Then & Now 2

THEN & NOW, part 2 of 3

As with the previous POST, I am endeavouring to collect vintage photographs and postcards from Barrie / surrounding area and then bring them to life with comparative photography.

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Doc MacPherson's
Currently Rinaldi Salon & Spa
58 Collier Street, Barrie

Constructed for Mr. John Weir in 1845, this attractive townhouse was built after the Georgian style and featured a two storey verandah. Decorative details were included in the handrails, columns, and bargeboard. Missing today as Rinaldi Salon & Spa are the three roof dormers as well as the decorative brackets. Older Barrie natives may remember this location as the long time was the home and office of Dr. MacPherson during the late 1930's and 1940's.

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Barrie Public Library
Currently the MacLaren Art Centre
37 Collier Street, Barrie

Industrialist Andrew Carnegie believed that libraries should be free and therefore sponsored construction of hundreds across North America. In 1915, Barrie benefited from Mr. Carnegie's philanthropy to the tune of $15,000. This building is an interesting marriage of Beaux Arts and Romanesque. As Barrie grew, so did its library and in 1996 it moved to its new location at Owen and Worsley. It remained empty until the MacLaren Art Centre made its home here in 2001.

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Simcoe Foresters Drill Hall
MPP Joe Tascona Constituency Office
36 Mulcaster Street, Barrie

Constructed by the City of Barrie, County of Simcoe and the federal departments of Public Works and Militia in 1888-89. This fairly small structure served as a military drill hall, company armoury, orderly room, quartermaster’s stores, and band room. This space served as the headquarters of the 35th Battalion Simcoe Foresters until 1914, when the militia moved to its new armoury at Queen's Park.
After this time, it say a variety of uses including a farmer's market in 1948. The building face was restored through the City of Barrie's Façade Improvement Program in the early 1990's. It is owned by the municipality and is currently leased to Member of Provincial Parliament Joe Tascona (Barrie-Simcoe-Bradford) who uses this as his Constituency Office.

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Clarkson House Hotel
Tiff's Restaurant Bar
130 Dunlop Street East, Barrie

A plain building in the Georgian style, this was constructed in 1871 for local dry goods merchant and politician, Thomas “Oily Tom” McConkey. No clue as to the nick-name but I would suggest that he see a dermatologist. The building originally featured a two-storey verandah long since gone. It's not clear when Joshua Clarkson became a proprietor of the hotel but I do personally know that 'The Clarkson' became 'Tiffs' when I was living next door in the early 1990's. mmm . . . cold beer . . . good wings.

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Barrie Hotel
Currently, Queen's Hotel
94 Dunlop Street East, Barrie

This is the site of Barrie's oldest hotel which saw continuous operation since it was opened by proprietor Edward Marks in 1850 as the Barrie Hotel. It is also unique in that it is set back from the adjacent buildings and also features a bridged narrow passage on the west side of the building to access the former stables. The establishment became known as The Queen's Hotel after the mid-1920's. The Queen's obtained funding with a loan through the City of Barrie's Façade Improvement Program in the early 1990's. It is currently owned by former mayor Rob Hamilton. It is known to have good looking Georgian College girls frequent the location on Thursdays. mmm . . . cold beer . . . college girls.

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Barrie Street-Scapes
Dunlop Street looking west from Owen Street

In this vintage photograph from the late 1950's, we are able to see the old Zeller's located at 60 Dunlop Street West. I recall a Bi-Way store operating at this location in the early 1990's. Currently, it's a Dollorama store. Are you seeing the cr@ppy trend here?

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I am unable to provide credit to whomever may have originally had taken the vintage photographs or produced the postcards, but most were discovered on the web.
If you have any old photographs of Barrie and area, please eMail them to CopySix@gmail.com !