Preston, Ontario – My Top 6 Picks

Preston, Ontario – My Top 6 Picks

John Erb, the founder of Preston, was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a Mennonite of Swiss ancestry.  He came to Upper Canada in 1805, acquired 7,500 acres of land from the German Land Company and settled on the site of Preston where the Grand and Speed Rivers meet. He built a sawmill and a gristmill and the community grew around them. The town was originally known as “Cambridge Mills” and was later renamed after Preston, England.

Preston’s location on the Great Road into the interior of the province made it a natural stop for travelers and with its eight hotels and taverns attracted more Europeans than any other village in the area.

Preston was a prosperous manufacturing center for stoves, furniture, woolens and shoes. It became known for its mineral springs.

 

Architectural Photos, Preston, Ontario
252 Dundas Street, Preston – Gore Mutual Insurance – 1935
Architectural Photos, Preston, Ontario
706 Queenston Road – Queen Anne style – a two-and-a-half story tower-like bay with gable, three-story tower with cone-shaped roof
Architectural Photos, Preston, Ontario
222 Dundas Street, Preston – stone architecture – Italianate with two-story tower-like bays on either side of the doorway; dormer in attic between the bays
Architectural Photos, Preston, Ontario
522 King Street – two story Italianate style with dormer in attic
Architectural Photos, Preston, Ontario
552 King Street – Italianate style – two-and-a-half story tower-like bays with projecting eaves and large fretwork pieces resembling brackets
Architectural Photos, Preston, Ontario
480 Queenston Road – Italianate with a two-and-a-half story tower-like bay with projecting eaves and large fretwork pieces resembling brackets