Walkerville Ontario....Then & Now

[Magnatomicflux]

Folks, during the Brownstone thread I had posted some rowhouses in Walkerville. After being told what a beautiful street it was, I started to think maybe some of you would enjoy a then and now tour. Maybe not......only one person said it
I wish I had actual NOW photos, so it'll be annoying to streetview for evey comparison, but well....I can't help that any lol! I don't know how to grab screen shots, and I do all this from work, so I can't download Google Earth if I need that. Hope you'll bear with me, and that these streetview links work....I'm a little computarded. The good quality photos I found at the LOC, shot by the Detroit Photographic company and the grainey ones are from the library.

Now if you've been to Walkerville and think it's pretty, wait till you see what the great Hiram Walker had started originally.

Let's start near the beginning. This is Sandwich street [[Riverside drive)looking east...late 1800's

Attachment 8036

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sourc...,90.07,,0,6.61


The Kildare House, first on the corner, survives today as a great and freindly pub. These were the first homes built on First Street, now known as Kildare.

Attachment 8037
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sourc...,315.84,,0,4.7

We'll move forward a bit. The SW&A railway is now in place along Sandwich, and we're a little further east down the road.

This is the rectifying house

Attachment 8038
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sourc...,73.94,,0,1.19

And the other way....
Attachment 8039
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sourc...74.51,,1,-1.72

Here we see the old Studebaker factory.....which I think was originally Globe Furniture Co. I beleive it burned in the 80's.
Attachment 8040
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sourc...22.52,,2,-5.91

Then we have the beautiful Hiram Walker offices. Kahn designed the interior.
Attachment 8041

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sourc...12,47.7,,0,3.7

Next we look at the wearhouses. Here we look south along Argyle at Brant. Unfortunate that these beauties were replaced. Those are some neat pavers!
I think we can all agree....if the factories next door look like this...you can still feel Human.
Attachment 8042
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sourc...57.61,,0,-4.21

Here's a shocker. Wyandotte and Argyle looking east

Attachment 8043
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sourc...64.33,,0,-4.03

Devonshire road looking south towards St. Mary's Church. Love the lamps!

Attachment 8044
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sourc...47.16,,1,-1.47

This one....has always bothered me. Walkerville's Pere Marquette Station. Demolished. The fountain, of Kahn design, to celebrate Queen Victoria's jubilee still survives behind Willistead Manor.....another Kahn.
Attachment 8045

At least they had a plan........................
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sourc...15.07,,1,-1.42


I guess that's it for now.....I should probably do some work LOL!
Hope this didn't suck too bad, and I hope it wasn't too annoying going to streetview all the time. If you would like some more tomorrow, I have a little more.

[gazhekwe]

That was a fun tour in the past and today. Must check out that pub!

[canuck]

Beautiful, I am also surprised at how many trees surround the impressive warehouses in the old pictures. Nice looking streets altogether. I like the Hiram Walker offices and it is nice to see the effort they put in cleaning it and preserving the original details.