Fletcher Block
460 Turnberry Street, Brussels, Ont.
( Built: 1878 )
James Leonard’s hotel, on the southeast corner of Lot 11, was listed as one of five hotels operating in the village of Ainleyville in April 1870, although he did not purchase the lot on which it stood until June. He took out a mortgage for $1,000 on the same date, June 20, 1870, perhaps to make improvements to his hotel.
The property was assigned two years later and John Leckie became the new owner of the Brussels House. Later that year it was reported: “Mr Leckie is building an addition to his hotel, 26x40, two stories high, which when completed, will make one of the best hotels in the place and will have a frontage of 50 feet. It is rented to Mr J Martin, late of Goderich.” (Huron Expositor Nov. 8, 1872)
Photo Below: The Holmes Block to the north and the Laird & Richards Block to the south flank the Fletcher Block with its second-floor balcony. The centre doorway was bricked up, as you can see in the building as it is today.
Early in April of 1873, Leckie’s hotel had a close call with fire: “The Brussels House, occupied by Mr. Isaac Martin, had a very narrow escape from being destroyed by fire on Tuesday morning last. About 3 o’clock in the morning Mr. Martin was aroused by the dog that is kept in the barroom making a noise at the door leading into the hall. He at once got up, and on opening the door, the flames were coming through the wall, alongside one of the windows. The alarm was soon given, and even at that still hour of the night a large number were soon on hand. By this time the flames had got up between the eaves. The cornice being very heavy, and presenting no light work, only prevented the roof taking fire. By this time a good supply of pails was on hand. A couple of ladders were placed against the wall, the siding torn off, and with a good supply of water the fire was soon got under. It had also worked in between the ceiling and the first floor, and had burned holes through the floor and carpet in one of the bedrooms. If there had been any wind blowing at the time, or had the fire not been discovered when it was, there would have been very little hope of saving the building. There is no doubt but that the fire was the work of an incendiary. It was started in the wall outside and at the lower corner of one of the windows, off the side street, looking into the barroom. Large drops of coal oil were quite plainly to be seen on the siding just below the window.” (Huron Expositor Apr. 4, 1873)
Later that month, Martin sold his lease to Mr. Richard Lasham, of Goderich. Little over a year later the hotel was sold to Thomas Hall: “Mr. Thomas Hall has purchased the hotel owned by Mr. Leckie and occupied by Mr. Lasham for the sum of $4,000. This is a good property being one of the best business stands in the village.” (Huron Expositor May 1, 1874) Hall assumed the lease from Lasham in August.
The hotel changed hands again, in May of 1875: ‘Mr. John Parker, formerly of Armstrong’s Hotel, has purchased the Brussels House from Mr. Thomas Hall for $5,000. Mr. Parker is a popular landlord, and will, no doubt, do a good business in his new stand.” (Huron Expositor May 14, 1875) Parker re-sold to Hall in November but Hall was in business there for only 6 months when he again sold to Parker: “Thomas Hall has sold the Brussels House property to John Parker, Brussels. Mr Parker took possession on Wednesday last. This is the second time within 10 months that Mr Parker has owned the same property.” (Huron Expositor Apr. 7, 1876)
Advertisement Above: Brussels Post January 30, 1880. Thomas Fletcher was also a ticket agent for GT and CP railways in 1892 and sold spectacles, offering eye testing free of charge, in 1894.
A fire that started in Thomas English’s carriage works over a block away to the southeast threatened Parker’s hotel in August of 1876. It was fortunate that a row of English poplar trees along Thomas Street [now King Street], north of Stretton’s Queen’s hotel, stopped the progress of the fire. In October, Parker sold a 10-foot frontage off his lot to Mr. Fletcher, a jeweller, who had lost his store to the fire. Mr Fletcher “commenced the erection of a store and dwelling.”
J. Mannell was the hotelkeeper of the Parker House in 1877. In September, he took out a livery stable license and started a livery service in connection with the hotel. He was the second licensed livery stable keeper in Brussels. (Huron Expositor, Sept. 21, 1877)
The Parker House was lost to fire in 1878. Parker’s loss was estimated at $4,500; he was insured for $2,800. James Mannell, the lessee, was insured for $2,400. Parker then sold his property to George Ament and moved on to the Queen’s Hotel. Ament, it was reported, intended to erect “a good two-story brick building.” (Huron Expositor, July 19, 1878) Work on the new building progressed rapidly and Ament, grocer and baker, was able to occupy his new brick store on the south part of the lot in December.
Advertisement Above: Brussels Post 1890. Andrew Currie, butcher, had a frame store “next door to Fletcher’s Jewellery Store.” He was in business here from 1885 until 1891.
Ament sold an additional 500 square feet of the lot to Thomas Fletcher who set about rebuilding. He had already moved into his new brick store on the north part of the lot in November of 1878. Belden’s 1879 Historical Atlas of the County of Huron declared Fletcher’s and Ament’s stores “among the best of the business buildings” in the village of Brussels. (See the story about the Ament Block.)
Andrew Currie, butcher, had a frame store “next door to Fletcher’s Jewellery Store.” He was in business here from 1885 until 1891. Currie’s store was demolished to make way for the Laird & Richards Block built in 1891.
Thomas Fletcher installed electric lights in his store in 1890 and in 1891 built an addition of two rooms to the rear of his store. In 1894 he had “new lights of glass and gilt signs” installed to improve his show windows. His second son, Reginald, took over the watch-making and jewellery business. Thomas Fletcher, who had “become an excellent telegraph operator,” concentrated solely on this occupation. (Brussels Post Mar. 9, 1894)
The Post reported an incident at Fletcher’s store on May 25, 1896: “During the rain storm on Monday evening lightning followed the telegraph wires into T Fletcher’s and set fire to the board to which they are attached in the telegraph office. The insulating was also burned off the wires. Mr. Fletcher was fortunately in at the time and with the aid of a mat beat out the fire before much headway was gained. The lightning was very close.” (Brussels Post May 29, 1896)
By 1899 Mrs. Fletcher also worked in the store, looking after the eye testing and sale of spectacles. “Mrs Fletcher, optician, has added another new instrument to be used for testing the eyes. It is said to be one of the best things on the market for the purpose. Mrs Fletcher is bound to have everything the latest in her optical department so as to render the best service possible to her patrons.” (Brussels Post Sept. 13, 1900)
Advertisements - Thomas Fletcher adverts from the Brussels Post, Lower Left: 1892; and Lower Right: 1893.
In 1905 it was Mrs. Fletcher who offered the property for sale; she wished to sell it privately as she was leaving town. The Montreal Telegraph Co. agency was moved to the office of A Cousley. In January The Post reported: “The Optical outfit belonging to Mrs Fletcher has been purchased by Miss Teenie Sample who may be found at the office of A Cousley, ready to attend to the wants of the public in this line. Miss Sample is taking up the regular Optical course and will shortly write for her diploma. We wish her success. Mrs Fletcher will be at A Coulsey’s express office to attend to any person wanting to be fitted with glasses.” The store and residence was sold in February to John Hewitt: “This week Mrs T Fletcher disposed of her store and residence attached to Jno Hewitt, tonsorial artist, for the sum of $2150. He gets immediate possession and will have a tip-top shop and most comfortable home as Mrs Fletcher went to a considerable expense last year in enlarging, modernizing and improving the premises and only sold on account of removing from Brussels. Mr Hewitt has sold the residence he purchased from J Leckie, William street, to AC Dames who will be removing to it. Some say Ab intends to get married but when quizzed he wears that ‘smile that won’t come off’ and answers in a problematic style that still leaves the questioner in doubt.” (Brussels Post Jan. 19 and Feb. 23, 1905)
Advertisement Left: from the Brussels Post July1, 1987. Hewitt moved from his former shop in the Stretton Block. He and his family occupied the apartments in connection with their new store. Two new barber signs were installed. Hewitt was in business here until 1925.
Hewitt’s barbershop was taken over by William Mitchell who cut hair here until 1934 when the shop was sold to John Cameron. William J Martin succeeded Cameron. Martin was in business here 10 years from 1946 to 1956. Cecil McFadden bought the property in 1957 and sold it 10 years later to Murray Lowe. Murray’s Barber Shop opened in 1963 and was still in business today.
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