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Here is a little information about Windsor,Ontario,Canada where Shania was born Eileen Regina Edwards.
European settlement remained largely confined to the Detroit side of the river until 1748 when the Jesuit mission to the Huron Indians was established on the south shore (Windsor) near the foot of the present Huron Church Road and the Ambassador Bridge. From 1748 to 1760, a French agricultural settlement developed along the Windsor side of the river, paralleling a similar settlement on the Detroit side.
Sandwich developed over the following decades as the seat of government and the courts for the County of Essex. It still retains a number of buildings of the Pre-confederation Era which are of historical significance and/or which exemplify the Neo-classical and Georgian styles of architecture, which were in vogue during the first half of the nineteenth century. Two such houses are the Duff-Baby Mansion (1798) and the McGregor-Cowan house (c. 1805-09). Several log and timber farmhouses of the 1850s have been identified further east along Riverside Drive.
Although the Ford Motor Car Company was established in Windsor as early as 1904 to gain the benefit of Imperial trade preferences, it was the period during and following World War I which saw the auto industry assume predominance in the City. An area known as Ford City was developed around the industrial complex. Numerous large residences were built overlooking the river at that time. The automotive industry changed Windsor from a relatively slow growing collection of border communities to a rapidly growing, modern industrial city. By the early 1930s, the separate Border Cities of Windsor, East Windsor (Ford City), Walkerville and Sandwich amalgamated politically into a single community with a population of over 100,000. In the Second World War, industrial production increased dramatically, attracting many new workers and resulting in substantial residential growth within the city and in the surrounding townships. The Town of Riverside, incorporated in 1921, had already absorbed some of the spillover. In 1966 the City annexed the Towns of Riverside and Ojibway, and parts of Sandwich East, Sandwich South and Sandwich West Townships. Windsor rose to pre-eminence in the area at an early date, and with a population of about 200,000 at the dawn of the 21st century, it has continued to be, by far, the largest urban centre in the county. WALKING TOURS
The local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee, known
as W.A.C.A.C., is a volunteer committee of City Council appointed annually. With membership from a broad cross-section of the community - architects, educators, historians and individuals with an interest in the City's cultural heritage - W.A.C.A.C. identifies and researches heritage sites in Windsor, and advises Council regarding the designation of properties under the Ontario Heritage Act. Designation offers protection from alterations and demolition as provided for in the Act. The Committee makes recommendations to Council regarding the disbursement of loans and grants from the Community Heritage Fund and other sources for the restoration of heritage properties. It also organizes heritage workshops, Heritage Awards and historical plaques presentations and printed matter. Information may be obtained from the Committee coordinator, Office of the Clerk, 2nd Floor, City Hall, Windsor, N9A 6SI, (255-6435). HISTORIC SANDWICH Ottawas, Potawotamis, Wyandots and Chippewas - the so-called Neutral Nations, inhabited the former Town of Sandwich and neighbouring LaSalle to the south for hundreds of years. As early as 1640 Jesuit missionaries were on the Detroit Frontier, as were such French traders as Etienne Brule and the hardy voyageurs from Montreal. Historians tell us that the Jesuit Mission of the Hurons was established on the south shore of the Detroit River in 1728, and the Neutrals supported it. The area known as Petite Cote (present day LaSalle), below la Pointe de Montreal where the Ambassador Bridge now stands was comprised of narrow undeveloped farms granted to 27 or 28 French families (the first being to Louis Gervais) in 1749. The parish of l'Assomption developed on the Cote's upper end and, after 1760 when the British took Fort Ponchartrain du Detroit, was renamed Sandwich, after its English namesake. Detroit's independence from British rule in 1796 led to the migration of Loyalists to the south shore. The Hon. Peter Russell, president of the Executive Council, purchased a town site from the Hurons for provisions worth £300, had the main streets laid out in a grid pattern (and named them after himself and his English homestead Bedford), and held a draw for the lots. A grand landmark of the end of the 18th century still stands on Russell and Mill Streets - the Duff-Baby Mansion (1798) - whose Frontier Georgian architectural style has only recently been revealed through its exterior restoration. Nearby, the McGregor-Cowan House also survived the American invasion of the War of 18 12 and displays both British and French design elements. The War brought numerous prominent military leaders to Sandwich, including Generals Brock (British), Proctor and Harrison (American) and the great Indian leader Tecumseh. The 19th century was a period of urban development. Merchants, tradesmen and, inevitably, practitioners of the law became established. St. John's Anglican Church was rebuilt following General Harrison's withdrawal from Sandwich, and Assumption's third church above the town site was built and expanded. The hub of the town was the comer of Sandwich and Brock Streets (then called Bedford and Huron) where the fourth courthouse (now Mackenzie Hall) dominated life and provided justice and government for all of Essex County. However, the arrival of the Great Western Railroad at a point several miles upstream at Windsor in 1854 thrust Sandwich into an economic decline. Sandwich was granted town status in 1858. During the 1870s and 80"s the Sandwich Mineral Springs drew thousands from Detroit and beyond to enjoy the purported cure-all - sulphur water. Of the many hotels which were built, only the Chappell House survives, now disguised as the Rum Runners Tavern. The next decades saw few major buildings erected - the Post Office at Mill Street (1905) and the fire hall (1921) partially destroyed by fire in the 1940's. In the midst of the Great Depression (1935) the Border Cities were amalgamated and Sandwich, Walkerville, East Windsor and Windsor were united under the name Windsor. Today, no trace of the legendary mission pear trees remains. These giant trees reached heights of 18 to 24 metres (60 to 80 feet) with an average circumference of 2 metres (6 feet) and a harvest yield of 30 to 50 sweet and juicy bushels. While none of those natural landmarks survive, other landmarks of human handiwork can still tell the story of our historic region. A tour of the former Town of Sandwich should prove both enlightening and entertaining; just follow the map. 1. CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION (1845-1874) 350 Huron Church Road at University Avenue West A Jesuit mission was established at Detroit in 1728. It was first referred to as the Mission of Our Lady of the Assumption Among the Hurons of Detroit in 1741. Inter-tribal unrest caused it to be moved to Bois Blancs Island (Bob-Lo) in 1742 only to have it destroyed by fire in 1747. A new site was chosen on the south shore of the Detroit River at "la pointe de Montréal du Detroit" (now the site of the Ambassador Bridge pylons). By 1749 a new church was built by the Jesuit missionary, Father Pierre Potier, thus making Assumption the oldest continuous parish in present-day Ontario. After the British occupation of Detroit in 1760, French families continued to develop farms in present day LaSalle and Ojibway. A new church opened in 1787, built of timbers (a painting of it survives). By 1826 the population had increased sufficiently to warrant a new church, and the cornerstone of the present Assumption Church was laid on July 7, 1842. The sanctuary and spire were added in 1874. Between 1859 and 1869, Assumption served as the Cathedral of the See of Sandwich under Bishop Pinsonnault. Designated in 1978 under the Ontario Heritage Act 2. ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY (1857-1875-1884) 400 Huron Church Road In 1786, two religious sisters were sent from Quebec to start a school for girls in the parish, under the direction of Fr. F. X. Dufaux, a Sulpician priest from Montreal. The Jesuits opened Assumption College for young men in 1857 at the south end of the present Assumption University building. It is the oldest institution of higher learning west of Toronto and the first secondary school for boys in Southern Ontario. During the threat of Fenian raids in 1866, the old building served as a barracks but, historical value aside, it was demolished in 1965. Architect S. M. Goddard designed the old south wing in 1875, also destroyed (1984). The remaining building, constructed in 1875, includes a chapel (1907) at the north end and is owned by the Basilian Fathers. 3. DILLON HALL (1928) University of Windsor Campus The priests of the Congregation of St. Basil took charge of Assumption Parish and College in 1870. This Gothic Revival structure, first named Assumption College, was designed by architect Albert Lothian. Now referred to as Dillon Hall, after Rev. Daniel Dillon, C.S.B., president of Assumption, 1922-28, it is owned by the University of Windsor. 4. ASSUMPTION CEMETERY (1860) Wyandotte St. West at Huron Church Rd. This graveyard has been moved several times from its original site near the first church on the riverbank (Patricia Street). In 1860, Bishop Pinsonnault moved it to its present location. The gravestones of this cemetery record the names of many of the original settlers of the area. An iron Calvary (1909) rises above the stone markers. 5. WILLIAM J. McKEE HOUSE (1907) 3020 Sandwich Street Originally known as Casa Grande, the house was built for William Johnson McKee and his wife, Mary Baby. Great grandfather Alexander McKee was an Indian agent at Pittsburgh and Justice of the Court of Common Pleas at Detroit in the late 1700s. William, a lumber merchant, was an investor in the horsedrawn streetcar line between Sandwich and Windsor, and was active in politics. William and Mary died within a week of each other and, lacking heirs, the house was left to the Sisters of St. Joseph for a convent. Later, as Charity House and as Brentwood, it provided shelter for counselees. The stately Tudor Revival house has twin gables, leaded glass windows, half-timbering and carved animal faces on the beam-ends. In spite of its recent decline as a rooming house, it has managed to retain its elegant air. 6. CAPTAIN PIERRE MARENTETTE HOUSE (c. 1856) 3066 Sandwich Street Pierre Marentette was an active member of the Sandwich community. In 1858, he was a member of the first town council and, as a blacksmith, was responsible for the shackling of the prisoners of the County Gaol. Marentette served in the Battle of Windsor, fought in 1838, and reportedly shot the Rebel flag-bearer. He was appointed Captain when stationed in Amherstburg in 1848. Some of his seven sons were active as merchants in Sandwich. The modest English Cottage style house has retained its nun's coif gable. 7. McGREGOR-COWAN HOUSE (c. 1806-09) 3118 Sandwich Street This white clapboard house with black shutters retains much of its original building style. It was used as officers' quarters during the Rebellion of 1837-38 and shackles were still attached to the basement walls when the present owners moved in. Local historians place the publishing of John Cowan's newspaper The Canadian Emigrant and Western District Advertiser in this building (1832). The house has the symmetry of the Georgian style. The most unusual feature is the French-Canadian heating arrangement with chimneys on alternate sides of the roofs ridge. The property has housed an antiques business in recent years. 9. DOMINION HOUSE TAVERN (c. 1880) 3140 Sandwich Street A popular wayside inn since the 1880s, the Dominion House Tavern is still the casual dining destination of university students, as it once was of judges and county government officials until the 1970s when the Sandwich courthouse closed. Its hosts have included Daniel Marentette, Eugene Breault, John McCarthy, William Boyer and Sidney Walman. The Georgian vernacular hostelry lost its surrounding verandah when the building was raised to permit the excavation of a basement in 1945. The adjacent Francois B. Janisse House (c.1886) at 3128 Sandwich St. was burned/demolished in 1999. Designated in 1993 under the Ontario Heritage Act. 10. SOLOMON WIGLE HOUSE (c. 1890) 3164 Sandwich Street The vernacular Georgian cottage, owned by the Hanaka family, could be considerably older than the estimated date of 1890. Wigle was a land speculator who likely built the cottage as a rental income property. The house is reminesant of the early streetscape. Designated in 1993 under the Ontario Heritage Act. 11. JAMES McKEE HOUSE (1875) 3165 Sandwich Street The McKee clan was well represented in Sandwich. James, the uncle of William Johnson, built his red brick residence across from the Dominion House Tavern in 1875, but the Sandwich Reeve (1863, 1869-75) and Warden of Essex (1877) wouldnt know his home today, with its creamy paint and added store front. He was the grandson of Col. Alexander McKee, and his nephews grand house (#5) is a testament to the family's mercantile know-how. 12. JOHN SPIERS'GENERAL STORE (c. 1880) 3199 Sandwich Street at Mill Street Spiers store did double duty as the Sandwich post office under his direction from 1885 to 1907 when the fine new facility across Mill Street was opened. Early researchers found evidence that the top floor was used by the J. H. Bishop Fur Company until its building to the west on Sandwich Street was completed. The store's original bracketed brick cornice was removed, but the segmental arched windows can still be seen decorated with molded keystones and labels. 13. JULES ROBINET WINERY BUILDING (1895) 3200 Sandwich Street at Mill Street Jules Robinet, born in Rougement, France, was an entrepreneur with interests in winemaking, the manufacture of bricks and cement blocks, and real estate. Robinet et Frères winery was established in 1883, utilizing grapes from their Concordia Vineyards on Mill and Felix Streets. The dull red brick manufactured was used in the construction of this and many other Sandwich buildings. A triangular pediment, bearing the name St. Antoine de Padoue 1895, rose above the angled facade whose arched entrance welcomed shoppers to Dupuis Brothers General Store, later the Arthur Page real estate office. Designated in 1993 under the Ontario Heritage Act. 14. PERRY-BREAULT HOUSE (c.1895) 245 Mill Street Josiah Perry built the Queen Anne cottage as a summer residence in 1895-97 at the rear of the Duff-Baby Mansion. A decade later it was bought by Eugene Breault, the mayor, reeve, police magistrate and hotelier. Some of the exterior wooden omament has been lost, but that in the interior has been well conserved Designated in 1999 under the Ontario Heritage Act. 5. DUFF-BABY MANSION (1798) 221 Mill Street at Russell Street The frontier Georgian building known as the Duff-Baby Mansion was built in 1798 as part of a trading complex by Alexander Duff, a merchant from Detroit. However, within ten years the local fur trade had declined. Duff (of Leith, Shepherd & Duff) moved the business to Amherstburg, and sold the house (1807) to his friend, the Hon. Jacques (James) Baby (pronounced Bah-bee). Mr. Baby was descended from an influential family from Quebec City and his father, Duperon Baby, was well known in early Detroit. Jacques Loyalist political career included membership on both Executive and Legislative Councils of Upper Canada (Ontario) and, ultimately, Inspector General at York (Toronto). As Colonel of the Militia, he was captured by the Americans during the War of 1812. His house was sacked by Gen. Harrison's troops. Son Charles, a solicitor and Mayor of Sandwich, held the property until his death in 1871. Subsequent owners were Harriet van Cleve (1879), whose grandson sold it in 1905, and Dr. William Beasley. Daughter Isobel sold it to the Ontario Heritage Foundation in 1979. It is held in trust for the people of Ontario. Of French-Canadian construction, the house is built of timber post-and-beam with brick nogging, on a stone foundation, all clad in pine clapboard with a stylish beaded edge. The fanlight above the door is one of the earliest in Ontario, A kitchen ell, burned in 1908, was reconstructed in 1995 as part of exterior restoration by the O.H.F. A drive shed has been reconstructed on the original foundation and archaeologists have found over 75,000 artifacts. Provincial offices now occupy this historic pioneer mansion. Designated in 1977 under the Ontario Heritage Act. 16. SANDWICH POST OFFICE (1906) 3201 Sandwich Street at Mill Street The first Sandwich Post Office (1800- 1834) was located at the home of William Hands where the mail was received and delivered from a sentry box. From there the Post Office passed through several private and commercial buildings until the present building was begun in 1905. This new Post Office was known as the Federal Building and also served as a Customs House. It was designed by David Ewart of the Department of Public Works, who also designed the Windsor Armouries. The Sandwich Post Office was restored in 1986. A new fountain replicates the original, donated in 1909 by William Leech. Designated in 1988 under the Ontario Heritage Act. 17. SANDWICH TOWN HALL (1912) 3255 Sandwich Street Originally constructed to serve as the Town Hall, this red brick building housed the police station and the town library. Its low pitched roof, symmetry, and blind brick arcades suggest the Georgian style. The plans were drawn by the prominent architect C. Howard Crane with Windsor's J. C. Pennington in 1911. The building features a portico with columned entryway, and main door with side lights and transom. Above the first floor triparite windows is a blind arcade of bricks laid in a chevron pattern. A dentilled cornice encircles the building as does the continuous sill under the first and second floor windows. Presently an apartment building, the original slate roof, cupola and balustrade have been removed. 18. MACKENZIE HALL (1855) 3277 Sandwich Street at Brock Street The former Essex County Courthouse is named for its illustrious builder, Alexander Mackenzie, an immigrant stonemason who became Canada's second Prime Minister (1873-79). It is the fourth courthouse on this site. The architect was A. H. Jordan of Detroit. With the new courthouse being built in Windsor in 1963, and the courts leaving the Sandwich building in 1975, the courthouse stood empty until it was restored in 1985. The design was inspired by the Italian Renaissance. Dignity without columns was the term used by Mr. Jordan to describe a facade broken with pilasters which contribute strong vertical lines. The main entrance is characterized by side lights and a fanlight. It is constructed of Anderdon limestone and Ohio sandstone. The carving above the main doorway represents the seal of the Western District of Upper Canada. Mackenzie Hall is owned by the City of Windsor and serves as a cultural centre. Designated in 1978 under the Ontario Heritage Act. 19. REGISTRY OFFICE (1876-77) 356 Brock Street at Sandwich Street The Detroit architect Gordon William Lloyd designed the building whose original three bays were augmented in the 1920s by local architects Sheppard & Masson. Recessed panels and arcading are elements from Romanesque Revival architecture. The blind circular pediments once contained the words "County Registry Office. The building is now used as an office for its newer neighbour at 378 Brock Street - the Windsor/Essex County Gaol, built in 1925. 20. ST. JOHNS CHURCH (1819-1871) AND GRAVEYARD 3305 Sandwich Street at Brock Street St. Johns Anglican Church is the third structure on this lot, one of four lots reserved for church and government. The first Anglican minister of Sandwich, Mr. Richard Pollard, held meetings in the courthouse until the first church was built in 1806. This church burnt to the ground during the War of 1812. In 1819, a new church of brick was built added to in 1843, and a tower constructed in 1852. In 1871, the rear portion of the building was torn down and rebuilt. This explains how the main part of the church came to be built in the Gothic style, while the tower is Norman. This combination of old and new church was officially opened in 1873. One of the oldest graveyards in the area, St. Johns contains the memorial stones of Richard Pollard, Alexander Grant and others such as Askin, Laughton, Spiers, Mason and the murdered doctor, John James Hume. 21. GENERAL BROCK SCHOOL (1999) 3312 Sandwich Street at Brock Street This property, established as a government reserve when the Town of Sandwich was founded in 1797, has been in school use since 1808. The Western District Grammar School, called The Stone College, served as a barracks during the War of 1812. It was again fortified in 1839-40 following the Upper Canada Rebellion. The next school building, built in 1915, was named for the British military hero of the War of 1812, Major General Sir Isaac Brock, who captured Detroit on August 16th 1812, and was killed in action on the Niagara frontier. A major archaeological dig was undertaken on the property in 1998 prior to the construction of the existing building which houses a library, police station and day care in addition to the elementary school. 22. J.H. BISHOP FUR COMPANY (c. 1890) 3330 Sandwich Street The two-storey red brick building once housed the offices of the J.H. Bishop Fur Company, and was part of a complex including warehouses on Russell Street. In spite of its new cladding, the building retains some of the architectural characteristics in its cornice and flat-arched labelled windows along the side facades. 23. BEDFORD UNITED CHURCH (1906) 3340 Sandwich Street Until recently known as Sandwich United Church, the building was the second home of the Methodist Congregation in the town after its move from Mill Street (Methodists amalgamated with other sects to help form the United Church of Canada in 1925). Built of red brick with rusticated masonry, its Gothic Revival style with Romanesque tower is similar to other Methodist churches of this era. 24. BABY-LAJEUNESSE HOUSE (c. 1855) 3402 Sandwich Street at Chippawa St. The modest brick house, now known as the Bedford Scoop Ice Cream Parlour, was built on land granted to Baptiste Baby by the Crown in 1801. The family of local French historian, Rev. E. J. Lajeunesse, C.S.B., owned the house from 1905 to 1943. Designated in 1993 under the Ontario Heritage Act. 25. POLLARD HOUSE (c. 1850) 3474 Sandwich Street Rev. Richard Pollard was a British Loyalist from Detroit. In 1792, he was Sheriff of Essex and Kent; 1793 - Registrar of Essex and Kent; 1794 - Registrar of Surrogate Court; 1800 - Sheriff of the Western District; 1801 - Judge of Surrogate Court, 1802 - Anglican Deacon and, in 1804 - priest, yet the only site that remains in his name is the minuscule brick house, one room in depth, on a timber sill laid directly on bare earth. The gabled roof and flatarched windows are typical of the period. 26. WATKINS HOMESTEAD (1917) 375 Watkins Street This was the home of the late Homer Watkins, well-known member of the town's Black community, a Senior Deacon of Sandwich Baptist Church and a member of the school board. Around the comer at 3616 Peter Street is a two storey, green clapboard house which had been in the Watkins family for four generations. In recognition of Homer Watkins and his family's contribution to the community and the Baptist Church, Lot Street was renamed Watkins Street in 1963. 27. SANDWICH BAPTIST CHURCH (1851) 3652 Peter Street near Prince Road The first Baptist Church in Sandwich, constructed around 1821, was a log structure built by freed slaves. This unpretentious, single storey building was built c.1851 after the Deacons received a land grant from Queen Victoria. The original entryway was a gabled porch while the present crenellated entry was added in 1912. Sandblasting several years ago has caused the deterioration of the handmade bricks, many of which were crafted by the early settlers, former slaves from the States. Designated in 1995 under the Ontario Heritage Act. Named a national historical site in 2000. 28. ROBINET ROW HOUSES (c.1918) 3381-89 Peter Street These two storey rowhouses were built by Jules Robinet to accommodate the workers in his brickyard which was located to the rear of the building. 28a.GAUTHIER HOUSE (c. 1911) 3281 Peter St. This red brick home is a good example of the vernacular "Ontario House" with its lateral-gabled roof and steeply pitched gable on the street front. Originally owned by Jules Robinet, the house was owned for 51 years (1926-1977) by Wallace Gauthier. Designated In 1998 under the Ontario Heritage Act. 29. MASON-GIRARDOT MANOR (c.1875) 3203 Peter Street at Mill Street George W. Mason was a prominent merchant in Sandwich in the late 1800s, having immigrated from Indiana in the 1860s. He and his sons all held the post of Mayor of Sandwich, George in 1892, son Willis in 1888-89, and son Clarence from 1903 to 1906. Francis Girardot, son of Theodule, bought the Mason house in 1895. Francis was the owner of a tobacco store on Ouellette Avenue. The Victorian Italianate house has characteristics of the Second Empire design. Mason-Girardot is distinguished by its detailed facade. The carved entryway is supported by square, decorated columns. The keystone motif above the frame of the windows is repeated on the hooded window on the third floor. The cornice is boxed with frieze and brackets and the roof, recently restored, is metal. The Alan Manor Restaurant now occupies this landmark Designated in 1978 under the Ontario Heritage Act. 30. SANDWICH FIRE HALL (1921) AND STABLE 363 Mill Street Before the upper floor and hose tower were destroyed by fire in the 1940's, the firehall was a handsome Classical Revival building with a wooden temple-like structure at the top of the tower. It was designed by Gilbert J.P. Jacques, a local architect, in 1921. The early stable at the rear survivor of an age when the fire engine was horse-drawn. This former firehall, now owned by the City of Windsor, is the last surviving firehall (with its stable) in the City. It is currently leased to a social agency. This was the site of the first Methodist church in Sandwich. Designated In 1998 under the Ontario Heritage Act. 31. LANGLOIS HOUSE (c. 1888) 351 Mill Street Ownership of the site has been traced to Squire Patterson in 1835, but the house appears to have been built in the 1880s by Thomas McKee or Albert Bondy. By 1904 it was owned by Albert Reaume, whose daughter Marie and her husband, Arthur Langlois made it their home. The original front windows are altered, but other features have been maintained, including the fish-scale shingles. The building is owned by the City of Windsor. Designated in 1998 under the Ontario Heritage Act. VICTORIA AVENUE
- a residential street of harmonious scale James Dougall, the developer of Victoria Avenue, was born in Paisley, Scotland in 1810, and arrived in Windsor in 1830 to establish the first general store in the region. Two years later he married Susanne Baby whose grandfather, Jacques Duperon Baby, owned the large tract of farmland, which was to become the core of today's City of Windsor. Dougall's general store - "Dougall's Emporium" - stood on Sandwich Street (now Riverside Drive West) near the present Cleary International Centre. An astute businessman, he persuaded the town planners to terminate both Victoria (named for his daughter) and Dougall Avenues at Chatham Street, thereby channeling vehicles and pedestrians north on Ferry Street to the front door of his shop. Land speculation grew in Windsor as a result of the arrival of the Great Western Railroad. Dougall was elected to the first village Council in 1854, the first town Council in 1858, and mayor (1859-1861 and again, 1867-1869). He donated land for the first school near his residence on Riverside Drive West. From the outset, Victoria Avenue was intended to be a gracious, residential street. In fact, the Windsor Land and Building Company placed conditions on buyers of building lots, which stipulated a minimum setback of 20 feet, a house value of at least $3,000 (considerable, for that time), and assurance that any business carried on would not be deemed a nuisance on a private residential street. As a result, the earliest houses, built between 1890 and the Stock Market "Crash" of 1929, show diversity of design and, in spite of recent renovations, quality of material and fine workmanship. They were the valued residences of some of the most influential and respected families during this middle period in Windsor's evolution - doctors, merchants, lawyers, educators, politicians and industrialists whose ideas molded this municipality. An old-timer, recalling the 1930s in Windsor, has said, in that decade, "real estate was worth nothing... a house on Victoria would sell for $40,000 just before the "Crash," and afterwards ... if you had a mortgage, they either pressed you for it or took it away from you." Many more fine architectural sites may be viewed beyond Elliott Street, as far as Tecumseh Road, where the unique Art Deco-style church of St. Clare of Assisi stands with its matching, angular, buff brick rectory. (See back cover for photograph) Today, Victoria Avenue is beginning to enjoy a modest renaissance due in part to its proximity the City's core, and growing public appreciation for well-designed, well-built houses on a broad urban thoroughfare. To appreciate Victoria Avenue, it is best to start your stroll on the oldest block at the intersection with University Avenue. 345 The Sutherland-Sheppard house (1896) The Queen Anne Revival Style house - a restaurant since 1985 - was built for the Hon. Robert Franklin Sutherland (1859-1922), Justice of the Supreme Court of Ontario from 1909 to 1922. It was acquired in 1927 by Lt. Col. Ralph F. Sheppard, M.B.E., of the Essex Fusiliers, forerunner of the Essex Scottish Regiment, which gained fame in the raid on Dieppe in World War II. PARK STREET WEST CROSSES 405 St. Andrews Presbyterian Church (1896) Romanesque Revival massing of form and detail are represented in this monumental building, which dominates the intersection of Victoria and Park Street West near the site of the previous church, which was destroyed by fire in 1895. Between 1965 and 1975, the Womens Guild raised funds to replace the original windows with a new set of memorial stained glass panels depicting Old and New Testament scenes. The architect was Spier & Rohns, Detroit, who maintained a Windsor office in the Medbury Block between 1895 and 1904. WYANDOTTE STREET WEST CROSSES 627 The George Nairn house (pre 1900) Another version of the Queen Anne Revival style was chosen by a successful grocer from Goderich, who purchased the land from James A. Straith, a founder of the Windsor Board of Trade and Commerce. The many gables, and windows with diamond-shaped panes are remnants of the early character of this substantial house. 664 Temple Baptist Church (1924) Modified Gothic Revival blends with Arts and Crafts characteristics in the brick and stone urban church whose architect was Douglas C. Winter. A recent addition on the north side shows respect for the original building style in terms of scale, material and setback. The first church was built in 1886 as Bruce Avenue Baptist Church. By 1921, the congregation had outgrown it, and a new site was purchased on Victoria Avenue. 677 The Hon. R. F. Sutherland house (1899) Justice Sutherland (see #345) owned two houses of differing style before the turn of the century. The city directory of 1899 lists him as tenant. He bought the land from the Windsor Land and Building Company for $1,050 and assumed a mortgage for $4,500 to build this clapboard house. The multi-paned windows are a Queen Anne Revival characteristic. 685 The Ernest Bauer house (c. 1895) Another version of Queen Anne Revival has undergone extensive renovation, but its dominant gable and angled two-storey bay help to identify its architectural heritage. Bauer was a member of City Council in 1892, and purchased the building lot from the Windsor Building and Land Co. The current owner has stated that, in 1902, the house was moved to this site from land owned by the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel Corporation. It is also referred to as the Churchill house, after later owners. 694 The Abner F. Nash house (1895) The cone-capped turret, cyclopean stone detail, round-headed windows and ornamental terra cotta insert show the Romanesque influence in this Queen Anne Revival landmark. Nash, who paid $4,530 in 1895 to S. S. Benjamen for the building, was an employee of a utilities company. It served several social agencies in recent years, and has now been restored and adapted to residential use by Can-Am Urban Native Non-Profit Homes. Designated under Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 12086). 706 The H. B. Taylor house (1913) Taylor was a land speculator who bought lots for $1,050 from the Windsor Land and Building Company in 1912. He assumed a mortgage for $6,000 to build his primary residence. It is Neoclassical, featuring a symmetrical facade with a prominent columned entry porch sheltering the fanlight and sidelights of the paneled door. The dentiled eaves add to the character of the house, which is now a fourplex. 718 The David Eagle house (c. 1911) Twin vernacular, clapboarded houses were built in 1911 for David M. Eagle and Noble A. Bartlet, barrister (#728). This twin has a more authentic appearance having been restored by 1982. Eagle was an educator, alderman, reeve and warden of Essex County and served on numerous boards and associations. By 1929 he had moved to a grander house on California Avenue in Sandwich. 719 The Treble-Large house (1895) A typical Queen Anne Revival house, the site was obtained by C. A. Sullivan for $2,400 in 1893. It seems that the house was built shortly thereafter, as Elizabeth Treble purchased the property for $5,000 in 1895. Her daughter, Mrs. Mabel Large, and granddaughters, Mabel and Violet, held the property until 1991. Its current owner has done major restoration and landscape design, giving new life to one of the Citys few remaining towered Queens and enhancing the picturesque quality of Victoria Avenue. It is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 6961). 742 The Taylor-Growe house (c. 1895) Irving Taylor is credited with having built much of the housing in the Citys core. Removal of insulbrick revealed fish scale shingles and wooden clapboard. The current owner is a descendant of the Growe family. The hip-roofed gable is unique on Victoria Avenue. It is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 9622). 759 The Col. E. S. Wigle house Hidden deep in the heart of a white brick nursing home on the corner of Elliott Street is the remnant of one of the finest houses in central Windsor - that of Col. E. S. Wigle. Lawyer, mayor, a diocesan lay-chancellor of the Anglican Church, Windsor Boy Scouts founder, Kingsville pioneer, and soldier, he was buried with full military honours in 1947. 772 The Richard Beasley house (c. 1895) This Shingle-style house was owned by Richard Beasley, an accountant with Inland Revenue, who died within a year of moving in, leaving his widow, Margaret, as owner. The ornamental brick chimney, shingled bay and small eyebrow window in the roof are Queen Anne Revival features, as are the modified tower ells on the west and south facades. 782 George Copeland house (1895) The Copelands who owned this house were prominent merchants. Copelands Bookstore was a Windsor feature for decades, founded in 1874 and expanding to four sites. It carried stationery, gifts and confections. The last store closed in 1992. Georges son Lyle was a Buick dealer from 1914 to 1930 and president of the Windsor Automobile Dealers Association. The house shows its Arts & Crafts character in such features as flared gables, wooden brackets and ornamental brickwork in the south chimney. ELLIOTT STREET WEST CROSSES 801 The W. C. Kennedy house (1914) The former home of the Hon. William Costello Kennedy, P.C., M.P., now a lodging house, features a symmetrical portal with sidelights and tripartite transom, and a dentiled cornice. Kennedy was secretary-treasurer of the Walker Oil & Gas Co., president of the Windsor Gas Co. and the Windsor Chamber of Commerce. In 1921 he rose in Liberal politics to head the Department of Railways & Canals at a time when cross-Canada rail transportation was of great importance. Today, Windsors W. C. Kennedy Collegiate (a secondary school) on Tecumseh Road stands as a memorial to this prominent personality. The Kennedy house, however, has had a less happy fate, having undergone extensive alterations to accommodate a lodging house. 803 The Ernest G. Henderson house (c. 1900) The Arts & Crafts Tudor Revival house exhibits fine workmanship, proportion and detail in its windows, carved verge boards and massing of forms. The massive roofed porch shades pale amber leaded glass with beveled fleur-de-lis. Henderson was a civil engineer from Ireland who came to Canada in 1833 to assist in the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway. In Windsor, he supervised the construction of the Windsor Salt Works of which he became president. (Designating By-law 6961). 806 The Clarke-Bowlby house (1896) - The Poplars This unique house with Romanesque characteristics was built for Alfred H. Clarke, M.P.P. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1882 and left Ottawa for Windsor where he became Kings Council in 1902. He was elected to the House of Commons in 1904, sold the house to Andrew D. Bowlby in 1912, and moved to Calgary to serve as judge of the Alberta Supreme Court, Appellate Division, from 1921 to 1942. The Bowlby family retained the property until the last daughters death in 1988. Bowlby was a merchant, active in civic affairs, who was appointed judge of the Juvenile Court. The large ginkgo tree in the rear yard survives from the Dougall Nursery, which occupied the site after 1850. 824 The Pacaud-Bowlby house (1895) - The Woodsides French language newspaper publisher Gaspard Pacaud built this house where his family remained until 1921. At the age of 26 he was elected M.P.P. for North Essex and became known as Western Ontarios outstanding French-speaking political orator. The picturesque gabled cottage retained most of its wooden detail under the ownership of Margaret Bowlby, whose family owned #806 next door. A blend of Queen Anne, Shingle and Eastlake features enlivens the facade. 825 The Frederick Allworth house (c. 1899) This four-square house with Queen Anne detailing was the 1912 residence of the president of the Windsor Truck and Storage Company. Like many of his neighbours, Allworth was a director of the Windsor Chamber of Commerce. The house was built by Euclid Jacques, a local contractor who was the first tenant. 838 The Kenning-Gow-Wickett house (1906) James H. Kenning purchased this lot from the Windsor Land & Building Co. in 1904 for $800. His house features a Jacobethan gable on the left, a six-columned wooden porch, a decorative brick chimney, and multi-paned windows. Kenning, born in Hamilton in 1835, came to Windsor in 1887 to serve as a collector of Inland Revenue and inspector of distilleries for the Dominion of Canada. He served as chairperson of the St. Andrews Church board of management. James Gow, the second occupant, was an owner of Windsors early department store - Bartlet Macdonald & Gow. Thomas and Eleanor Wickett acquired the house in 1954-55. 849 The Black-Taylor house (1907) This well-detailed Edwardian house combines all the desirable features of the period - a rounded bay, flared eaves, a columned porch, and red brick with stone trim. The decorative oval window is an added bonus. James Black, an editor of The Detroit Free Press, occupied the house c. 1907-13. Alfred E. Taylor, the second owner, was manager of the Bank of Commerce. 850 The Wallace R. Campbell house (1912-13) Before moving on to Walkerville in 1926, Campbell resided here and served the Ford Motor Co. as bookkeeper reporting to the founder, Gordon M. McGregor. He became first president of Ford Motor Co. of Canada (1929-1946). During WW II he chaired the War Supply Board of Canada (1939), set up a company blood donor clinic, and welcomed numerous English refugee children into his home. All of this earned him an honour - Commander of the British Empire. His wife, Gladys, also received a C.B.E. for her work with the Canadian Red Cross. The substantial Arts & Crafts house is red brick with stone trim, a Craftsman style wooden porch with brackets, and quasi half-timbering over the bay. 890 The Major Kenning house (1911) Edward Campbell Kenning, Q.C., came to Windsor from Elora as a child in 1887, attended Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto, and became a partner in the law firm of R. H. Sutherland (see #345 and #677), E. A. Cleary and George M. Grant. He held a commission in the Essex Fusiliers, 241st Battalion, Canadian Scottish Borderers, and saw service in WW I in England and France. This foursquare house is notable for its broad, columned porch and central oval window. 899 The Capt. W. J. Willoughby house (1912) Captain Willoughby lived here in 1921-23. He sold the house to his colonel, Alex Gow, who was second-in-command of the Essex Scottish and Commander of the Tank Regiment. The Essex Scottish Regiment played a major role in the raid on Dieppe in WW II. The Arts & Crafts design features Tudoresque half-timbering, a prominent, gabled porch and an elaborate arched stair-landing window on the north side. 916-18 The William Donald McGregor O.B.E. house (1919) The McGregor family played an important role in Windsors development. Williams father was an M.P. in the Laurier government (1896-1900); his brothers were Gordon, founder of Ford of Canada, and Lt. Col. Walter McGregor. William was a partner of John Duck in the Universal Motors dealership, chaired the Windsor Planning Board, Chamber of Commerce and War Finance Committee. His Colonial Revival house has weathered many owners since his death in 1962. It is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act (By- Law 89-2000). ERIE STREET WEST CROSSES Windermere Road (1912); the vernacular frame houses all in a row on lower Kildare Road (1890s); and a unique quadruplex facing them, designed by Mason & Rice (c. 1889) - to name just a few. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This publication was written and designed by the Citys Heritage Planner for The Windsor Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee. Special thanks to the following for their assistance: Members of W.A.C.A.C. (1977) Municipal Archives Windsors Community Museum Donald Wilson Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd. Major financial support for this publication was provided by the merchants of the Walkerville Business Improvement Area. |
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The first European settlement in the Detroit-Windsor area occurred in the year 1701 when the Sieur De Lamothe Cadillac and approximately 100 military and civilian personnel arrived to found Fort Pontchartrain on the Detroit side of the river.
Although Fort Pontchartrain surrendered to the British in 1760 and the Detroit side of the river was again officially surrendered to the United States in 1783, both sides of the river remained under effective British control until 1796, when U.S. forces took up actual occupation of Detroit. During this period, the settlement continued to grow but remained predominantly French in population, and until 1791 French civil law remained in effect. Few buildings from the period of French settlement have survived, but the street pattern of the City still reflects the French method of agricultural land division i.e. long narrow farms fronting the river. In 1797, the original town site of Sandwich was established to accommodate persons of both French and British origin from the Detroit side of the river who wished to remain under British rule following American occupation of Detroit. This constituted the first urban settlement in what has now become the City of Windsor, and also the first significant migration of English speaking people into the Windsor area.
As the chief port-of-entry to the region opposite Detroit, the Town of Windsor (now the downtown area) was already catching up to Sandwich in population when the Great Western Railway chose Windsor as its termination point in 1854. The arrival of the railway also marked the beginning of significant industrial development in Windsor. Due to numerous fires and the continuous redevelopment of the area over the decades, few of the early buildings in downtown Windsor still exist, but a number of Late Nineteenth Century and Early Twentieth Century buildings remain, including in particular a number of larger, upper income houses in areas immediately adjacent to the downtown area.
The arrival of the railway in 1854 also sparked the foundation of the third of Windsor's oldest settlements, Walkerville. In 1857, Hiram Walker established his distillery at the point east of downtown, where the Great Western Railway first met the waterfront. On his lands, running south of the river, Walker planned a complete town including provisions for industry, commerce, residences and agriculture (Walker Farms). The housing, a large part of which was built by Walker's own contractors, ranged from E. Chandler Walker's estate of Willistead (1906), built in the style of a Tudor manor house, to blocks of row housing for his industrial workers (1880s). Walkerville is a unique example in Canada of a Victorian new town developed by private capital, inspired by that peculiar combination of business and philanthropic motives that characterized Victorian enterprise. Fortunately, many of the early Walkerville buildings still survive in excellent condition.
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 Compiled by Ontario Investment Service, April 2005 | 
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