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This ongoing series from Barrie Historical Archive curator Deb Exel shows old photos from the collection and one from the present day, as well as the story behind them.
Foxley
In a neighbourhood once rich with grand homes, the stately Foxley, located at 16 Blake St., is one of the few survivors.
The Georgian revival-style Foxley was once the new home on the block – its neighbor to the west, perched on hill above Charlotte Street, was the lovely Queen Anne ‘Roxborough’, home of Mrs. D’Alton McCarthy.
Across Blake Street was the magnificent Ovenden, and to the east of Ovenden, another impressive mansion, Ardraven, the home of Judge James Robert Gowan.
The only trace that remains of those three estates are condos or apartments named for the homes that once stood there and a cottage at 42 Blake St. that was once part of the Gowan estate.
Foxley was built in 1911 for Henry Hatton Strathy, Judge Gowan’s nephew, who sold him the property in 1898. The architect of the home was Eustace Bird, who designed many local area homes and buildings such as the Opera House, Glen Ormond, the Minesing Methodist Church and further from home, the main wing of the New York City Library on 5th Avenue, New York.
There’s no record that the Strathy’s ever occupied Foxley - they lived across the street at Ovenden. The first occupant appears to be Judge Edward A. Wismer. H.H. Strathy’s son Gerald sold Foxley to the Judge in 1927.
While Edward was busy judging, his wife Nellie was also busy. She was extremely active in many church and public welfare organizations: within their church, St. Andrew’s, as well as with the Red Cross and as president of the Women’s Canadian Club.
Unfortunately, she didn’t get to enjoy their gracious home for very long before passing away in 1934. Her funeral was held at her home, Foxley. After the judge died in 1950, the house was sold to Peter Sinclair.
Peter Sinclair’s father, John, was born on a farm near Fenelon Falls in 1868. At 14, John left home to apprentice in the tanning business, in Hastings. His brother Alex was not far behind.
After gaining experience in the industry, the brothers rented a shoe leather tannery in Port Hope and went into business for themselves. The Sinclair boys came to Barrie in late 1893 and took over management of the Barrie Tanning Company on Dunlop Street East in 1894.
In 1900, a fire destroyed the tannery, but thanks to incentives from the Town of Barrie, the tanning company relocated to Bradford Street, building a new factory which opened in May of 1901, adding an impressive five-storey building in 1909.
The tannery was a major employer in Barrie and its products were exported to the U.S. and Europe, as well as across Canada. John Sinclair was so well known, experienced and respected in the North American leather industry that he was elected a director of the tanning section of the Toronto Board of Trade.
Sinclair, incredibly active in the Masons, was again widely recognized and well regarded for his hard work on behalf of the cause. John Sinclair served on Barrie’s Water, Light and Gas Commission in 1929-30.
In 1919, the Sinclair family moved into in a sturdy duplex located at 42 Toronto St., just a short walk from the new tannery on Bradford Street, and to Barrie Collegiate Institute where son Peter played on the rugby team.
In 1935, John’s son Peter became general manager of the Barrie Tannery, the successful business his father had built over his lifetime.
Unfortunately, John Sinclair’s life ended in 1936 and his funeral was held at his home. Peter and his own family would live in the Toronto Street house as well.
In December 1944, Peter Sinclair was elected mayor of Barrie.
The Second World War had ended and there was a desire to house Barrie’s returning servicemen and grow the town’s population.
Building single-family homes had become a priority and initiatives such as the purchase of 35 acres of Newton’s Farm for a subdivision of new homes, was a first step. Mayor Sinclair considered Barrie’s housing situation to be ‘disgraceful’, citing an instance where 11 families were sharing a single house with only one bathroom.
In 1946, the Town of Barrie issued building permits for 95 homes and permits for many other projects such as the new Zellers store and the addition of a third floor to the Bell Telephone building on Elizabeth Street.
In October 1946, Mayor Sinclair opened the new Canadian General Electric plant on Bradford Street. It was a record-breaking time of growth in Barrie. And, like his father, Peter Sinclair also sat on the board of the town’s Water, Light and Gas Commission, which had been renamed the Public Utilities Commission in1938.
But perhaps the ‘coolest’ community improvement project during Sinclair’s tenure as mayor, was at the arena. It all started in 1944 with a campaign to install artificial ice in the arena. The deal was that the Barrie Agricultural Arena Limited would sell the arena to the Town of Barrie for exactly $1 in exchange for installing an artificial ice plant.
Needless to say, in a hockey-crazy town like Barrie, the bylaw was easily passed that December.
By spring of 1945, the plan was approved, in May Canadian Ice Machine Co. Ltd had been contracted and by early August, the Barrie Arena Commission was in place, with Mayor Sinclair as chair.
Work proceeded quickly in September and on Oct. 10, Mayor Sinclair unveiled the new ice surface and introduced Wes Allsopp, the new arena manager, to a cheering crowd of 2,000 people.
In January, excited Barrie residents experienced a professional ice show (the New York Ice Fantasy) and the venue continued to be booked with games and events throughout the season, the ice lasting until April 13.
That summer, a marble floor for dancing, special events and other sports, was installed in the arena – at the time in Ontario, only Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens had anything similar. The new, high-quality facilities in Barrie’s arena attracted attention and accolades from across Canada and the U.S.
His term as mayor behind him, Peter Sinclair moved his family into 16 Blake St., in 1950. The spacious, poured concrete home had two fireplaces and seven bedrooms, including living quarters on the third floor. The attractive two-storey verandah on the west side of the house was still in place at that time, but as a result of roof repairs in 1952, the second floor was removed and the existing porch was built.
Foxley remained in the Sinclair family until 1978.
The elegant Foxley, to the delight of all those who admire it, has remained largely unchanged since it was built. It now goes by the name Richmond Manor and is a charming bed and breakfast.
