This ongoing series from Barrie Historical Archive curator Deb Exel shows old photos from the collection and one from the present day.
Downtown Allandale
Looking down Essa Road, a few remnants of old Allandale can still be found along the corridor between Tiffin Street and Burton Avenue. (Hint: make sure to click the links to some great photos and stories!)
In the 1870s, Tiffin Street – or Townline Street – was the dividing line between Barrie and Allandale until Barrie annexed the village of Allandale in 1896.
In 1910, a bylaw renamed the town line to Tiffin Street for railway man William Richard Tiffin, who came to Barrie in 1897 as superintendent of the Northern Division of the Grand Trunk Railway. Tiffin was considered an ‘old-school’ gentlemen, was active in Barrie affairs, including the founding of the Railroad YMCA, a prominent member of Trinity Anglican Church, and supported many organizations around town.
Gazing at this intersection in 1930 where Bradford Street ends and Essa Road begins, to the right at 1 Essa Rd., we see the buildings at Bothwell Corners. Most of the units were occupied by Robert Rolland (R.R.) Bothwell, a grocer, and son of former mayor J.M. Bothwell. R.R. died on the job in his store in 1940.
In the end unit, 9 Essa Rd., was F.R. Kenney Electrical Appliances.
The buildings were demolished as part of road construction that eliminated the sharp corner at Bradford Street and Essa Road.
Crossing Tiffin Street, at 11 Essa Rd., was R.A. Wilson’s Taxi. Next door, at No. 13, was J.D. Wisdom and Company – another grocer.
J.D., former president of the Barrie Kiwanis Club, retired from the grocery business on Oct. 13, 1951, after 45 years. Two days later, he was succeeded by Roy N. Christie.
That corner would later become a small plaza and the site of Christie’s IGA, a very well-remembered grocery store.
Between J.D. Wisdom’s shop and the railroad tracks crossing Essa Road was D.G. Brunton’s confections, A.J. Brennan’s Meats, Ellen McDougall’s Dry Goods, and Geo. W. Hill’s shoe store.
Interestingly, later in 1955, Hill commented on the disappearance of Barrie landmarks as part of the city’s progress, writing: “As changes come to various sections of the town, with the record-breaking expansion of Barrie and outskirts in the past few years, the older buildings either go down or are modernized beyond recognition.”
Are his words still relevant 65 year later?
The Arlington Hotel, which burned down in 1924, had stood at the end of this block.
Continuing on the west side of Essa Road and across the C.N.R. tracks were Irene Collins Ladies Wear, S. I. MacLaughlin Furniture, Fred Lowe (he drove the jitney between Barrie and Allandale), Jenkins Coal Company, and Lem Bros. Laundry.
If old records are correct, it’s possible a movie theatre was once in the building that housed the laundry.
Beyond the laundry were a number of homes, Allandale Supply Company and Bessie Spearn a hairdresser, before you reached the Presbyterian Church at Essa Road and Burton Avenue.
On the other side of Essa Road, heading south from Tiffin Street, was L.G. Whitty’s Drugstore at 4 Essa Rd. Always a busy spot, not only could you shop at Whitty’s or enjoy a soda, by 1949, you could also reserve seats in Barrie’s ‘modern arena’ for $1 or 75 cents to see a hockey game like the Barrie Flyers against the Oshawa Generals.
Or you could buy tickets to see Olympic champion Barbara Ann Scott perform in a major skating show at the arena in January 1950.
The structure that currently stands at 4 Essa Rd. was built in 1914, but a drugstore had been on the site since 1896, and before that, it was Fisher Brothers Brewery. Today, it remains an elegant building at the old crossroads between Barrie and Allandale.
Next door at 8 Essa Rd., Wesley Webb’s successful jewelry store occupied the north side of the building and his son Harold Webb’s piano-tuning business was in the south half.
The Webb family was known to generations of Barrie and Allandale families and is remembered fondly. Following along was the Trainmen’s Hall and the Allandale Lawn Bowling Club before reaching the railroad tracks.
Across the tracks and Gowan Street was the Allandale Post Office (civic address of 1 Gowan St.). Strolling south, you would pass W.A. Hannah’s hardware store , Arthur Jay’s shoe store, Ezekiel Allen’s fish and chips store, Margaret Griffith’s confectionery and J.T. Hunter’s garage on the corner of Essa Road and Cumberland Street.
Just across Cumberland Street was another grocer, Frank W. Dobson, followed by more homes until you reached Hazen Edge’s service station at the corner of Essa Road and Burton Avenue.
Allandale may not have the busy commercial centre it once did, but it is still a vibrant, historic neighbourhood that values its heritage and past.
