Dominion Block
90 – 94 Main Street South, Seaforth, Ontario
( Year built: 1874 )
Before the Dominion Block was built, there was a two-store building here. In 1864, Christopher and Frank Paltridge had their photo-graph gallery in one part. William Rolls had a drugstore and his home in the other part. George and William McPhillips, Provincial Land Surveyors, built their home south of this store. When it was advertised for sael in1873, it was listed as “a handsome private residence.”
In April 1874, William Elliott and Alex Armitage bought this lot and the lot to the east. On the Victoria Street lot they built a house for the Bank of Commerce managers. This house later became Seaforth’s first hospital.
On Main Street, Elliott and Armitage had the Dominion Block built, also in 1874. The November 6, 1874 Huron Expositor reported on the building’s progress: “The brick work on the large building being erected by Messrs. Elliott & Armitage, on the McPhillips property, is now completed. Mr. Copp, of Kippen, the contractor, has made an excellent job, and has finished his contract in good time. Mr. Copp is a good workman and a reliable man, and the proprietors were fortunate in placing the work into his hands. This building will be a very important addition, as well as an ornament, to the town, and we trust it will prove a remunerative and profitable speculation to the enterprising gentlemen who have invested their means in it. Mr. Walsh has the contract for the carpenter work on this building and also on the Oddfellows’ hall and store.”
When the Dominion Block was completed, what was then the Royal Canadian Bank, moved into the north of the three stores and was here until the Bank of Commerce building was built in 1905.
Above Left Photo: The Dominion Block as shown in Seaforth Biographical & Historical, a 1902 souvenir edition of The Seaforth Sun. Occupants of the building are the Bank of Commerce, Charles Wilson’s Lunch Room and Edward Dawson’s Liquor Store. The Advertisements Above Right: From The Huron Expositor, August 13, 1869; Below Left: Shown in the February 9, 1877 issue.
Joseph Brownell had a grocery store in the second store. William Elliott had a bookstore and a telegraph office in the third part. On March 3, 1875 The Huron Expositor noted: “Dominion Book Store – Mr. Wm. Elliott has opened a new Book & Stationery Store in the Dominion Block, south of the Commercial Hotel. He has a first-class stock of new goods, and will sell cheap. See advertisement next week.” Also, in the same issue: “New Grocery – Mr. Joseph Brownell is opening up a choice stock of family groceries in the Dominion Block, nearly opposite the post office, and will be ready for business tomorrow. His advertisement will appear next week.” Brownell had his grocery here until 1882. Elliott’s bookstore was replaced by Charles Papst’s stationery store in 1877 and then by Beattie & Gouinlock’s Salt Association offices from 1879-82, and Alex Armitage’s office above from 1879-85.
For the next 25 years the south store was a liquor store first run by John W. Carroll in 1884, then by Edward Dawson from 1888 to 1908.
When the Bank moved out, the Kruse brothers owned the lot and building, and had a butcher shop in the north store from 1905 to 1907. John Beattie was the next long-term tenant of this store. He was the owner of the block by 1909 and had a dry goods and variety store here until 1935.
Advertisement Left: James Stewart had his Oyster Bay restaurant in the middle store from 1888-90. The advertisement is from The Seaforth Sun, February 28, 1890.
Fred G. Neelin ran the Customs Office in the middle store for a few years starting in 1909. By 1914, John Rankin had his conveyancing and insur-ance business here which was taken over by Frank Rankin in 1922 when John Rankin died. John J. Huggard, a barrister, had law offices here for 12 years from 1923-35.
John Bach moved his electric goods, machinery and implement repair business into the block in 1935. He had the north and middle store at this time. The south store was still a shoe and harness repair shop, at this time run by Ray Cartwright. Hugh Thompson took this over in 1937. By 1945, Bach owned the Block and occupied all three stores into the late 1960s.
The building is in the Italianate style. In the earlier c.1900 photograph, the polychrome brickwork is distinctly visible making the window bays stand out. Also of note is the wrought-iron cresting along the roof line. There are six window bays of varying width divided by projecting brick piers and surmounted by a highly decora-tive projecting wood parapet, visible in the later photograph at upper right. The original storefronts are also clearly shown in both photographs. It appears that by the time the c.1915 photograph was taken, the entire block had been painted. The semi-circular piece in the storefront cornice sets the entrance to the second-floor apartments apart.
Above Photo: In the Dominion Block circa1915 were Beattie’s Fair in the north store, here from 1908 to 1935 when Beattie opened his 5¢ to $1 store in the Cardno Block. John Rankin’s insurance office and Russell Sproat & Co.’s flour and feed shop. Beattie and Rankin were longtime occupants, but the tenants in the south store changed every few years until 1925 when Fred Barlow opened his shoe repair shop.
Above Photo: John Rankin discusses an investment or insurance policy with a client, circa 1915. Rankin died in 1922 and, about four years later, his widow married the lawyer, J.J. Huggard, who took over the Rankin agency. In 1936, Huggard absconded with $70,000 in bonds representing the life savings of several area residents. He later surrendered to police and served time in jail.
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