33 Light Street – c. 1869 – Queen Anne – two story with attic, red brick, slate roof with fish scale slate on towers, gable roof, styled stone lintel, keystone and drip course above windows and doorways, corbel cornice encircle the house at the eaves, dormer casement window in gable has pediment lintel, paired windows in square tower and wall dormer, square tower has steep hip roof, circular tower has cone roof, double door topped with segmental transom39 Light Street – c. 1861 – symmetrical two story, red brick, trunked hip roof, dormer with verge board and paired brackets, corbel bricking on chimneys, central window has stone lintel and basket weave bricks in semi-circle above window, soldier styled drip course, central door has ellipse shaped transom, paired Doric columns support open porch77 Light Street – 1878 – Italianate – two story, white brick, trunked hip roof, decorative cornice with dentils, paired brackets, cut stone lentils on windows, shutters, closed front porch has semi-circular heading, door has tear-drop windows, open balcony. James Hay established the Hay and Company in 1893, which specialized in plywood and veneer materials, later known as Weldwood. Active in Municipal affairs, he was Deputy Reeve and later Mayor 1893-1894. One of the early founders and directors of the Woodstock Board of Trade in 1877, he also built Woodstock’s first waterworks to eliminate typhoid and provide fire protection. He was the first citizen in Woodstock to install telephones in his home and business in 1879.81 Light Street – c. 1849 – Gothic – symmetrical 1½ story, white stucco, gable roof, paired wall door and central gable have ribbon verge board, single brackets; one-over-one Gothic, flat and semi-circular windows, shutters; central paired front door, collared tapered Doric columns support pediment decorated open verandah93 Light Street – c. 1849 – Modern Tudor architectural style – two-story, rug brick, trunked roof, shed dormer, off-centered door107 Light Street – c. 1882 – Italianate – two story, red brick, trunked hip roof, single brackets, two-story bay window, off-centered double doors, collared square posts support open verandah and open balcony157 Light Street – built in 1875 – Queen Anne style with varied roof line, decorated verge board on gables, dormers and tower; second-floor balcony165 Light Street – c. 1874 – Italianate – symmetrical two story, white brick, hip roof, paired brackets equally distributed, side lights and transom flank centered door246 Light Street – c. 1877 – Italianate – two story, buff brick with red brick decorated quoins and string course, hip roof with single and paired brackets and dentils, segmental arch windows with decorated shutters, two-story bay window, porch with turned posts supports balcony, door has ellipse shape transom247 Light Street – c. 1884 – Second Empire, two story, red brick (painted), decorated painted wood shingles on Mansard roof, brick string course and recessed bricking beneath 1st story bay window, double front door with transom is protected by new porch, cut field stone foundation288 Light Street – c. 1861 – Edwardian – two story with attic, red brick, hip roof with gable roof over second story bay window and front extension, painted red wood shingles in gable end with Palladian windows, delicate dentils at roof and porch cornice, two large rectangular windows are topped with beautiful semi-circular stained glass windows, all windows have stone sills and keystone arched brick to match semi-circular windows, tapered Doric pillars support open porch with a small balcony which has turned posts with turned balusters, cut stone foundation81 Perry Street – c. 1875 – designated – Italianate, builder was William Thompson – two story, yellow brick, quoins, trunked hip roof, flat roof closed porch, with decorative paired bracket with semi-circular one-over-one windows, cement platform porch with aluminum railing606 Peel Street – c. 1875 – symmetrical one-story Regency cottage with finished attic, red brick now painted, trunked hip roof, front hip dormer, continuance of roof forms roof of verandah
415 Hunter Street – 1892 – County Court House – Richardsonian Romanesque style -2½ story, rose sandstone with white sandstone lintels and drip molding, steep pitch irregular slate roof, wall dormers with parapet walls topped with finial, semi-circular windows above double hung windows, recessed double doors, framed with Roman arch, supported by pillars, two pillars have carved monkey heads, 2,2 story semi-circular bay windows, large stone newel posts flank stairs, towers, turrets and elaborate chimneys, Centenary stone mounted in the central buttress445 Hunter Street – Public Library – built in 1909 – Beaux-Arts Classicism style – brick, stucco on details such as quoins, columns, portico, Corinthian order columns with flutes, formed metal cornice, flat roof, Carnegie library410 Hunter Street – Neo-Classical Revival – Central Public School – built in 1880 – two story with usable attic, deep wood eaves with decorated brackets, parapet with broken cornice above main entrance, first floor window ellipse and double hung, second floor semi-circular, double front door with ellipse transom, name of school in stone above doorway on second floor, decorated trunked chimneys with corbel bricking, three entrances – boys, girls and teachers lead to large spacious halls, all reached by steps39 Vansittart Avenue – 1880 – Harry H. Powell, President Woodstock Gas and Light Company – Italianate – two story, painted brick, some bricks have paw prints, hip roof, decorative dentils between paired brackets, one-story bay window, decorative shutters, off-centered door, turned posts, sunburst spindles, turned balusters, L shape verandah81 Vansittart Avenue – Colonial Revival – symmetrical two story with attic, dull red brick, gable roof has a pair of dormers separated by triangular window, stone sills and lintels, centered door with segmental top flanked with side lights and ellipse transom, oriel 4-over-4 windows supported with paired thick brackets84 Vansittart Avenue – It was built in 1864 by Mr. Thomas H. Parker, a prominent merchant and first president of the Board of Trade in 1877. Mr. Parker was Mayor of Woodstock in 1878 and 1879. In 1911, Mr. M. W. Rowell was leader of the Ontario Liberal Party and resided here during his term as provincial member for Oxford. Italianate villa – two story with attic, white brick, low pitch gable roof, deep eaves supported by paired brackets, windows grouped, first floor 2-over-2 flat, second floor 1-over-1 flat, decorative wooden lintels, sills supported with brackets, semi-circular windows on second floor, door in tower, segmental transom, hood supports balcony, Doric columns support side verandah, squared off-centered tower has hip roof ending in decorative finial114 Vansittart Avenue – c. 1888 – Queen Anne – 1½ story, red brick, painted blue shingles on gables, gable roof, decorated cantilever brackets on gables, one-story bay window, second floor semi-circular window, off-centered door, sturdy brick pillars support L shape verandah, cantilever brackets122 Vansittart Avenue – c. 1885 – Italianate, Edwardian – two story, red brick, decorative brick string course, hip roof, dentils with paired brackets on corners, off-centered door, stained glass transom, sturdy brick pillars support verandah, decorative string course, corbel bricking on chimney123 Vansittart Avenue – c. 1860s – Neo-classical – two story, trunked hip roof, single brackets, 9-over-9 flat windows, off-centered door flanked by side lights and rectangular transom, turned posts and spindles and balusters support verandah133 Vansittart Avenue – Gothic Revival – 1½ story, white brick, steep pitched gable roof with decorative paired exposed rafters, Gothic wall dormers and roof ends decorated with finials, flat windows grouped, centered door, rectangular transom, decorative shutters, paired square pillars support open verandah140 Vansittart Avenue – Tudor Revival style – 1½ story, stucco/timber in gables, salt box roof and gable roof at rear with gable wall dormer, multi-lights in grouped casement windows, off-centered door209 Vansittart Avenue – Vernacular – two story with apartments in attic, steep gable roof, south window has diamond lights with lead muntins, pediment verandah is half open and half closed with shingle sides and wood piers210 Vansittart Avenue – built in 1895 by Thomas Leopold “Carbide†Wilson, inventor of the first commercial calcium-carbide process for the manufacturer of acetylene gas. It was the residence of the Sisters of St. Joseph’s until 1975. It is a voluptuous two-story house with finished attic of irregular shape in Richardsonian Romanesque style using contrasting brick, cut stone and hanging tiles – stone main floor, red brick second floor; steep red slate roof, red tiles in gable end and small casement windows, several balconies, large shed roof verandah, brick posts, turned balusters, lattice skirt, a porte-cochere for people to be protected from weather when leaving buggy or cars, off-set tower487 Princess Street – This house was constructed by Ralph Bickerton, carpenter and builder, as his family home in 1881. His sons, William John, Robert George, and James Graham, established in 1885 the nationally-known Bickerton Brothers Harness and Saddlery business. Italianate, Neo-classical – symmetrical full two story, red brick, dichromatic brick accent, trunked hip roof, decorative pediment above entrance, paired brackets on wide cornice with dentils, decorative shutters, centered door with etched glass transom, Doric columns support classical pediment roof
10 Wellington Street South – Italianate, hipped roof, cornice brackets, pillared verandah supports, dentil molding on verandah cornice, spindles on verandah surround45 Wellington Street South – c. 1853 – L shape, 1½ story, white brick, gable roof, has delicate verge board with central pendant post, 2-over-2 windows on second floor, 1-over-1 rectangular window in pairs on main floor, shutters, one-story bay, bell roof over door with a rectangular transom57 Wellington Street South – Edwardian, Ionic capitals on verandah pillar supports62 Wellington Street South – c. 1874 – Italianate – L shape two-story, white brick with decorative quoins, trunked hip roof, deep eaves with wide cornice, dentils, smaller paired brackets and larger single brackets, paired chimneys, 2/2 segmental windows, one-story bay window, door has segmental transom protected with roof supported on large brackets95 Wellington Street South – c. 1853 – Neo-classical – square, symmetrical full two-story, buff brick, hip roof, 3-over-3 bays, 2-over-2 rectangular double hung windows, decorative aluminum shutters36 Wellington Street North – c. 1854 -Queen Anne – full two-story with attic, red brick, gable roof, two hip roofs with dormers, two-story bay window with gable roof, verge board with pendant posts and large brackets, porch and balcony have turned posts, spindles, lattice and brick-a-brac, string course is patterned brickwork, six-sided two-story tower with steep hip roof topped with finial, paired post support gable roof side porch82 Wellington Street North – The Neo-Classical designed house and coach house were built for the family of Jennet (McDonald) and Homer Pratt Brown in 1860. In 1844 Brown became a partner with the Woodstock Foundry (515 Dundas Street). Brown was a member of town council, Mayor in 1861 and County Treasurer for many years. The sills and supporting lintels were metal and made at Brown’s foundry. Since Brown was an active member of the Masonic Lodge there is an emblem of the Eastern Star, as a window, found in the pediment above the front door. The squared, paired, Doric pillars frame the front porch which shelters a rectangular transom and side lights which are divided into many rectangular lights. Decorative brackets in pairs add symmetry to the design. Each window has a decorative lintel; above the second-story front hall window, there is a larger stone lintel with an English Rose on each side of acanthus leaves; small brackets of acanthus leaves support the lintel.419 Drew Street – c. 1886 – Edwardian, Tudor Revival – two story with attic, red brick, filled in balcony in half timber, patterned grey slate gable roof, projecting eaves with thick cornice, variety of styled windows, large semi-circular window in upper floor with brick headings, keystones, centered door protected by open large brick piers, porch with closed balcony, 2 rows of dog tooth string course, brick lintels, decorative brickwork on chimney405 Drew Street – c. 1891 – T. McClay, builder – Romanesque – large two story with attic, red brick, trunked grey slate hip roof with painted green wooden shingles in gables, projecting eaves, curved corners with brackets, front gables, center square tower supported by Roman arch is topped by a finial, four arched windows in tower, triptych window, large semi-elliptical shape window on main floor, flat 1/1 double hung stained glass window on upper floor, flat 1/1 double hung windows are topped with stained glass, center door is found beneath arches of tower, ellipse stained glass transom, open side porch with turned wooden balusters; decorative, horizontal parallel brick lines on both floors; corbel bricks cornice edge of tower and chimney376 Drew Street – c. 1852 – Edwardian – L shape two story with attic, red brick, trunked hip roof with one gable dormer and one gable both with green painted shingles in a pattern, gable end has Palladian window with decorated cornice in apex, center door is protected by square piers, open porch321 Drew Street – c. 1860 – Ontario Vernacular – 1½ story, buff brick, front gable roof, decorative verge board, string course, drip molding and decorative corbel bricking frame, semi-circular 1/1 windows, small square colored glass in front windows, side porch with turned posts, spindles and brackets, flat roof with shingle skirt protects closed and open porch, slat skirt315 Drew Street –c. 1855 – Queen Anne – two story with attic, red brick, trunked hip roof, oriel roof on side of house, gable roof above two story bay window, decorative dentils, triangular window in gable, top light stained glass, hip roof on open balcony supported by Doric pillars, closed verandah with gable roof on porch with Doric columns, corbel bricking on chimney385 Brant Street – The dwelling was built about 1890 for Thomas A. McCleneghan, Deputy Postmaster and son of Alex R. McCleneghan (81 Perry Street) who was Postmaster. The dwelling is of the Regency style, 1½ stories, low hip roof and cottage appearance. The center door, flanked by large square windows, is typical of this style. The front entrance is flanked by three windows topped with an ellipse shape segmented head window. On the front porch, the ellipse and square designs are repeated in the lattice work. The brick work features beautiful brick work in the drip molding and chimney. Other details include a rectangular patterned verge board, an iron-crested bay window accented with a pair of finals and a continually repeated pattern or rectangular patterns in windows and brickwork. The McCleneghan family were active in the business and social life of Woodstock and contributed greatly to the development of the city. It remained in that family until about 1920 when it was sold to Robert S. Bickle, President and Founder of the Bickle Fire Engine Ltd. Mr. Robert S. Bickle was a pioneer in the manufacture of fire trucks and firefighting apparatus in Canada. His company prospered and provided equipment of the highest standard to industries and municipalities throughout the country. As the business expanded it became allied with the Seagrave Company of Columbus Ohio, becoming known as Bickle-Seagrave Ltd. and later King-Seagrave Ltd. Mr. R. S. Bickle was succeeded by his nephew, V.B. King. The company further expanded to include King Trailers Ltd. and also Truck Engineering Ltd. In 1954, it was purchased by Herbert Webster, Field man for the Ontario Co-operative Milk Producers.543 Henry Street – Canadian National Railway Station – built 1880 – now VIA – gables with verge board trim, corner quoins, fretwork with trefoil cut outs
Woodstock is located in the heart of South Western Ontario, at the junction of highways 401 and 403, 50 kilometers east of London and 60 kilometers west of Kitchener. Woodstock is the largest municipality in Oxford County, a county known for its rich farmland, and for its dairy and cash crop farming. As well as being “The Dairy Capital of Canadaâ€, Woodstock also has a large industrial base, much of which is related to the auto manufacturing industry.
In 1792, Sir John Graves Simcoebecame Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada and made plans for the development of the interior of Upper Canada. He envisioned a series of town sites linked by a military road and a system of rivers and canals, providing inland access during an era when commerce and settlements depended on major waterways. London, Chatham, Dorchester and Oxford were designated town sites with London as the defensible capital. The military road stretching from Burlington Bay through Woodstock to London provided an overland supply route for the safe movement of troops and settlers. Simcoe named this road Dundas Street after Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies.
To
speed development in the sparsely populated interior of the province, Simcoe
granted whole townships to land companies who were obligated to bring in
settlers. Simcoe passed through the area now known as Woodstock and noted it a
suitable “Town Plot” and settlement began here in 1800.
In the 1830s, a different group of immigrants were encouraged to settle in Oxford to ensure this community’s loyalty to the British crown. British naval and army officers placed on half-pay looked to the colonies for a new career at the conclusion of military service. The first to arrive was Alexander Whalley Light, a retired colonel who came to Oxford County in 1831. He was joined by Philip Graham in 1832, a retired captain of the Royal Navy, and Captain Andrew Drew, on half-pay from the Royal Navy, arrived in Woodstock to make preparations for his superior, Rear-Admiral Henry Vansittart, also on half-pay. Half-pay officers went to considerable lengths to clear their chosen parcels of land.
Admiral Vansittart commissioned Colonel Andrew Drew to build a
church (Old St. Paul’s) in a new area of Oxford that was known as the
“Town Plot”. The men later quarreled, which led to the construction
of a second church known as “New St. Paul’s”.
73 Wilson Street – Italianate/Second Empire – type of mansard roof with dormers, paired cornice brackets, bay window, window hoods50-52 Wilson Street – 1856 – Italianate – symmetrical two story, red brick on face, yellow brick on sides, double unit, trunked hip roof with five-sided roof over second story bay, doors have segmental transoms500 Dundas Street – the current City Hall was constructed of pink sandstone in 1901 as a post office; for over one hundred years it has been the center of the municipal and social life of Woodstock. The corner tower has four clocks. It housed the local government and served as lecture hall, opera house, and assize court. It is basically eighteenth-century Palladian architecture.723 Dundas Street – Old St. Paul’s Church – 1834 – The red-brick church was designed in the Gothic Revival style – lancet windows, dichromatic brickwork. The front elevation has a classically-inspired cornice return, a semi-circular transom over the main entrance door with a brick pediment and pilasters. The tower has a hexagonal cupola with louvered, pointed-arch openings. The base of the cupola is decorated with a dentil trim and bracketed cornice. The low-pitched, timber-frame roof is an example of construction methods used during the 1830s. Old St. Paul’s was closed in 1879 (when New St. Paul’s opened) but re-opened to serve the Anglican community in 1882.Finkle Street – The Oxford Hotel, located across from Market Square and the Town Hall in Woodstock was built in 1880 as “The O’Neill House†in Romanesque style. It saw guests such as Oscar Wilde and Reginald Birchall.39 Victoria Street – c. 1877 – Neo-Classical cottage – 1½ story, buff brick, hip roof, dormer, wooden lintels and brackets support window sills, wood shutters, three-panel double door on storm porch45 Victoria Street – c. 1854 – Italianate, two-story buff brick with red brick quoins, trunked hip roof with Neo-Classical pediment above the front entrance; wide cornice with small brackets ending with larger paired brackets at the corners447 Buller Street – Colonial Revival – 1½ story red brick and white siding, symmetrical, gambrel roof, large three-light shed roof dormer, center door has side lights445 Buller Street – fretwork, oval window in main gable, round window in small gable467 Buller Street – c. 1848 – Italianate – full 2 story, white brick, single unit, asphalt shingles, hip roof, projecting eaves with single brackets, segmental shape windows, a one-story bay window is topped with twin windows on second floor, off-centered door has semi-elliptical transom, small porch roof protects this area, shutters on windows across front of house126 Graham Street – c. 1860 – Second Empire – symmetrical three-story white brick, mansard roof, dentils, decorative cornice with large brackets, two-story bay windows flank entrance, decorated cut stone lintels, rough faced stone lintels second floor, dormers have decorative wooden frames, large front door is flanked by transom and side lights, an open portico protects the entrance – now Park Place Retirement Centre
