Alexander Cardno Store
49 Main Street South, Seaforth, Ontario
( Year built: 1874 or 1877 )
Alexander Cardno emigrated from Scotland in 1852, coming to Seaforth in 1862. His first place of business was here in 1863. He was a provisions dealer, a pork packer, had a grocery, a clothing and tailoring business, and opened the first bakery in Seaforth. He became a leading businessman of the town, prosperous enough by 1877 to have the Cardno Block built.
This store mirrors, in brickwork and detailing, the store built to the north by M.R. Counter in 1874. Cardno may have had this store built at the same time. It is a 2½ storey yellow brick building. The upper storey is divided by four narrow pilasters with imitation braces to the entablature above. Inset between the pilasters are three sets of narrow rectangular windows. The windows originally had the flat, gauged labels still evident on the windows of the store to the north. The roof cornice has been removed, but the brackets are still intact. The main floor has been completely altered and a doorway added.
Alexander Cardno had a business here for many years. He had a bakery in this building from 1863 to 1881. In 1882, the bakery was moved into the adjacent store to the north. Cardno maintained an office in his original store and rented space to other businesses such as J.W. Millar, Merchant Tailor, in 1887 and 1888, James Jackson in 1892, and Albert Milburn and John Laird, general merchants, from 1893 to 1895. He again occupied the store as a general merchant from 1896 to 1899.
Above Photo: In this 1900 photograph Edward McFaul’s Dry Goods Store occupies Cardno’s store, as well as the C.H. Cull store to the south, where he started in business in 1882. The doorway to Cardno Music Hall is at right, out of the photo.
Edward McFaul had part of an extensive dry goods store at this location from 1900 to 1910. He was followed by his nephew, John McTavish, who was in business until 1925 and again from 1930 to 1935. The Green Front store was here for 12 years, from 1936 to 1948 and had various managers over the years. In 1949, the Province of Ontario Bank occupied the space and has been here ever since (it has since become Desjardins Credit Union).
The Dress Goods Department (above left) and the Staple Goods Department (above right) of McFaul’s Store circa 1882.
The second floor above the store housed law offices for many years: John H. Benson from 1869 to 1882, L.E. Dancey 1883 to 1889, R.S. Hayes 1890 to 1896, and Alvin Sillery in the 1960s. Other tenants in the early years were Miss Erwin, a milliner, here in 1872; Miss Oldfield, a dressmaker here from 1879 to 1881; and, Hiram Derbyshire, a dentist, here from 1875-77. When Edward McFaul had his dry goods store below, the upper floor was also part of his store. The space may have been rented as an apartment for a few years in the 1920s, but, for the most part, it was an extension of the lower floor store until the 1950s. John E. Longstaff, Optometrist, had offices here in the 1950s.
Millar’s store was in what became, in 1900, the north part of McFaul’s store. Advertisement Above Left: is from the March 18, 1887 Huron Expositor. Edward McFaul started out in the C.H. Cull store and expanded into the Alex Cardno Store in 1899. MacTavish’s had replaced McFaul’s by 1915. The Above Right Advertisement: is from the February 28, 1890 Seaforth Sun. The Advertisement Below: is from the January 28, 1916 Huron Expositor.
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