in his first attempt, Charles Allan later defeated Mr. Webster of Fergus and was elected a member of the District Council. He became the first Reeve of Pilkington, and was for two years a member of the Provincial Parliament, again defeating Mr. Webster.
Charles Allan also offered to give a free grant of any lot or lots in the town necessary for the erection of Church property. This offer came to fruition when official plans were made to create Knox Church.
Allan also founded the Village of Aboyne in 1856 and named after his birthplace in Scotland. His hope was that this village would hasten the joining of Fergus and Elora.
Year Built: Around 1859 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw David Street East 30 Built in a Folk Victorian architecture, this house features a number of defining elements such as the yellow brick quoins, the voussoirs above the doors and windows, the decorative fretwork, posts, and brackets on the porches, and the gingerbread work on the gable end.
This house was built in the 1890s, for William Henry Stafford Sr. and his family. He was also a bricklayer for the Anglican and Carnegie Library.
The Stafford family has contributed greatly to the local area, ever since Mr. W.H. Stafford, father of W.H. Stafford Sr. (builder of this house) came to Elora. W.H. Stafford moved in 1855, and that same summer, he built a house for himself. He also erected the brick Methodist church in 1862.
Year Built: Around 1890 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw East Mill Street 120, Drew House Dating from 1852, this house is based on several architectural styles, but primarily Italianate.
Upon closer inspection, it shows it was constructed over all three decades, from the 1850s to the 1870s, displaying a parade of architectural fashions under one roof. Stealing the limelight is a three-sided, intricately decorated veranda, which adds a Victorian flair to the mix, while the limestone walls remained suitably subdued in the background. Other key architectural elements include the decorative fretwork on the porch, the dormers in the gable and the elaborate brackets supporting the eaves.
While some of the larger residences were built by merchants and mill owners, the Drew House is named after a lawyer, George Drew, an early settler who bought the home in the 1860s. He represented Wellington North in the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal-Conservative member from 1867 to 1872 and from 1878 to 1882. In 1882, he was named Judge for Wellington County, and later that year, he was named judge in the High Court of Justice for Ontario.
His grandson, George Drew, was elected mayor of the City of Guelph in 1925 after serving as an alderman. In 1929, he left to become assistant master and then master of the Supreme Court of Ontario. He served as the 14th Premier of Ontario from 1943 to 1948.
More recently, it was owned and occupied by a sister of Kenneth Galbraith, the economist who visited it frequently.
Year Built: 1852 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Henderson Street 17 The Old McLean House was constructed in the Ontario vernacular style. Some of the key architectural elements include the split fieldstone cladding, roughly squared quoins, lintel voussoirs, centre gable with an arched window, and a moulded flat multiple-light transom
The Old McLean House is significant for its association with Reverend John MacGregor, the Headmaster of the Elora Grammar School from 1853 to 1871. Following MacGregor’s ownership, the home passed on to Henry Clark, who served as Elora’s Clerk for a number of years. It was then passed onto the McLean sisters, whom the home is named after and owned it until it was sold in 1975. The sisters were staunch members of the Elora Horticultural society, and well known throughout the community. Year Built: Around 1858 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  West Mill Street 77, Elora Mill Originally dating from around 1833, this structure has been burned and destroyed a number of times. Consequently, it has been continuously modified and this description is only relevant to the present physical appearance.
This single detached structure is built on an irregular lot out of a coursed rubble stone with a natural finish. The roof is a high gable with projecting eaves, plain fascia and plain soffit. The roof trim has returned eaves and projecting verges. It features a large grain tower. The windows are flat shaped with voussoirs and plain lug sills out of wood. The main entrance features a flat door with a one sided side light.
Captain William Gilkison made plans to erect a sawmill at Elora in the fall of 1832, soon after he had purchased the western half of Nichol township and laid out the original portion of the village in Elora. Under pressure from the millwright, two contractors (Anslie and Lawson), moved the work to an easier location on the north side of the river, to the site of the present Elora Mill.
The sawmill was only in operation for three years, before it was destroyed by a fire in 1836. A year later, business activity dried up due to a world-wide recession. The sawmill was rebuilt in 1839 by Andrew Geddes, Gilkinson’s father-in-law. It was then promptly sold to the partnership of Ross and Co., who began construction of new mills in the spring of 1843. Over the next five years, Ross and Co. developed the industrial strip along the south side of the river.
In 1851, Ross and Co was dissolved, with Charles Allan buying out the remaining partners. Allan attempted to expand the milling operation, but there was little interest to buy shares in the agricultural community.
In 1854, Allan disposed of the Elora Mill to John McNaughton, a major mill proprietor in Galt. In 1855, McNaughton rebuilt the structure in stone, and installed updated equipment, which greatly increased the capacity of the mill. In addition to the flour mill, there was a separate building for the distillery, cattle pens, and a barn for the cattle that were fed on the mash from the distillery, and various storage buildings.
In 1856, McNaughton completed the re-construction work, and immediately sold the business to J.M. Fraser, a volatile Scotsman.
James M. Fraser purchased the Elora Mill in 1856 and lost it in a foreclosure sale in 1875. Between these years, his flamboyant style made him the most visible public figure and businessman in the village. The Elora Mills enjoyed their peak during Fraser’s tenures.
The Elora Mill suffered three major fires during Fraser’s ownership. The first of these occurred on July 3, 1859, and destroyed the flour mill and distillery, both in stone buildings, and a third frame building. For a time, flying embers threatened the woolen mill across the river. Markets were good at the time, and Fraser lost no time in rebuilding. The new mill was constructed on the ruins of the old one, and was completed in October of 1859.
The combined mill, distillery, and general store and wholesale business (Fraser, Cowans and Co.) was the largest business by far in Elora in the 1860 period. The investment exceeded that in all other manufacturing businesses combined.
A second major fire occurred on Nov. 17, 1866. The building could not be saved. Fortunately, Fraser rebuilt immediately.
The third fire struck Elora Mill on Jan. 23, 1870. The entire interior was consumed, and the outside walls cracked under the intense heat. Most of them needed to be pulled down. Serious work did not begin until May of 1870, and the work was completed during the summer.
The extensive business empire of J.M Fraser collapsed when the Merchants Bank foreclosed in 1874. The Merchants Bank was now in the milling business, and its involvement with the Elora Mill would last another nine years. The bank rented out the mill to a succession of operators, including James Allan, Henry Arkell, Carter and Co., and James Hortop and Adam Argo.
Hortop and Argo struggled through the 1880s, and abandoned milling in 1892. D. Howard and Son operated the mill until 1899, when they were succeeded by Sloane and Brooks. They operated without incident, until an entire wall collapsed along the river. They ended up selling the property to Udney Richardson, who had immediate plans to rebuild and owned and operated the mill for the next 37 years.
In contrast to earlier decades, the nature of the business changed little over this period. The Elora Mill was no longer the centre of the local economy. Instead, it functioned as a service industry to the area farm community, and as the local source of building materials.
In 1943, Richardson was struck by a flying board in the sawmill. He never recovered from the injury, and died later that year.
In 1944, Richardson’s wife, Margaret, sold the mill and house to Norman Drimmie. The business declined drastically near the end of Richardson’s tenure, so Drimmie needed to build it from virtually scratch. He constructed a new building beside the river for lumber and truck storage. In addition to lumber, cement soon provided a significant portion of the firm’s sales. During the 1950s, his sons joined the business, under the name of N.R. Drimmie and Sons. Drimmie ended up selling the mill in 1974.
The Mill interior was extensively renovated from 1974-1980 to create a five-star hotel. The historic and architectural integrity of the building was maintained as much as possible.
*Historical information gathered from Steve Thorning, The Elora Sentinel, July 15, July 23, July 30, August 6, 1991.
Year Built: 1833 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Metcalfe Street 143, Dalby House Dating from 1865, this structure is closest to Regency Commercial architecture.
The “Dalby House” – also known in the past as Gordon Block or The Iroquois Hotel – is a unique flat-iron building in downtown Elora. As one of the oldest hotels in the province and the oldest hotel in the county, and sited at the intersection of Metcalfe and Geddes Streets, the building commands an imposing position at the top of the hill overlooking the modern municipal buildings and post office. It has been home to among other things a hardware store, barber shop, lawyer’s office, photography studio, hotel and pub.
The building had been somewhat poorly maintained in past few decades and had multiple structural integrity challenges from major roof repairs, damaged woodwork specially windows, doors and stairs and exterior brickwork that had been painted with non-porous yellow paint creating a water trap that threatened the entire external frontage of the building. The buildings usage also needed to shift from a bar and multiple occupancy housing units to a professional medical building.
The brick cleaning, repair, repainting and sealing is the most obvious change to the building façade. Petretta Construction placed a great deal of time and effort on this item. The replacement of windows and main (historical) entry doors in a manner consistent with the old building was also painstakingly completed. Once restored, the brickwork revealed the continuity of design in the red and white or yellow brick patterns present in several Elora buildings, including the United Church on Metcalfe street behind the Dalby.
More specifically, the structure features cream coloured bricks which function as quoins and outline windows and parts of the structure for decorative purposes. The roof is truncated and low hip, with asphalt shingles and projecting eaves and moulded fascia. The windows are segmental with plain concrete lug sills. There are also arched windows on the second floor on the Metcalfe façade. The main door is semi-circular with voussoirs, with a moulded, shaped, multiple-light transom.
History
Robert Dalby became involved in the hotel business 1862, when he purchased Elora’s Royal Hotel (The building is now the older part of the Legion.) Within a year or two, he added another business to his activities, a stagecoach line between Elora and Guelph.
A stagecoach was generally for wealthier clients, so Dalby decided to capitalize on their business by constructing a new, high-standard hotel. Together with Andrew Gordon, Elora’s best known harness maker, they selected a location and agreed on a façade.
The two men hired W.H.L LaPenotiere, a surveyor and civil engineer, to design their building. LaPenotiere came up with a three-storey, flat-iron structure that took full advantage of the pie-shaped lot. Construction was completed in 1865. Gordon splurged by having a stone cutter carve “GORDON’S BLOCK” into a stone placed on the wall at the peak, much to Dalby’s annoyance.
Business was going so well for Dalby, he created an extension which was on the south side of the building. The bottom floor contained retail space, which was rented out for a hardware store. The second floor contained additional bedrooms. The third floor was designed for a large hall.
The years of prosperity ended when the railway was completed to Elora. Although there was still demand for rooms, the stage coach business came to a conclusion. Recognizing the economic problems, Dalby abandoned the hotel business and leased the hotel out to James Allan in 1873.
James Allan turned out to be a disaster of a hotelkeeper, and the Dalby House lost its reputation. To salvage the business, Robert Dalby went down Metcalfe Street to the Royal Hotel, and hired their manager, Frank Vickers. In 1878, the family was forced to relinquish the job, due to the illness of Frank’s wife, Maria. Frank Dalby took charge, and stayed until his death in 1897.
The 1880s and 1890s were not good times for the Dalby house due to pressure from temperance groups and fewer travelers. In addition, Andrew Gordon declared bankruptcy in 1880 and died a couple of years later. Moreover, the hardware store also closed down in the 1890s. The veranda in the front of the building came down in 1895 when the village’s first sidewalks were laid.
However, the future was not entirely gloomy. Gordon’s former quarters were replaced by a barber shop which lasted for 40 years and established a reputation as a social centre for the village.
After the death of Frank Dalby, the hotel changed hands frequently. The list of proprietors included F. Gale, Harry Topham, Michael Korman, Aaron Roos, Charles Sachs, and Henry Hastings. Roos was the owner who changed the name to Iroquois Hotel.
Sachs was the most important of the later owners. He took over in 1904, and six years later, he undertook major renovations. This included rearranging rooms and replacing windows and doors. Sachs sold the hotel to Hastings in 1912, and other future owners included Murray, Bradley, Robert Sachs, and Bohen.
The Canada Temperance Act came into force in September of 1916, as a war measure. The Iroquois Hotel remained open, but alcohol did not return until 1934. It was the only Elora hotel which survived the prohibition.
Wilson Veale took over the establishment in 1954, and retained ownership for over 30 years, longer than any other proprietor.
Mindful of the heritage of the hotel, the current owners have changed the name of the hotel back to the Dalby House, and have made restoration to the architectural features of the building. The arrival of the Family Health Team has meant a significant renovation by creating a public building in this small community. The Dalby will now be a location for a principally daytime service based business that will see up to 20 professional healthcare staff and their patients visit the downtown core.
The Dalby House has been a very significant part of the Elora streetscape for more than a century. Its physical location and the size of the building reinforce the importance of the heritage landscape of the town. The renovation of the building after years of being poorly maintained has provided an investment in public infrastructure. The community has been provided with a sense of revitalization and the opportunity for the building to remain accessible for wellness events. In addition, its transformation to a doctor’s practice has been very positively received.
*Historical information gathered from Steve Thorning, The Elora Sentinel, November 26 & December 3rd, 1991.
Year Built: 1865 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Victoria Crescent 169 (Formerly Henderson Street) The Chalmers Manse is a fine example of Scottish Georgian architecture and is one of the better examples of stone construction in the Village. The manse is box-like with symmetrical elevations and classical proportions.
The defining architectural elements include the large windows, the vestibule which was a later addition, the exterior rough cut limestone walls and the chimneys. The stone shed is also included in the designation.
An example of Scottish Georgian architecture, this house was introduced to the area by the merchant class elite of the Upper Canada Loyalists. Built in 1861, the Chalmers Church Manse is one of the finest manses in Ontario. By the summer of 1861, the congregation of Chalmers Church felt themselves wealthy enough to construct the manse. In his extensive writings, the church’s first minister, Reverend James Middlemiss, D.D. reported that the manse was built at a cost of $1600. George Sinclair, a congregation member, acted as the contractor and mason.
In 1876, the growing congregation elected to build a new church, and the original wood building (in the back yard of the present manse property) was torn down. Stone from the old foundation was used to construct a shed for storage of firewood used in both the church and the manse. This building remains northeast of the manse.
Year Built: 1861 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Melville Street 75, Elora Jr. Public School The Elora Girls School (southeast corner of the present structure) was built in 1856. Ten years later the Boys School was built to the north, connected to the Girls School. It was not until 1871 that boys and girls education were integrated, after a second floor was added to the Girls School. By 1874, the north wing was added and the former Girls School became a High School (replacing the recently burned Grammar School). The Public School, designed by architect John Taylor and Principal David Boyle, comprised five classrooms and a museum created by Boyle.
Over the years improvements included central heating (1895, utilising four furnaces), electric lights and bathrooms (1927) and centre steam heating (1935). The final addition was the three story structure built on the southwest corner in 1939 to serve an enlarged high school enrolment with added needs for shop and home economics classes. This is believed to be the last rubblestone building built in Elora.
This building was constructed of coursed rubble, with a main medium gable, rear wing medium hip, and a front wing flat and medium hip. The roof is constructed out of asphalt shingles, tar, and gravel with projecting eaves and plain fascia. The windows have voussoirs and plain stone quoins, and plain lug sills of dressed stone. The main entrance also has voussoirs and stone quoins.
The Elora Public School was the training ground for many well known citizens. Those who achieved respect outside the community include John Connon, local historian and photographer, who invented the panoramic camera; John Drew, lawyer whose son George became Premier of Ontario; Charles Kirk Clarke, psychiatrist, after whom the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry is named, and Marion Roberts, who married Frederick Banting, discoverer of insulin. One of Boyle's students, Chariest Braley, became a banker. Perhaps because of Boyle's early influence, he was an avid amateur ornithologist. He was one of the early people to identify the effect of DDT on birds in the 1940s and 1950s. Rachel Carson used some of his work in her book Silent Spring.
One of the greatest contributors to the school's history was David Boyle, Principal from 1871 to 1881. An immigrant Scottish blacksmith, Boyle continually sought to improve himself and to inspire his students. Like some others of his time, Boyle shunned the then popular rote teaching in favour of stimulating students to learn by using examples of the world around them to discover and understand the principles of mathematics and science. With the aid of his students, Boyle created a museum in the school. By the time he left in 1881, the museum was attracting visitors from around south-western Ontario and some from overseas.
Moving to Toronto, Boyle became Curator of the Canadian Institute Museum in 1884 and of the Ontario Provincial Museum (later the Royal Ontario Museum) in 1886. Some artifacts from the Elora Museum are still in the R.O.M. collection. Boyle died three years before the R.O.M. opened in 1914 but he had a great deal of influence on its design and exhibit philosophy. The simple Scots tradesman is still respected in England, Canada and the United States as a leader in Archaeology and museology.
His own philosophy, offered to more than one group of students at Elora Public School was, "Aim high you are then more likely to his something of value than otherwise. Whatever you do, let it be done your best. "
For 140 years the Elora School served the educational needs of the village. The present building is the product of 80 years of uncoordinated construction and renovation taken to meet the current needs of the community while working within the constraints of tight budgets. The resulting disarray of styles and forms seem to have been assembled with little logic or forethought. Many have considered it one of the village's important heritage structures; other consider it an inefficient monstrosity.
With the construction of a new High School in 1959, the entire building reverted to a Public School. The High School was converted to a Senior Public School in 1970, and the original building became a Junior Public School. The school was closed in 1996. At that time the original Girls School portion was probably the oldest active school building in the province, while the 1939 addition was the last three-story school structure in Wellington.
Construction Phases: 1856 (southeast corner of the present structure; girls school). 1866 (boys school was built to the north), 1871 (boys and girls schools were integrated, after a second floor was added to the girls school). 1874 (north wing was added and the former girls school became a high school). 1939 (final addition on the southwest corner).
Year Built: 1856-1874 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Church Street East 46 A Folk Victorian residence dating from 1851 with exterior of hand-made red bricks and original windows. The verandah is probably late Victorian, and the roof dormer is much later. Some of the key architectural elements include the panelled sidelights, and pediment roof trim.
The builder and owner was Charles Lawrence, a mason and bridge builder. Charles Lawrence received a contract for the first bridge over Irvine to stand on a pier. Along with James Pearson, they completed the bridge on Nov. 15, 1867 for $1385. This pier still stands by the bridge today, and is considered one of the most famous landmarks in Elora.
Year Built: 1851 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Church Street East 63 Dating from 1871, this house is based on Ontario Vernacular architecture.
This single detached rectangular house was built around 1871, with shiplap wood walls. The roof is a medium gable with asphalt shingles, projecting eaves, plain soffit and plain fascia. The windows are flat with a plain lug sill, with a second floor door on the façade. The main entrance is flat with a plain head and sides.
A residence built for himself by William McMicking, a carpenter working for
contractor John Gibb. This is one of the four houses on the corners of Chalmers and Church Streets with similar floor plans but distinctive elevations built in the early 1870's.
Year Built: 1871 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  23 High Street, Elora Drill Shed/Armoury Hall Built in 1865, the Armoury Hall is unusually well built as far superior in both its design and materials compared to most other drill sheds of the same period. Though most drill sheds were built as pole barns, the community made a collective decision to build stone structure of classical proportions so that it would be more conducive to different uses in the future.
The symmetry of the façade and original features such as the Neoclassically-inspired semi-circle fan light over the door and the oculus in the gable contributes to the Armoury Hall’s architectural significance. The handsome stone structure is also representative of the earliest phase of drill hall construction in Canada.
Despite some of the key architectural characteristics, some would still consider this structure utilitarian due to the overall simplicity of the construction.
The Armoury Hall is significant due to its association with Canada’s military past. The structure was originally built as an indoor drill shed used to train local militia in a time when drill sheds were erected in many areas of Canada close to the American border. This was in response to the American Civil War and the threat of the Fenian Brotherhood. The Elora Armoury Hall was built with significantly better design and quality materials than many other sheds. It is believed that the low rate of volunteer military enrollment in other locations was attributed to the poor appearance of their drill sheds.
After the threat of American attacks ceased, the building had a number of different uses. It became the popular meeting place for political meetings, temperance meetings, concerts, theatre, and parties, until 1909, when the Federal government took it over for Military use. At that time, it became known as “Armoury Hall”, yet the community had use of it. Through the 1920’s and 1930’s, it was used as a theatre, to raise funds for the Red Cross. Elora regained title to the Armouries in 1949. During the 1940’s and 1950’s, it was the popular place for Saturday Night Dances (always a live orchestra), until the Legion Hall was built.
In 1972, the Armoury Hall was leased by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) and is one of the two surviving drill sheds in Ontario. It stands as a testament to Canada’s military past and the evolution of the village of Elora. Lastly, it has an association with famous Canadians such as former Prime Minister William Lyon MacKenzie King and hydro giant Adam Beck, both of whom gave political addresses at the hall.
Year Built: 1865 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Geddes Street 128, Elora Post Office The Elora Post Office is a handsome example of civic design, stylistically somewhat eclectic, borrowing freely for its inspiration, mostly from Neoclassical motifs rather liberally interpreted, for the round headed openings might be considered Romanesque-Revival. This is combined for greater effect with forcefully rustic treatment of masonry, heavy “Jowled” dormers, and a mansard roof given further emphasis by the corner clock tower.
Round arched openings provide further dominance to the principal storey, the ground floor. The elaborately bracketed stonework emphasizes the hip-roof dormers with their single windows and the double pediment to the main entrance. The sandstone walls are quarry-faced, laid in broken course pattern with heavier quoins, often of darker stone to add further interest. Dark red mortar with a convex finish picks out the pink tinge of the sandstone.
The building design is a modification of standard Department of Public Works designs of the time. W.A. Mahoney of Guelph was an architect who prepared the detailed drawings and supervised construction. Mahoney abandoned the standard DPW red brick construction in favour of stone, using sandstone brought from Cataract 60km to the east via the Credit Valley Railway (later CPR). Mahoney was also responsible for the Fergus Post office: these two buildings are believed to be the only stone post office of their period extant in Ontario.
Approximately 40 by 40 feet, the building is two stories. The second floor was originally planned as a customs office, but the design was changed to make this an apartment for Thomas Godfrey, the Postmaster. It was later occupied by the caretaker. The fine clock tower was originally served by the mechanical clock with an 800lb. bell, imported from England. While replaced by an electric clock in (1984), the original movement is still in place, and is believed to be in operating condition.
Despite its eclectic design, the building is a noble addition to the street, proclaiming importance of the mail, a historic means of communication, and a fitting expression of the Federal Government’s public works. At once dignified, substantial and commanding, the building manages successfully not to be out of scale or intimidating.
Historical or Associative Value
Elora had a Post Office as early as 1835, in the store of J.M Fraser, south of the River. Other early storekeepers were John Craig and Joseph Tytler. Elora Post Office was officially opened on October 6, 1839, with Andrew Geddes as Postmaster. He was followed by Charles Allan until 1856, and by Robert Haig until 1861. Dr. John Finlayson took over until 1870, when he was followed by his son-in-law, W.H. La Penotierre in his store on the south corner of Metcalfe and Mill Streets. John Godfrey became Postmaster in 1884, with office in his store. He was followed by his son, Thomas who continued in the store.
The new (present) Post Office was built on Geddes Street beside the Library, on land chosen by the Federal Government, with the official opening in January 1912.
Long term faithful assistants included: Miss Norah Webster, serving for 46 years; and Miss Edna Scott for over 22 years.
The first of Elora’s rural routes was set up shortly before the post office moved to 128 Geddes St, and the last, R R 3, was established early in 1915. Rural delivery had been resisted by the post office for twenty years because of cost, but eventually the system was adopted under pubic pressure, particularly after most of the larger centres were receiving door-to-door delivery.
Postmaster Jack Wright, had the misfortune to witness the beginning of the decline in postal service during his administration from 1947 to 1977. First, the railway mail service was reduced to twice southbound and once northbound per day. The mailcars were removed completely in 1959 and the service was taken up by truck service. At the beginning there were two trucks per day from Guelph, but this was reduced to a single run per day, and the connection was moved to Kitchener in 1972. Hours of service at the office were reduced several times over the years, and were now determined by the post office department, rather than the local postmaster.
In 1971, the Department of Public Works announced plans to demolish the building and replace it with a more attractive and efficient building. A strong protest was spearheaded by John Andrews, an architect living in Elora. This resulted in cancellation of the plans in favour of a modest (30 by 30ft) single storey addition to the rear (west) of the building and renovation of the interior in 1972. Three windows at the rear of the building were enlarged to provide access to the addition, with the stone trim rebuilt with original stone. Similarly, the brass mail slot on the south side of the building was removed and the resulting gap covered with matching stone and mortar.
In the Edwardian era, the post office was the key function in a town’s commercial area, and the post office signified the center of town to everyone. Built in 1911 and opened in January, 1912, the Elora Post Office quickly became the focal point of the community. It embodies in its character and location evidence of Elora’s commercial and economic vitality at the time. Through both looks and function, the Post Office fostered development of the village from the river up Metcalfe to Geddes Street. The structure is still a key element in the streetscape of old Elora. Even today, with a vastly different economy and decreased dependence on the mails for communication, the Elora Post Office is a meeting place. On pleasant days, members of the community meet on their way to pick up mail, stop to chat and discuss local affairs.
Year Built: 1912 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Geddes Street 144, Elora Library This neo-Georgian style structure was built in 1910 and was constructed of stretcher red brick. The wall design is Doric capital and features large brick quoins. The roof is a medium truncated gable, with a pediment trim. The windows are flat with plain lintels and plain lug concrete sills. The main entrance features a flat door with a shaped, multiple-light transom. There is an open concrete porch with closed railings on the first floor.
First known as the Mechanics Institute, Elora Library dates back to 1843, when the Bon Accord Settlers passed around the few books they had brought with them. When it was decided to assemble the books in one place as a Library, the idea spread to Elora, and Wm. Reid volunteered to keep them in his house.
In Canada, in 1827, Mechanics Institutes were organized in cities, towns and were financed by Members’ Fees and small Government Grants. A Mechanics Institute was organized in Elora in 1857, at a Public Meeting with much enthusiastic support. This was at the close of the Crimean War, when the country had “gone broke”, and the future looked very bleak. Great interest was taken in lectures, Singing Schools, Debating Societies, to relieve their minds.
With the development of schools in Elora, the need for the Mechanics Institute diminished and the project dissolved in 1869. The books were stored in boxes in a hall in the Public School, where they were found in 1871, by the new Principal of the School, David Boyle. He set them out on the shelves, and was responsible for re-organizing the Mechanics Institute.
Legislation was passed in 1895, changing the name of all Mechanics Institutes to Libraries. Application was made to Andrew Carnegie, the American Steel Magnate, for a grant. The Village of Elora took over the Library in 1909, and supplied land for the new one on Geddes at Henderson Street. The library was erected later that fall with a substantial grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, and was opened in January 1910.
Year Built: Around 1910 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  18 Colborne Street, EloraOriginally of brick construction, this home has had a stucco finish for many years. Of very simple and symmetrical design, the building was originally constructed in 1866 as the home of John Wilkinson, a tailor. Mr Wilkinson was one of the earliest inhabitants of the Village (the home was constructed only 8 years after Elora’s incorporation). The building was featured in the calendar published by Elora LACAC in 1994. Original wooden windows remain in place are in good condition. The current owner has recently removed aluminum storm windows and replaced with new wooden storms in a traditional design.
The siting of this house is considered unusual in that it is built right to the presumed front lot line, and sits right against the Colborne Street sidewalk. Given this prominent siting and recent restoration undertaken by the current owners, the house is instantly recognizable as a landmark in the community.
Year Built: 1866 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  22 David Street WestConstructed in 1874, this Ontario Cottage style single detached was built by William and Elizabeth Gray who were the owners of a lime kiln which was on the property and so named Kiln Cottage. This building features a rectangular short facade, lime grout walls with centre gable, side chimneys left and right, a centre facade main entrance, two original sash windows 6 by 6, and a low gable roof with a centre gable with pointed style window.
Year Built: 1874 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  168 Geddes StreetIn 1857, Alexander (Sandy) Cuthbert went into partnership with George Noble as carriage and wagon manufacturers, Cuthbert being the blacksmith and Noble the carpenter. Their business prospered; and in 1862 they moved from the south side of the river to a new factory on Lot 41 on Geddes Street. It was to the north of both St. John’s Church (Lot 42) and the Cuthbert house on Lot 43. Mr. Cuthbert chose this home to be near his workplace, as this was a commonality in the nineteenth century. One of their employees was a young blacksmith, David Boyle, who later became famous as an archaeologist and Curator of the Royal Ontario Museum. Cuthbert rented the house on Lot 43 for a number of years before purchasing it in 1875. In 1876 the partnership was dissolved; however, both men prospered independently into the 1880s.
At the time, Elora’s commercial core was confined largely to Mill Street, but the Geddes Street location provided convenient access for farmers coming into Elora as well as being very close to the market grounds.
Year Built: Early 1860s Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  249 Geddes Street, EloraThis house was built in 1891 by Dr William Robertson (1865-1941) who practiced medicine in Elora for 51 years. The construction is of handmade red stretcher brick with quoins, a medium hip roof with projecting eaves and brackets, and an off-centre facade entrance. It has two storeys with an offset bay window on the front facade. The design is Gibb’s standard and the builder also constructed 14 houses of this same design in Elora. Modern additions in machine-made brick are excluded from the designation.
In 1924, Dr Robertson’s daughter Marion married Dr Frederick Banting who had just been awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine for his work on insulin.
Year Built: 1891 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  255 Geddes Street, Elora (Rosemount Cottage)Rosemount Cottage was built in the early 1870s in the Italianate Revival style. This single detached historic building features a front facade cut out of ashlar stone and coursed rubble. The roof is a medium gable with asphalt shingles, projecting eaves, and bracketed plain beaded soffit. The house hosts flat windows with plain pediment trim, plain lintels and plain lug sills. There are also double semi-circular windows on the 2nd floor. The main entrance has a segmental door shape with plain pediment and brackets on top, along with a shaped multi-light transom and blind arched side lights.
This house was built starting around 1869 for William Knowles, a hardware merchant in Elora. McGillvary Knowles, the famous artist, was born here.
Jacobs, the partner of Judge Drew also lived here
In 1964, it was sold to Mr and Mrs Owens, who converted it into the Elora Nursing Home.
In 1976, this house was converted into a non-residential private school for girls. It was later converted back into a residential home.
Year Built: Early 1870s Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  36 Henderson Street, Elora (St. John’s Church)The Parish of St. John the Evangelist was formed in 1830. The present church was opened in 1875. Besides being a place of worship for over 125 years, St. John’s has evolved into a community centre, and has been an incubator for many organizations. It has been a community meeting place for such diverse groups as the Girl Guides, Canada World Youth, the Elora-Salem Horticultural Society and Alcoholics Anonymous. St. John’s-Kilmarnock School, the amalgamation of St. John’s College and St. Margaret’s Schools, which were founded in Elora, still have close ties with the church.
Well known for its music, St. John’s was the birthplace of the Elora Festival in 1979. The Festival and its Singers hold concerts in the church throughout the year.
In recent years a strong bond has developed with Portage, an organization offering a drug free therapeutic rehabilitation program for juveniles. Students at Portage serve at church services and a number of members of the parish do volunteer work at Portage.
St. John’s is the home of the famous communion set reportedly donated by Florence Nightingale to her cousin and reputed lover, John Smithurst, Rector of the church from 1852-1857.
The building is an excellent example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture. Hallmarks of the Gothic Revival style in St. John’s include buttresses, vaulted arches, steeply pitched gable roofs, elaborate cast iron ornaments such as rooftop cresting and pointed arch windows. The polychrome colour scheme of red and yellow brick buttresses and external woodwork are all features of Gothic Revival architecture.
The church was designed by Henry Langley (1836-1907) an architect with extensive experience in church design. Langley was responsible for the design of the Metropolitan Methodist, Jarvis Street Baptist, and St. Andrew’s Presbyterian (now United) churches in Toronto.
Year Built: 1875 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Henderson 24, Chalmers ChurchThe church building known as Chalmers Church was erected on the property in 1877. It is one of only five classic steeple churches ever constructed in Elora, one of two of which were built in stone. Its construction represents a time when earlier wood churches in Elora were being replaced more substantial structures. The design is an example of the Gothic Revival style, a popular form of religious architecture in Ontario during this period. The exterior is largely unchanged since the original construction, the notable loss being a wood steeple rising from the stone tower to reach 127 feet from the ground. Exceptional workmanship is evident in the cut stone of the buttresses, tower, lintels, quoins, and window and door openings. Finely carved wood tracery remains in the transom area of the main (south) entranceway. The dominant window openings are characteristic of the Gothic Revival style as a tall, pointed arch type with divided sashes.
In 1844, a split within the Church of Scotland resulted in the formation of the Free Church of Scotland Canadian Synod. By 1848, there was a Free Church congregation in Elora. They met in the Temperance Hall until about 1856, when a modest, wood frame church building was erected near the current location of the stone church. The 1877 stone church represented a more permanent edifice for the local Free Church congregation.
The design of the church is an example of the work of a local architect and engineer, John Taylor.
The church building is associated with the work of the Reverend James Middlemiss who was the first resident pastor of Chalmers Church. He began in 1855 and served the Elora congregation for thirty years.
In 1917, the use of this structure as a church ended. Since that date, it has served other purposes including public use as a motion picture/entertainment venue and community centre. While owned by the Village of Elora it was known as Memorial Hall, and later as the Elora Opera House.
Year Built: 1877 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  James Street 107This dwelling is a fine old Ontario stone home, constructed in 1852, making it among the very oldest buildings in this part of the community. Over that time, it has been continuously occupied as a home. The building has been carefully maintained, and closely resembles its original appearance. The building is well designed, with pleasing lines and symmetrical features. Almost all the ground floor windows are original, or have been very carefully restored. The roof has been re-done cedar shake shingles, which would have been used when the home was originally constructed.
The building is situated in a residential community, including three churches and two parks established later on. As such it is situated in a neighbourhood of wonderfully consistent and historic character from one of the earliest settlement periods in Elora. The siting of this home is unique, in that the James Street facade looks out onto the open space of Hoffer Park, while the Victoria Crescent facade looks out onto Victoria Park, open spaces that have surrounded this home from the date of its construction.
Year Built: 1852 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  McNab Street West 40Built in 1864 in Ontario Gothic Cottage style, this single detached dwelling was originally built to face the river before McNab Street was built. The building has a rectangular long facade, stretcher brick with quoins, medium gable roof with centre gable facade, two side chimneys (left and right) and a centre facade main entrance.
Year Built: 1864 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Moir Street 30Built in 1867 for John Godfrey, shoemaker. Godfrey was Reeve of Elora from 1878-1880 and Postmaster from 1884-92. The house was later occupied by Godfrey’s son, Thomas, also a shoemaker and Postmaster from 1893-1912.
This red brick house has yellow brick quoins and windows trimmed with yellow brick. A one storey addition at the back was built before 1900. It carries skylights and a large window on the north end which are recent additions. The front veranda, while old, copies the original. The second storey window over the front door has been converted into a door, but has since been restored to its original form.
The structure is a standard centre hall plan. The original kitchen was in the basement and served the main floor dining room through a dumb waiter (since removed). The pine floors and trim are original. Cupboards added by the present owner duplicate the existing trim. The graceful cheery staircase is worthy of note.
Year Built: 1867 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Moir Street 66This building was constructed by Norman Stafford in 1923 for his own use. Mr Stafford was a third generation builder in Elora and constructed many homes as well as other buildings in Elora from this period, including the Elora Library. This building is typical of both this period and his designs. Many of his structures were constructed of red brick, to a simple, workmanlike, but solid-looking design.
Year Built: 1923 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Princess Street 193This one storey single detached dwelling was built in 1868 by William Crackle, a bricklayer, who owned and lived in the house. The house features a rectangular long facade, stretcher brick, low hip roof, centre facade main entrance, two original front sash windows 2/2, and door.
Year Built: 1868 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Smith Street 176, Noble/Kraft HouseThis building was originally constructed in 1855 as a one storey stone cottage built for one of Elora’s earliest inhabitants. It was constructed only 38 years after the first European settler built the first log cabin on the south side of the cataract on the Grand River, and three years before the Village of Elora was first incorporated.
A significant addition was made in the 1920s of brick with much less attention to architectural design and construction. Despite its great age, the building has been continuously used as a residence and still plays this role today.
The building is located on the corner of Smith and Henderson Streets, and Henderson Street itself is named after the first owner of the home. The house was also occupied for more than 65 years by Mrs Enoch Kraft, a founding member of the Wellington County Historical Society, of the Elora Chapter of the Women’s Institute, and at one time the Curator of the Tweedsmuir Diaries.
The home predates the adjacent ‘Chalmers Church’ building at 24 Henderson Street. The Kraft House is one of the oldest buildings in what is today a well-established neighbourhood of 19th century homes, within the boundaries of the proposed Victoria Crescent Neighbourhood Conservation District.
Year Built: 1855 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Smith Street 200Built in 1895 for the Reverend Dr James Middlemiss who served for thirty years as first Pastor of Chalmers Church. Original small red brick home features an unusual turret over the front entrance which is subtended by a large stained glass oculus. Also of note are the ruby stained glass transoms over the original front door inscribed “Mansfield Cottage” and the cherry staircase with curved string and landing.
Year Built: 1895 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Smith Street 201This 1873 Ontario Cottage style 1.5 storey single detached dwelling features a rectangular long facade, stone walls with tape pointing, a centre gable, sash windows 6/6 and chimneys on both the right and left sides.
Year Built: 1873 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Colborne Street 80 Built in 1896 for an Anglican Church school teacher, this two and a half storey single detached dwelling was the Bissel family home. This house is constructed from red stretcher brick with a rectangular short facade, front facade bay window and medium gable roof. There is a date and inscription stone at the front door and a stained glass transom over the front door inscribed “Maple Villa”.
Year Built: 1896 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  David Street East 36This single detached, two storey residential home is made of stretcher brick, with quoins and some decorative brick. The roof is low hip, with asphalt shingles. The fascia and soffit are plain, but the roof trim is monumental pediment. The windows are two-sashed, with voussoirs. The main entrance is an off-centre facade with a single light shaped transom. The porch features a decorated, open railing.
Constructed in 1895 by William H. Stafford Sr., a builder. In the same year, a drover named David Jones Jr. bought the house and moved in with his family. They would become the first of seven families (ten owners) to live in this home to date. Over the years, the house has been a B & B (called Trails End); has been owned by a well-known Elora restaurateur; the garage once housed the Banquet Tea Company; has been owned by an organist at the Elora United Church and a Mennonite missionary family lived in the house and worked the back lot into a wonderful vegetable garden.
Today the current owners, Donna Ross and Peter Szmidt continue to work diligently in restoring the home based on its original architectural features. The home was featured in the fall 2009 issue of ‘Our Homes’.
Year Built: 1895 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw David Street West, David Street Bridge PierThe pier was carefully constructed, originally in 1867, the same year that Canada came into being, completed by local stonemasons Charles Lawrence and James Pearson, for an estimated $1,385. In 1875, a new bridge was constructed at the same location using the same pier. The new bridge design required that the pier be made taller. Subsequently, new bridges were built again on the pier in 1921 and 2004. The most recent bridge project included a full restoration of the pier.
Historic files on the pier indicate that it is the tallest remaining 19th century masonry pier in Ontario.
It is well designed and constructed with cut stone corners. The pier and bridge have become an icon in Elora, a landmark image that is surpassed in popularity only by images of the gorge itself. From 1867 and into the present, the image of this slender pier standing centrally in the deep Irvine Gorge has appealed to generations of photographers and painters.
The County of Wellington Engineering Department noted, at the time of the 2004 reconstruction, that the design of the bridge is a rare surviving example of an open-spandrel concrete arch bridge. The David Street Bridge is listed in the Ontario Heritage Bridge Program list of structures.
Year Built: 1867 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Geddes Street 260Built in 1889 as the Elora Separate School, this single storey building with rectangular short facade features red stretcher brick with yellow brick quoins and voussoirs and a description date stone.
Year Built: 1889 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Water Street East 45This 1.5 storey single detached dwelling is believed to be a log cabin and is now covered in stucco. Estimated to have been built in 1840, this house features a rectangular long facade, with a medium gable roof and a side chimney (to the left). It was originally located on the route of the new road built to connect to County Road 7. The house was moved to its present location in 1953 and was placed over a new basement. This movement indicates that the house was not constructed of brick or stone, and the walls are too thick for a frame construction, leaving logs as the most probable material.
Year Built: Around 1840 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  West Mill Street 23-43Though not Elora’s first hotel, it was the first worthy of the name. The earliest portion of this building dates back to 1848. A series of additions followed over the next two decades until, by 1870, the Commercial boasted 70 bedrooms for rent, four sample rooms for travelling salesmen, five parlours, a dining room and a large stable in addition to the popular barroom. John Bain was the proprietor between 1858 and 1865.
Politics and the Commercial Hotel were inseparably connected in the early days. Elora was a hotbed for the Clear Grit brand of reformers and the Commercial’s banquet room was frequently called upon for meetings and rallies. Over the years, most of the face cards of Canadian politics made at least one appearance at the Commercial: George Brown, A.A. Dorion, Sandfield Macdonald, Oliver Mowat and Edward Blake.
In 1865, Robert Biggar took over the Commercial Hotel and operated a twice-daily stagecoach to Guelph for the next forty years.
Despite its present day unprepossessing appearance, this large building has a commanding presence and is an important part of the streetscape in the Village of Elora.
Year Built: 1848 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw |
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 Garafraxa Street East 159 Based on Folk Victorian architecture, this house was constructed by John McCutcheon, a farmer.
Defining architectural features include the tooled stone walls and uncoursed rubble walls in the sides and rear.
Year Built: Between 1873 and 1875 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Garafraxa Street East 199 Although it is difficult to be certain, this house could have been constructed by Joseph Tweddle, a carpenter.
Based on Folk Victorian design, it features a few defining architectural elements, such as the decorative fascia on the gable ends and the cut stone walls in uneven courses.
Year Built: 1888 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  St. Andrew Street East 259 Designed using Georgian Revival architecture, the home and carriage house are significant for their association with Richard Moore, the first proprietor. Moore was a local shoemaker, well-known in the community.
Some defining architectural elements include the decorative hand-made red and cream bricks, and the double-leaf front door, which is surmounted by a nine-element segmental arch. The carriage house was constructed of locally quarried limestone rubble.
Year Built: 1868 (house), 1879 (carriage house) Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw St. Andrew Street East 296 Based on Victorian Gothic architecture, this structure features defining elements such as decorative brackets on the porch, and decorative fascia on the gable ends. Additionally, there are arched/lancet windows with stone voussoirs.
Built by Thomas Cummings, a carriage maker, who may have run the business out of his house.
Year Built: Between 1891 and 1905 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw St. Andrew Street West 198 198 St. Andrew Street West exemplifies the Italianate style. The north façade was constructed using two building materials; the first floor is limestone from Guelph, while the second floor is red sandstone from the Credit Valley. The second and third floors boast dormer windows, which on the third floor light the attic space. The second floor windows exhibit side brackets and decorated surmounts.
The building was constructed in 1881 by Mr. Ramore, a tinsmith, who purchased the land from Mary Hewlett in 1880. It was originally used as a private garage or stable.
Year Built: 1881 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw St. Andrew Street East 360 The house was built in 1883 by John Gow, brother of Alexander Gow.
Alexander Gow went to Scotland for 8 years, to learn the trade of the stone mason. Upon his return, he constructed several important structures in the business section of Fergus. These included the Commercial Hotel, the Old Imperial Bank, and the Old Royal Bank at the corner of St. David & St. Andrew St S. Later, he relocated to Delaware, US.
The style of John’s house is rather more eclectic, several of its features suggest Alexander’s influence.
This house is one of a group of five adjoining stone houses on the south side of St. Andrew Street East which, though ranging in origin from 1865 to 1908, and differing considerably in their details, blend together as a harmonious set. An equal illustration of nineteenth century tastes in house design does not exist elsewhere in Fergus.
Some of the key architectural features include the stone voussoirs, and the locally quarried limestone rubble walls.
Year Built: 1883 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Garafraxa Street West 198 Dating from 1875, this house is based on Picturesque architecture.
This one and a half storey house is located on the corner of Garafraxa Street West and Provost Lane. It was built of hand-made red brick with grey brick trim (now painted white) around the doors and windows.
The original owner of the land was George S. Armstrong and the house was built by Francis Anderson. Armstrong was the first white child born in Eramosa Township, in 1825. By 1862, he opened the first fruit tree nursery in the district on O.S.R., just North of Fergus. He was a strong supporter of the Congregational Church, and had 16 children with his wife, Fransis Phin.
The house was purchased in 1943 by the late James Christie and has remained in the possession of his family.
Year Built: 1875 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw St. David Street North 400 Using Folk Victorian architecture, this house was constructed of coursed rubble with natural stone finish, and includes a number of defining architectural features. These include the decorated fascia on the gable ends, the large bay window, and the ornamental iron work above it.
This house was constructed between 1888 and 1889 by Joseph Imlah, a blacksmith.
Year Built: Around 1889 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Hill Street West 250 Built in 1937, this house was designed in the rare style of the Designated District of Brock Avenue, which slightly resembles Gothic architecture.
Its construction made use of ashlar limestone masonry during the depths of the Great Depression. The decade between 1929 and 1939 was the period when stone masons were paid ten cents an hour; this was the only time in the history of North America that this labour intensive stone-work was economic. Apart from Brock Avenue, there is only one other house in this style in Fergus.
Year Built: 1937 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Tower Street South 290 Dating from around 1874, this house is based on Georgian Tradition architecture of handmade yellow stretcher brick.
Some of the defining architectural elements include the ornamental quoins and the voussoirs above the first storey windows.
The house was likely built by John Jamieson, a brick layer, and his wife.
Year Built: 1874 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  St. David Street South 160/170 160 St. David Street South:
Dating from 1852, this building matches 140 St David Street South, and appears to be loosely based on Georgian Tradition architecture.
The historic value of this building lies in its association with the sites importance to early industrial development. It was also the source of the first electric power in Fergus, and the headquarters of Tweddle Chick Hatcheries, in its time the largest producer of baby chicks in Canada. It is one of only two surviving examples of the extensive array of river-side industrial buildings that characterized the downtown core of Fergus a century ago.
170 St. David Street South:
This structure is significant due to its use as a residence, business office, and sales room/warehouse for Watson’s Steam Tannery. The two-storey limestone building was constructed in 1851 or 1852 by Thomas Watson, and its architectural style is highly evocative of Scottish country buildings of the time period. This building is perhaps the best example of that tradition existing in Fergus today.
Year Built: 1852 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw St. Andrew Street West 190, Fergus Library The Fergus Public Library was designed in the Beaux Arts style, which was typical of Carnegie Libraries. Following this style, the Fergus Library demonstrates symmetry and classical detailing, including columned porticos and the arrangement of the windows. The plan for the Fergus Library was referred to the architects of the Mount Forest, Walkerton and Grand Valley Carnegie libraries, as the Carnegie Corporation considered the Fergus Library to be, “the best that can be done with a square building”. In addition to being a building of exemplary design, it is also one of few Carnegie libraries constructed of stone. Though the addition to the library made in 1987 does not keep with the original style, it does not diminish the building’s value.
The Fergus Public Library is significant for its association with American industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. He provided the Town of Fergus with a $6,000 grant to be used towards the establishment and construction of a free library. Carnegie had a life-long interest in the establishment of free libraries as a means to self-education, and he provided funds for a total of 2,509 libraries, 125 of which were in Canada. The Fergus Library is one of 79 Carnegie libraries in Ontario that is still functioning.
The Fergus Public Library also possesses value due to the involvement of the townspeople in its establishment. The original library was founded in 1837 and is considered to be one of the oldest in the Province of Ontario. From its inception as a small collection in the room of the original founder Alexander D. Fordyce’s home, to its current location, the library has always been something to which the citizens of Fergus have been committed. That the building and service for which so many worked hard to establish is still thriving is a testament to the drive and determination of the community.
Year Built: 1837 (original library), 1908 (Carnegie grant received) Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Hill Street 275 Dating from 1875, this house is based on Ontario Vernacular architecture.
Some of the defining architectural elements include the exterior brick walls, front centre gable and the right side original single brick chimney.
The earliest recorded transactions for this property occurred in 1871 and 1872 when John Deans, a painter, took out three separate mortgages.
Year Built: Around 1875 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  St. Andrew Street East 335With an estimated date of 1887, this house features Folk Victorian architecture.
Defining architectural features include the brick voussoirs and stone quoins.
George Douglas Fergusson likely constructed this house around 1887. Although there are no records of purchases or mortgages around this time, the property was owned under his name between 1864 and 1901.
George D. Fergusson was the last surviving son of the Honourable Adam Fergusson, and a very respected member of the community. He died on September 15th, 1895, and as a tribute of special respect, stores were closed during the funeral.
Year Built: Around 1887 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw St. David Street South 290 This house features a utilitarian style with some neo-classical characteristics such as the gable shape on the front façade.
This large two-storey limestone structure was built as a horse stable and carriage house in 1855 by John "Yankee" Thorp, hotelkeeper and livery operator. Since passing from Thorp family ownership in 1868, the building has had a succession of owners, among whom were: Dr. Abraham Groves, the County of Wellington and Tweddle Chick Hatcheries Ltd. It has been put to a variety of uses, including works garage, chick hatchery, shoe factory, school annex and business office.
The Tweddle Chick Hatchery was started in 1925 using several Fergus buildings, including this one. In 1948, the Savage Shoe Company took over the whole building with a staff of 50. It was owned in the 1970s by a car club before being converted to its present use as a private residence. The conversion had minimal impact on the original structural elements and the historical function of the building remains evident. Its size and prominent location make it a local landmark that figures in the memories of many Fergus residents.
Year Built: 1855 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Garafraxa Street East 139Based on Folk Victorian architecture, the defining elements of this home include the stone voussoirs above the windows, the decorative roof brackets and the decorated posts on the veranda with wooden ornamentation below the balcony.
Although it is difficult to be certain, this house could have been built for Elizabeth Graham between 1891 and 1904. She sold the property in 1904 for $1350 to John Graham, which implies that a house was constructed during this time period.
Year Built: Around 1900 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Garafraxa Street East 149 This house is based on Folk Victorian architecture. Some of the defining elements include the decorative brickwork below the veranda and the bay windows.
The original owner of this house was John J. Craig, and it was likely built in 1900. It was sold shortly after to John McDonald.
Year Built: 1900 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Union Street East 189 Built around 1868, this structure uses Regency architecture.
The oldest part of this building is constructed of uncoursed random ashlar identical with that used in the adjacent building. The present south facade is largely coursed ashlar from the late nineteenth century with more recent river stone rubble finish to the porch and the southwest corner. The variety of stone is representative of the similar buildings in the Fergus area. It also features stone voussoirs above some of the windows.
Although it is difficult to be certain, it appears that George W. Thorp, a farmer, built this house in 1868. There are conflicting sources which indicate that the earliest residential occupancy at this location was 1873. Other sources suggest that this house is contiguous with the adjacent property at 290 St. David Street South, which means that both properties originated in the same period of the 1850s.
Year Built: Unknown (1868 or 1850s) Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Sunnybrae Crescent 12 Built around 1868, this house is based on Ontario Vernacular architecture.
It is a one and a half storey single-detached farmhouse built of uncoursed rubble limestone with tape pointing. The original wood sills have been replaced with concrete and the original veranda is missing. The porch is modern. The house also features matching voussoirs and an arched window on the front gable end.
Originally Sunnybrae Farm, this house was built by William Rennie in 1868.
Year Built: Around 1868 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw St. Andrew Street West 132This business building dates from approximately 1870. It is three stories in height and three bays in width. The street façade material is cut and tolled stone with mortared joints. A horizontal stone band course separates the second and third floors. The roof form is low gable.
This building is an excellent example of the architectural development in Fergus in the late nineteenth century and Scottish masonry work.
Attached structures in commercial areas had more difficulty standing the test of time, as they would easily succumb to fires. However, this building survived due to the strong firewalls present in the interior of the structure, which span the entire height of the building.
Angus Blair, an eccentric dentist worked out of this building on the second floor in the mid 1940s. Many dentists in this time period often preferred to pull teeth and file them, as opposed to correct them or preserve them. While performing these painful tasks, he often had a small dog on his lap who accompanied him. At times, he would interrupt the procedure if the dog needed to relieve itself outside. Blair would then return, and continue working on his patients while they gaped in discomfort.
Year Built: Around 1870 Building Status: De_Designated Official Bylaw Hillside Drive 230 The design of Belleside, a large one-and-a-half storey structure with a plain low-pitched roof, was inspired by 19th century Scottish farmhouses that Ferrier likely recalled from his youth in Scotland. Though devoid of exterior ornamentation, the home was impressive in its mass and proportions. The three-bay front features a Georgian-style entrance surmounted by a segmental arch, originally looking out over the Grand River. The windows are exceptionally large and broad in proportion to their height. The limestone rubble walls were also covered with stucco. All of the alterations were skilfully done, offering the casual observer no indication that the house was not designed and built as a whole.
Belleside is significant for its association with A. D. Ferrier, one of the earliest settlers in Fergus, who arrived on June 4, 1834. His purchase of a 100-acre farm in the southeast corner of the town was only the second property transaction in the settlement. In 1836 he built a large limestone cottage on the farm. It was the first stone house built in Fergus, and with the possible exception of a log house reputed to date to 1835, it is the oldest standing structure in the town.
During the half-century that Ferrier lived in Fergus he took an active interest in the welfare of the community. Generous in his support of good causes, he also served the community in a number of civic positions. He was appointed Superintendent of Schools for Nichol Township in 1852, and he was the first Clerk of Wellington County in 1854. When he subdivided his farm in 1863 he donated a portion of his land to the Town for use as a non-sectarian cemetery, known today as Belsyde Cemetery.
Ferrier sold Belleside in 1875 to John Beattie, proprietor of Wellington County’s first private bank, and since that time it has had a succession of owners.
Year Built: 1836 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw St. Patrick Street East 203 Dating from around 1870, this house is based on Folk Victorian architecture.
Some of the key architectural elements are the decorative brackets on the front porch, bay windows, double leaf front door, and the round-ended side lights and top lights.
This two storey house was previously owned by the beloved Rev. Enoch Barker, the very first pastor at Garafraxa First Congregational Church. He has written two works, “Baptism by Water”, and “Baptism by the Holy Ghost”. In addition, he has successfully defended his beliefs in debates held in the public hall against a Baptist minister on two separate occasions.
Year Built: 1870 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Provost Lane 150, Market Scales Building The one-and-a-half-storey coursed rubble limestone building was designed in utilitarian style and was constructed by John Moffant, a local carpenter, in 1904.
The Market Scales building is one of few remaining scale buildings in Ontario. The structure is unique as it was constructed using limestone, whereas the majority of scale buildings that were constructed in the nineteenth century had timber frames and as such did not stand the test of time. Though the building is quite plain, made almost entirely of stone and brick with no elaborate features, it is an important part of Fergus’s economy and a reflection of the past, making it unique and valuable.
The Market Scales building is significant for its association with the Grand Trunk Railway (later CN). It was built at the same time as the “Spur Line”, a railway line which enabled the easier movement of livestock from the weighing facility to other destinations. The land on which the building was constructed was occupied in 1833 by early settlers in a log home. One of these settlers, James Buist, was called “The Provost”, an appellation that was commemorated in the naming of the street.
Year Built: 1904 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Queen Street West 191 Built of limestone, structurally sound and an excellent example of early vernacular architecture. Some of the defining physical features include the coursed natural rubble walls, stone voussoirs, and lancet window in the centre gable.
Robert Johnston, tanner, purchased 191 Queen Street West, 195B Queen Street West and the land that originally accommodated the former tannery, in 1851.
In 1853, Robert Johnston appealed his tax assessment, and it is clear that the description of his property matches that of 191 and 195B Queen Street West. This infers that the houses were built in 1852, making them among the oldest houses in Fergus.
Year Built: 1852 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  St. David Street North 555Dating from 1879, this house is based on Georgian Tradition architecture.
A centrally placed entrance tower distinguishes this house from the conventional storey and a half bungalow that was popular in early Fergus. The tower extends above the plane of the roof to form a forwardly-thrusting dormer, which is flanked by a single roof-dormer on each side. The dormers feature round-headed windows and decorative verge boards. The eaves of the house are supported by elaborate wood brackets. The tower entrance is of generous proportions, and features a double-leaf door with a semi-circular top light.
The one and a half storey limestone house built on this property was built in 1879 for Georgina Young, for many years a hatmaker and seamstress in Fergus.
Year Built: 1879 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Provost Lane 445 Dating from 1890, this house is based on Folk Victorian architecture.
The design of the house is remarkable for its display of six full-height masonry gables, with two on each side and one front and rear. In addition to the home’s unique features, the walls were constructed of locally quarried limestone. The round-headed windows in the forward most side gables feature semi-circular arches, cut from limestone quarried in Guelph Township.
445 Provost Lane is significant for its association with James H. Steele, its first proprietor. Mr. Steele was a partner in Steele Brothers Grocery and Dry Goods Store, a family enterprise that was founded in 1876 and remained a fixture in the business section of Fergus for 75 years.
Year Built: 1890 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw St. Andrew Street East 396 This Regency style building was constructed from locally-quarried limestone. Some of the defining architectural elements include the three-bay front featuring detailed entrance with semi-elliptical top light and matching side lights, all with their original glass.
This house was built by a local farmer and real-estate investor, William Rennie, between 1858 and 1868. William purchased the easternmost portion of the four adjoining lots which were owned by James Webster, the co-founder of Fergus. It is believed that William built the house so his wife and daughter could participate in the social life of the town.
Year Built: Between 1858 and 1868 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw St. David Street North 450 Dating from around 1889, this house was constructed using Ontario Vernacular architecture. Some of the key architectural features include the semi-circular window arch in the frnot gable, and the decorated fascia on the gable end.
The one and a half storey limestone house on this property was built between 1888 and 1890 for Isabella Imlah, a dressmaker, and Ann Imlah. They were related to Joseph Imlah, a blacksmith. Joseph’s sons, James and John, were proprietors of a hardware store in Fergus from 1917 to 1951.
Year Built: Between 1888 and 1890 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Bridge Street 260 This residential building dating from the late nineteenth century represents a particular style of Victorian architecture common in the Fergus-Elora area. The major exterior material is red brick with yellow brick lintels. The front porch, probably a later addition, was handled in an architecturally sympathetic manner. Other key physical features include the decorative fascia on the gable ends, the brick voussoirs above the windows and the bay window on the front facade.
This house was likely constructed around 1877 for John Tindale, a general merchant. He primarily sold clothing, groceries, and glass and chinaware products. His store was considered one of the most prosperous general store businesses in Fergus.
Additionally, Tindale was a member of the Fergus council, but did not enjoy this position, and gave it up.
He was also a member to the Masonic and A.O.U.W. (Ancient Order of United Workmen) societies.
Year Built: 1877 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Garafraxa Street East 585 Dating from between 1864 and 1873, this house is based on Ontario Vernacular architecture.It’s a relatively small size and the scarcity of ornamental features, and the use of wood for window sills, suggest that it was “economy model”. The principal gesture toward architectural elegance is the round-headed window in the front dormer.
The defining architectural elements include the limestone rubble walls, decorative entrance and decorated fascia on the gable end.
This house was likely constructed by Robert Lingwood, a quarryman.
Year Built: Between 1864 and 1873 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  St. David Street South 235 A large two-storey residence using oversized red brick possibly recovered from shipping ballast. A 1929 extension uses the same brick. The general style is Victorian "Arts and Crafts" with an eyebrow window, large second floor roof dormers with stucco finish and a sweeping curved roofline to the significant front porch.
A structure built by W.G. Beatty in 1912.
William George Beatty is the son of George Beatty, the co-founder of Beatty Bros Ltd. He joined his father shortly after graduating from the University of Toronto in Practical Science, and eventually became President of the firm.
W.G. Beatty’s impact on the company is undisputable, as he was continually working to develop new products and improve current ones. It is said that more patents are registered under his name than under any other individual name in Canada.
In addition to contributing significantly to his company, he was also a large benefactor to the community. Along with his brother Milton, they were strong believers in temperance and have done much to make Fergus one of the “driest” towns in Ontario. This assisted the general prosperity of the area.
In addition, they built a swimming pool, which opened an entirely new field of aquatic sport in Fergus.
He also donated $2000 for a town-planning scheme to the Fergus Chamber of Commerce. The sole purpose of the scheme is to direct the growth of the town in an orderly manner, to make it more attractive and to accomplish all possible development.
W.G. and his brother also located a total of $180,000 for hospital building, and even furnished five patients’ rooms in the new Groves memorial Community Hospital.
The hundreds of Beatty employees on active service in World War II received personal letters from W.G. Beatty every three months and every employee was given an opportunity to resume work with the firm upon discharge.
W.G. Beatty passed away in 1957, but his impact on the community will always be remembered.
Year Built: 1912 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Bridge Street 220This corner in Fergus also includes the Beatty Brothers Factory; the swimming pool built by the Beatty Brothers for their employees and the people of Fergus after a drowning; and a number of homes all owned by the Beatty family (all of which are designated).
The Beatty Brothers were manufacturing pioneers since 1874 when George and Matthew started manufacturing farm equipment in Fergus. George and Martha’s sons W. George and Milton graduated from the University of Toronto in 1901 and joined the firm.
This particular house was built in 1912 for W. George Beatty and the original wishing well still remains intact in front of the home.
Year Built: 1912 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Bridge Street 270This single detached dwelling with a 1.5 storey centre gable and rectangular plan long facade is constructed of cut/broken course limestone with cut quoins. The centre facade main entrance is on Union Street with a basement entrance on Bridge Street. This house is estimated to have been built around 1850.
Year Built: Around 1850 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Provost Lane 425This fine example of a stone house was built at the same time as its neighbour, 445 Provost Lane in about 1880 by Robert Steele Sr. Mrs R. Steele opened a grocery and dry goods store in 1876 in 1876 on St. Andrew Street West, which remained in operation until the 1980s as Stedman’s store.
The residence occupies a prominent situation on a corner lot. It is built of square cut limestone with large limestone quoins. There is tape-pointing over the thick mortar.
The right hand bay projects with wood-framed windows in a bay. Two of these windows are round-arched and one is segmental arched. Brackets are seen under the roof of the bay window. The front veranda follows a traditional form with decorative tracery. The roof has a wide gable to the right with a stone chimney also on the right.
Year Built: Around 1880 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Queen Street West 105, Fergus MarketDating from 1879, this building is a prominent local landmark given its location, as it is at a key intersection on the Provincial highway (6).
The building has been carefully maintained by its current owners. Many important architectural details remain intact, including original wooden windows on some of the ‘factory’ section and most of the ‘foundry’ section of the building. One of the most striking features inside the building is the large amount of natural light that enters the building through the large skylight built into the roof.
Parts of the basement of the eastern end of the building date back to the 1850s. The main part of the east or ‘foundry’ wing was constructed in 1878, with additions in 1890, 1908, and 1916. Though the first foundry on site was built by James Grindley, the Beatty Brothers bought the property in 1876, and successor companies continued to operate the growing complex for manufacturing a wide range of products for almost a century. Goods manufactured by the Beatty Brothers were exported from Fergus to locations all over the world.
Given the scale of this business in the Fergus context, and its subsequent importance to every aspect of life in the town through this extended period of time, the original Beatty Brothers factory is a key building in Fergus’s late 19th and early 20th century history.
Year Built: 1879 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  St. Andrew Street East 279This building is a very well-preserved example of a late 19th century stone cottage, prominently located on one of the main streets of Fergus. The building envelope appears to be original, stonework is in excellent, original wooden windows, doors and exterior hardware remain in good condition, including original wooden storm windows. The front porch is of recent construction, but as designed in a manner typical of houses of this vintage.
This building was constructed in 1871 or 1872 for John Wilson, one of the first blacksmiths to find work in Fergus. The building remained in the family until well into the 20th century. The back part of the building includes an original stone (unheated) room that was the location of the original blacksmithing business.
Year Built: Around 1872 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  St. David Street South 190, the Beatty PoolThis building, known as the Beatty Pool, is a prominent local landmark built in 1930, located at a key intersection on Highway 6. Constructed in bold yellow brick, contrasting brown mortar, and a distinctive roofline, its unusual design signals its intended recreational usage. The building has been carefully maintained by the Beatty Brothers, and later the Town of Fergus and the Township of Centre Wellington.
The building was constructed with great pride and with quality materials by employees from the Beatty Brothers factory, the dominant employer in Fergus at that time. For many years, steam from the adjacent factory heated the water, allowing it to be used throughout the winter. It was built to meet a community need, after a drowning in the Grand River. The building continued to serve its purpose for over 75 years before it finally closed. For residents in Centre Wellington, the pool will always signify summer memories.
Year Built: 1930 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  St. George Street WestThis 1865 single detached dwelling was built of broken course limestone with limestone quoins. The tape pointing is prominent and outlines the voussoirs over the front windows. This house features 6 over 2 windows; a central gable; a porch over the front entrance and two chimneys on both the right and left sides.
Year Built: 1865 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  St. Patrick Street East 249This typical 1.5 storey Ontario farmhouse built in 1870 has a rectangular plan long facade with coursed rubble walls and large limestone quoins. The windows are primarily double-hung 6/6. The centre gable window features a rounded arch with a simplified gothic tracery. The centre gable is decorated with a looped gothic fascia. A recent addition on the east side is excluded from the designation.
Year Built: 1870 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Tower Street South 200Built in 1870, this single family detached dwelling is set on a historically central corner of Fergus. It was built of handmade red brick in a stretcher pattern with yellow brick quoins. The windows are segmental arched, or round arched, with yellow brick voussoirs with descending tabs. The roof has a double gable facade with decorative cut fascia. The main entrance is centre front with a four panelled door, two side lights and a segmental arched transom light. The right side of the building projects with a bay window with segmental arches. The original veranda is missing and has been replaced with a porch excluded from the designation.
Year Built: 1870 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Tower Street South 445This 1.5 storey single detached dwelling was constructed in 1863 and features a rectangular long facade, with stucco walls, 6/6 front windows, a centre entrance and gable.
Year Built: 1863 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Tower Street South 490This well-preserved 1.5 storey typical Ontario farmhouse with a rectangular long facade was built in 1882 of broken limestone walls, cut stone quoins and voussoirs, with later tape-pointing. The medium gable roof has a centre facade with a chimney on each side. The modern front porch and rear addition are excluded from the designation.
Year Built: 1882 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Union Street East 276Construction of this two storey single detached dwelling is estimated around 1880 and features machine made red stretcher brick, a square plan, entry right facade, a bellcast roof with gable centre facade, sash windows 6/6 and 4/4 in gable, and a stone basement.
Year Built: 1880 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Union Street West 240This is a fine example of a Georgian style, two storey single detached house. It was built in 1868 of cut limestone broken course walls. The roof is medium gable with a double chimney of stone at each side. The main entrance is centre-front with a single window on each side and three windows above, all 6/6.
Year Built: 1868 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Union Street West 245This one storey detached dwelling was constructed around 1855 and likely has a connection to the Gow limestone quarry, which was nearby. It is constructed of cut limestone in broken courses with large limestone quoins. Although renovations were completed in 2003 which included the replacement of 2/2 double-hung windows with 6/6 windows and a renovation of the entrance, the original limestone voussoirs have been retained.
Year Built: Around 1855 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Tower Street South 680, Fergus High SchoolThe building is a striking local landmark. It was meant to impress, constructed as it is on a slight rise overlooking Highway 6. The original part of the building, constructed in 1927, is completely sheathed in broken course cut stone, accented by elaborate copper entablature across the entire facade. But for the replacement of the original windows, the building remains in excellent and original condition.
Everyone in Centre Wellington who attended the Fergus High School from 1927 until just after the turn of the century is thoroughly familiar with this building. By definition therefore, few other buildings in the municipality would be so well known by many of its residents. It represents a significant phase in the development of the community, exemplifies the importance of education, and was intended to show that by its grand styling.
Year Built: 1927 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw |
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 South River Road 292Based on Georgian style architecture, it is built of uncoursed rubble limestone with classic proportions.
Some of the defining architectural elements include exterior limestone walls, quoins, the windows with 6/6 panes and keystone surmounts.
It was originally the home of mill-owner, J.K. Barrett.
Year Built: 1860s Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Second Line 6666, West Garafraxa Dating from around 1879, this house is based on Georgian Tradition architecture.
Some of the key architectural elements include the exterior squared fieldstone and rubble walls, as well as the quoins and stone voussoirs.
This house was built by William Gibson, a farmer.
Year Built: 1879 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Wellington Rd 18 8724, West Garafraxa Based on Ontario Vernacular and Picturesque architecture, this one and a half storey farmhouse was built in 1875 of fieldstone (mostly granite) with Credit Valley limestone quoins, sills, lintels and voussoirs. The limestone was transported approximately twenty miles by horse-drawn carts. Other significant design points include the elaborate fascia and the finial on the gable end.
It was possibly constructed by a farmer named Arthur Sharp.
Year Built: 1875 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Sideroad 10 7224, Pilkington A redbrick schoolhouse from 1902. The exterior is unchanged except for a
dormer and roof balcony added in the 1970s. The interior has been modified for residential use. The tall classroom windows and entrances remain, and there is a full stone basement extending well above grade. Other key architectural features include the large transom, datestone, and overall schoolhouse appearance.
In 1902, Thomas Bye and his wife sold this property to The Board of Public School Trustees – School Section Number Five. They constructed a schoolhouse. However, the property has changed hands several times beforehand. It is now currently being used as a residential property.
Year Built: 1902 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw Wellington Cty Rd 29 5903, Eramosa, Speedside United Church Octagonal in shape, this very attractive building has perfect acoustics. There is no record of how this unusual style of church was chosen, or where they obtained the plans. Some of the key architectural features include the decorated fascia and brackets on the roof trim, the steeple on the exterior front, pointed stain glass windows with stone voussoirs, Ogee door shaope, and multi-light transom.
On Feb, 5, 1853, at a meeting held at S.S.#3 School house, plans were made to erect a chapel on lot 26, concession 2. Original plans were to build a frame chapel, but finally it was constructed of limestone. Official opening was October 3, 1855, when the ordination of their new pastor, Rev. Enoch Barker took place. Special invitations were sent out to all the ministers in Eramosa Township.
Very little is known about the first building. The debt was paid off in 1868, through a legacy of Mrs. William Armstrong, and by December 17, 1869 sheds had been constructed to accommodate teams of horses. It was likely created by volunteer labour.
There seems to be some mystery surrounding the tearing down of the first structure. The Congregational paper of the day, The Canadian Independent, of Oct. 9, 1879, talks about the need for enlarging the present chapel, but by the next spring, the decision was reversed and the construction of a new church was begun. The question remains as to why a supposedly solid, limestone structure should be removed and a new one put in its place.
The Canadian Independent, Jan. 1890, mentions a ‘Church Re-opening’ for Speedside. According to the Independent, on Sun. October 17, 1909, a re-opening service was held to honour renovations and two large stained glass windows, the gift of Mr. and Mrs. A.S.D. Hill. The manse (the second on the site) was bricked over about 1901. In 1925, the church became known as Speedside United Church. In 1944, a fourth re-decoration including a new roof, occurred in preparation for the 100th anniversary of the congregation. In 1977, the sanctuary underwent improvements.
On Jan.14, 1983, fire destroyed the frame Sunday School Room at the back, presumed to have been caused by faulting wiring. The new Sunday School and Christian Education Wing was dedicated early in January 1984.
Year Built: 1855 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Fifth Line 8404, Eramosa, St. Peter's Church St. Peter’s is a plain, simple stone church of typical Victorian Gothic design laid out in the conventional manner with the nave running east west and with a small entrance porch at the west end and sanctuary and vestry buildings arrange at the east end. Some of the defining architectural elements include the simple lancet windows, pointed arch doors, mounted bell, limestone walls and angled buttresses.
A church was highly in demand in this area ever since the Irish immigrated from in 1856. They would walk to Guelph to the Church of Our Lady to go to mass. The first church in Oustic was a small frame log structure, built in 1865, at the burial grounds about a mile south of Oustic. It was destroyed when St. Peter’s was built.
Built in 1883, it is the most familiar landmark in Eramosa township. In 1893 when St. Joseph’s, Acton, was made a separate parish, Oustic was designated as one of its missions. This arrangement continued until 1936, when Sacred Heart, Rockwood, became a separate parish.
St. Peter’s was closed briefly in 1974 because due to a disinterested priest. The church was re-opened when it was discovered that the community wished to continue worshipping there.
Year Built: 1883 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Sideroad 10 7620, Nichol Dating from around 1860, this house is based on Ontario Vernacular architecture. However, the fine details such as the elaborate fascia is representative of Picturesque architecture.
Other definingg architectural features include the finial on the gable end, stone voussoirs above windows and the random course mixed stone walls.
Although there is no clear record of construction, Charles Mickie and his wife took out a mortgage from Western P.B. Society in 1852.
Year Built: Around 1860 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Highway 6, 7003This single 1.5 storey detached dwelling is estimated to be built in 1860 of a hand-made red brick in a stretcher pattern with occasional rows of common bond, end laid, and ornamental quoins of yellow brick. The windows are mostly 1 over 1 and feature segmental arches of yellow brick voussoirs with descending tabs. The front enclosed porch has been designed to repeat the segmental arches of the original windows.
Year Built: 1860 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  7722 Sixth Line in the former Township of Nichol, The Ennotville LibraryThe library was started in 1847 by early settlers who came to the lower Nichol area. Many of them had brought a few books from the old country, which they passed from home to home. Soon they wanted a central location to make it easier to exchange these books. Land was donated in the hamlet of Ennotville, and so started the library. Through the years this building has housed a number of activities including a campus of the Mechanics Institute; a Sunday school; a community centre with dances and card parties; and voting station for elections of local council, Ontario and federal elections.
At present the building is home to a community centre, with a small collection of books for loan. Several social functions, including family and group events are held throughout the year at the hall. The hall is also used by 4H clubs for their meetings.
A vestibule addition at the front, and a kitchen and bathroom addition at the back were constructed in the 1950s. Nichol Township was also able to create a small park adjacent to the building for public use.
Year Built: 1850s Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  7053 First Line in the former Township of West GarafraxaBuilt in 1892, this 1.5 storey, L-shaped plan, single detached dwelling is constructed of squared fieldstone of varying shades and features a triple bay window with segmental arches on the left facade. Other interesting features include decorative barge-board in the peaks of the roof and dormer gable. The roof line of the bay window is decorated with brackets and above that, ornamental cresting. The house is owned currently by the third generation of the family who originally built it.
Year Built: 1892 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  6377 Second Line in the former Township of West GarafraxaThis one-room schoolhouse is in excellent condition and is entirely original except that the boys’ entrance door has been converted into a window. It is built of squared and coursed limestone with finished limestone quoins, with the rear wall being of stone rubble. The schoolhouse has a regular plan with a short (36ft) facade, and a long (50ft) side. A stone plaque set in the wall shows that it is School Section No. 1 built in 1887. The roof brackets are original. There are four original 6/6 sash windows on each side with finished stone facings and lintels. There is a half-basement with a firewood trap door.
Year Built: 1887 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  6778 Second Line in the former Township of West GarafraxaThis schoolhouse is School Section No. 3 and is dated 1871. It has a rectangular plan with a short front. The original door shave been converted into windows and the main entrance is centre facade. Although heavily re-pointed in Portland cement, and tape pointing, the building is in good condition and is an excellent example of the typical schoolhouse f that period. The important element of this designated property is the facade.
Year Built: 1871 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw |
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  Sophia Street 4Dating from around 1870, this house is based on Ontario Vernacular architecture. However, the fine details such as the elaborate fascia is representative of Picturesque architecture.
There are yellow brick quoins and door surrounds. Additions to the northwest and southwest have continued the use of red brick with yellow brick emphases. A wooden decorative finial stands on the gable end. A simple porch and decorative fascia on the gable end complete the main façade. The side of the house features a triple bay window with brick voussoirs and small brackets.
A one and a half storey red brick residence built in the 1870's, probably for Isaac Modeland.
Year Built: Around 1870 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Geddes Street 353This building was constructed in 1980. It is a very fine example of stone residential construction from this period, located prominently on Geddes Street between Salem and Elora. The original part of the house has been carefully restored by the current owners. The design is a classic Gothic Revival cottage, in this case executed in stone. The original wooden windows remain in place.
The existing survey of the site includes the notation of an ‘Indian Burial Ground’ on the northern corner of the lot.
Year Built: 1880 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Geddes Street 439This building was constructed in 1860 as a roadside tavern, with accommodations for the proprietor. Its construction is plain, but solid, and is representative of the simple needs of this early time in the community’s history. It fronts on the road between Salem and Elora, being built very close to the road to maintain its prominence.
This building can be seen in A.J. Casson’s ‘Geddes Street Looking Toward St. Mary’s Church’, and the current owners used this as a guide in re-constructing a two storey porch across the front of the building.
Year Built: 1860 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Geddes Street 467This building is a fine old stone home with tape pointing, constructed in 1856 by Sem Wissler, one of the first settlers in the area. This building has been carefully maintained and closely resembles its original construction. It is well designed with pleasing lines and is typical for its time.
Sem Wissler was a prominent member of Salem society in the 1800s and is sometimes referred to as the founder of Salem. With his brother-in-law, Levi Erb, Sem was founder of Wissler’s grist mill, located at the south-eastern end of the Salem bridge on County road 18 across from his home. Part of this mill site exists today and is used as a residence. Sem Wissler’s wife lived in the house until her death at 81 years in 1907.
Year Built: 1856 Building Status: Listed Official BylawGeorge Street 19Built in 1880 by Sem Wissler and used as a store and post office. This single detached two storey dwelling with rectangular short facade is constructed of coursed limestone rubble with cut quoins and has a medium gable roof. Recommendation for designation based on historical significance to the village.
Year Built: 1880 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw  Washington Street 482This building was constructed in 1870 for Ezra Wissler, one of the sons of Sem Wissler, the founder of Salem. This building was not only used as Wissler’s residence, but also served simultaneously as a store, and as Salem’s post office well into the 20th century. The separate door for store and post office survive today on the facade of the building. The building maintains its original and pleasing design. The current owners have worked hard to restore the building, including restoration of the original gothic second floor window on the front of the building. The building is clearly visible in a painting by A.J. Casson in the early 20th century.
The building also helps Salem maintain its 19th century character. The home was featured in the spring 2010 edition of ‘Our Homes’.
Year Built: 1870 Building Status: Listed Official BylawOfficial Bylaw  Geddes Street 275Built circa 1868 by stone mason Mr. Sutherland, this one storey singl detahced house features exterior walls of rubble stone with taped joints, field stone voussoirs over symmetrical 6/6 sash windows. The building has a rectangular plan long facade with enclosed veranda, a main entrance centre facade and a low gable roof. Year Built: Around 1868 Building Status: Listed Official Bylaw |
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