Town Hall
72 Main Street South, Seaforth, Ontario
( Year built: 1893-94 )
Seaforth Town Hall is a fine example of late 19th-century civic architecture. The style is a simple version of Romanesque Revival, commonly used at the time for administration buildings. A key feature is the central tower projected out from the main part of the building. The front entrance, hidden beneath the gabled porch, has a tall round-arched opening. The round arch is echoed in the windows and window hoods, the original doorway opening to the fire hall, and in louvered windows at the top of the tower. Subtle detail was added to the red brick walls in the raised banding and decorative panels.
The building originally housed the fire hall on the main floor, town offices on the second floor, and an auditorium with stage on the third. The Mechanics’ Institute also had a home in the Town Hall. A Huron Expositor article written May 4, 1894 had this to say about the new Town Hall:
The building, not anything elaborate, is showy enough for a town of this size and it will be serviceable as if it cost three times the money. In fact, we are safe in saying the town has got good value for every dollar spent. The exterior of the building is very good, while the interior could not be better arranged for convenience and comfort, and it will supply the requirements of the town for a great many years to come. The rooms are large, airy and conveniently situated, and there is ample accommodation for every department of the town’s municipal machinery.
An earlier Huron Expositor article of March 2, 1894 remarked on the magnificent view to be had from the bell tower: “On a bright, clear day, Clinton can be seen with the naked eye, and the whole surround-ing country is spread out below one like a map.”
The original Town Hall was in the Market building at the intersection of Market and Jarvis streets. The Market House was a large two-storey frame structure built in 1866. It was used as town hall, fire hall, drill hall, council chamber, and market building with the town scales. To save money on rent, the town clerk’s office moved from Market House in February 1882. On August 23, 1891 the Market House burnt. Although arson was suspected and a $300 reward offered, it was never claimed. The unique position of the Market House in the intersection of the two roads was lost when the road was changed soon after, closing the Market Square part of Jarvis Street.
In 1892, the citizens decided on a location for a new town hall, but heated debate continued over the type and cost of the building to build. A vote of the ratepayers taken in March 1893 decided for a three-storey over a two-storey hall. Young & Causey of Stratford won out over local bidders and was awarded the contract in April, at an estimated cost of $8,250. The finished cost was closer to $10,000.
Long before the Town Hall was built on this lot a number of small businesses flourished here. From the 1860s to 1872, Alonzo Strong owned the land and had a livery and sales stable well back on the lot. Thomas Bell took over the livery in 1872. Earlier in 1871, Bell sold his furniture and cabinet stock to Messrs. Sparling & Scott. The August 3, 1873 Huron Expositor informed the public: “Messrs. Davidson & Campbell, of the Commercial Hotel, in company with Thomas Bell, have purchased from Armstrong of Brussels and Ross of Seaforth their stage business between Seaforth & Wroxeter.” By Septmeber 5th, it was reported that Bell had taken full control and by November had purchased land and planned to build a new livery stable. Plans soon changed, however, as by January 1874 Bell had resold the Seaforth-Wroxeter stage line back to Armstrong.
In 1873, Alonzo Strong bought all the land adjoining the Commercial Hotel for $1,200. The Huron Expositor reported in their November 6, 1874 issue: “Mr. Strong has completed his building opposite Market street, and one of the stores is already occupied by Messrs. Strong & Fairley, and the other has been leased by a gunsmith and watchmaker.” Strong & Fairley had a grocery store.
The Dominion Telegraph Company built a frame office to the south of Strong’s building in 1873. William Elliott was the agent in charge when the office opened for business in June 1873. A succession of barbers had shops in part of this building – John R. Wood in 1876, John Eades, in 1877-78, James Constable in 1879-80, James McMullen in 1882-83, and Joseph Klinkhammer in 1884. James Best, a Barrister, had law offices here from 1886 to 1889.
The grocery in the north part of Strong’s building was run by Matthew Morrison from 1876 to 1882; George Good was here, briefly, in 1884. Amandus and Thomas Beam, Butchers, had a shop in this space in 1885-86, becoming Beam & Archibald in 1887-88. Luke Beatty & Co. had a store in the south part in 1876-77. Sydney Jacobs had a tinshop in this store 1878-79. Robert Willis had his shoe shop here in 1880; John Kidd Jr. had a business here in 1882; and, N.A. Glass ran a bakeshop here in 1883. James Burgess had the bakery and confectionery here from 1884 to 1890. W.G. Glen was the baker and restaurant owner here in 1892.
Part of the telegraph office building was occupied by James Ward’s harnessmaking and saddlery shop in 1879-80, and again from 1886-92. In the interim years, it was a butcher shop run first by Thomas James in 1882, then by R.A. Winter in 1883, and John Butt in 1884.
Advertisements Above Left: From The Huron Expositor of February 9, 1877. Above Right: Shown in the September 14, 1877 issue.
The Huron Expositor of May 27, 1892 reported that a fire in the frame buildings owned by Strong was caused by a hanging lamp in W.G. Glen’s restaurant. John Ward, Saddler, was the occupant of the second store and the C.P.R. Telegraph Office adjoined Glen’s restaurant. Alonzo Strong had died just months earlier, in February of 1892, so it was his widow who was left the task of rebuilding. She sold this lot, Lot 19, to the Town of Seaforth.
The small part of the lot between Strong’s Block and the Town Hall had remained vacant since the fire in 1892. Many years later, in 1955, a small building was added to the north end of the Town Hall, to house the police station. In 1957, the fire hall was converted to the town Clerk’s Office, Council Chambers and PUC office, and the front porch was removed. These renovations reportedly cost almost as much as the original building. The front porch, with wheelchair accessibility built in, was reconstructed in 1989. Further changes were made to the interior after Seaforth Town Hall became the hub of the amalgamated municipality of Huron East. The building now houses municipal offices, Council Chambers, and the Seaforth & Area Museum.
Above Photo: In this photograph taken in 1914 you can see the original location of stairway leading to the second floor.
 |
|
Click here to download a printer friendly version of the Historic Seaforth - Town Hall web page in Adobe PDF format. The PDF file size is: (289 kb)
Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0 (or higher) is required to open and view any Adobe PDF files. Please visit the link to obtain your free copy of this software.
