Hagersville, a community in Haldimand County, is located about 45 kilometers southwest of Hamilton, Ontario, and 15 kilometers southwest of Caledonia.
In 1852, Charles Hager built a frame hotel at the corner of the Plank Road and Indian Line. It was called The Junction Hotel and later The Lawson Hotel after a change in ownership. Hagersville’s first post office was in this hotel. With the construction of the Plank Road, a small village popped up in 1855 when Charles and David Hager bought most of the land in the center of the area. David Almas owned the land on the east side of the road, while John Porter owned the land in the west end. Joseph Seymour suggested the community be called Hagersville to honor the Hager brothers.
The building of the Canada Southern Railroad in 1870, and of the Hamilton and Lake Erie Railway three years later helped to make Hagersville a prosperous village.
Hagersville gained notoriety in 1990 with a huge uncontrolled tire fire which spewed toxic smoke into the atmosphere for seventeen days. The fire actually occurred in Townsend, a neighboring community, but media labeled it as Hagersville due to Townsend’s relatively unknown status in the area.
Italianate style, dichromatic brickwork, two-storey bay window
Gothic Revival style – verge board trim, bay window
Jarvis, Ontario – My Top 6 Picks (the photo book also includes pictures in Port Dover)
Jarvis is located near the towns of Simcoe, Cayuga, Port Dover and Hagersville. Jarvis is strategically located at the junction of Highways 3 and 6. Jarvis has some excellent examples of brick architecture. Many of the historic homes were built after 1873. Many of the town’s restaurants and shops are clustered around the intersection of the highways. The majority of the buildings are red brick.
Jarvis Train Station
2145 Main Street – Gothic Revival – verge board trim, bay window with cornice brackets
45 Talbot Street – Second Empire style – mansard roof, dormers in roof, single cornice brackets, cornice return on small gables on window dormers
c. 1847 – Italianate, hipped roof, dichromatic brickwork
2092 Main Street – Italianate – c. 1870 – Italianate style
60 Talbot Street East – Italianate style with frontispiece, triangular pediment, dormers in the attic
Southampton is located on Lake Huron at the mouth of the Saugeen River. It is located south of Sauble Beach and north of Port Elgin.
In the spring of 1848, Captain John Spence, a native of the Orkney Islands in northern Scotland, arrived at the mouth of the Saugeen River after an overland journey on foot from Owen Sound. He was impressed with the potential of the area, returned to Owen Sound for provisions and the following year built a cabin near the mouth of the river, becoming Southampton’s first permanent settler. His wife and family joined him in 1850. He bought the fishing schooner “Sea Gull†for coastal trade along the shores of Lake Huron.
It is quiet and peaceful on Southampton’s beach, a four-kilometer-long stretch of shore. The wooden Long Dock extends towards Chantry Island with its lighthouse in view offshore.
33 Victoria Street North, the old public school – now houses the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre – 1878 – yellow brick – Italianate style with Two-and-a-half story tower-like bay with two-story tower above, iron cresting on top107 High Street – Chantry Breezes Bed and Breakfast – George E. Smith, Customs Officer – c. 1907 – Queen Anne style – spacious wrap-around porches, patios, flower gardens, mature trees, one block from white sand beaches of Lake Huron, has seven tastefully decorated bedrooms featuring antiques, historic charm and en-suite bathrooms25 Huron Street North – Magnus Spence, Gentleman – 1896 – Italianate style with two-and-a-half story tower-like bay with projecting eaves, paired cornice brackets, cornice return on gable201 High Street – constructed by James Howe in 1887 as a private library and used as a Mechanics Institute until 1892; from 1896 to 1955 it housed a public library – yellow brick, Gothic Revival style, cornice return on gable – In 1957 it became the Southampton Art School.#44 – Gothic Revival – one-and-a-half stories33 Albert Street South – The Customs Agent once lived in this house, which was built in 1902 by the Bowman Family who were owners of the local tannery. Gothic Revival/Queen Anne style – large fretwork pieces resembling brackets
Orange Lawrence helped to develop the community. He bought 300 acres, laid out the southeast part of town, bought Grigg’s Mill, opened a general store and a tavern, built a second mill, founded the first school, and became the village’s first postmaster in 1847. He left a strong mark on the community which took the appropriate name of Orangeville.
Immigrants from Ireland and other parts of the British Isles and Canada West came throughout the 1840s and 1850s with some establishing successful mixed farms while others settled in the village and became the landowners, merchants, and tradesmen whose needs lead to the development of good transportation routes.
It was the foresight of Orange Lawrence and Jesse Ketchum that had large sections of land on either side of the main street laid out for both commercial and residential building lots. The south side followed Mill Creek while a regular grid pattern was determined for the streets on the north side from First to Fifth Streets both east and west and north to Fifth Avenue, with a wide main street called Broadway. This 30-metre (100-foot) avenue was not typical of Ontario towns of the time, but has proven to be very valuable over the years. In 1875 the Town Hall was constructed, and in 1887 the first telephone exchange was established, but it wasn’t until 1916 that electricity came to the town.
The old town of Orangeville is still alive today. Some of the buildings on Broadway have been demolished; others have been renovated, while others remain as they were when they were built 120 years ago.
There are hundreds of old buildings in Orangeville which have retained their 1800s architectural styles and character. The first Orangeville book covers the beginnings of Orangeville with pictures from the south side of town, and buildings on Broadway. An appendix is included to describe architectural styles and terms which are referred to throughout the book. The second book covers buildings to the north of the town, as well as pictures taken in surrounding villages of Laurel, Caledon Village and Mono Centre.
16-18 Wellington Street – King House c. 1888 – Second Empire style – large brick house, mansard roof, ornamental ironwork – Orangeville Book 187 Broadway – Orangeville Town Hall – built to serve as town hall, municipal offices, market area, opera house – c. 1875 – Italianate architecture with projecting roof eaves, paired cornice brackets, pedimented roof line, and use of contrasting brick colors – the cupola is a prominent feature – Orangeville Book 2269 Broadway – Italianate – wide porch, pediment (low gable over the door) with decorated tympanum, Ionic capitals on the pillars – Orangeville Book 2283 Broadway – Romanesque – massive shape, tower on side and front, large arches over windows – Orangeville Book 251 Zina Street – Dufferin County Court House – Classic Revival style built in 1880 with three towers that project from the facade, the center one most prominent; buff brick for decorative window hoods, bands, panels; cornice and capitals on red brick pilasters; projecting gable ends with triangular pediments and decorated tympanums – Orangeville Book 31st Line and Highway 9 – Italianate style – decorative verge board on gable, paired cornice brackets, quoining on center tower and corners, rounded window voussoirs with keystones – Orangeville Book 3
