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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.
Lilac Villa — 87 Owen St.
Barrie architect Thomas Kennedy’s signature home, Lilac Villa, is located at 87 Owen St., in the historic neighbourhood known as The Grove.
Kennedy was born in Newmarket in 1849, later moving with his Irish Catholic family to a farm in Flos Township. A carpenter, Kennedy lived on the farm with his parents, four brothers and one sister until he was at least 22 years old.
Census records from the early 1870s indicate the Kennedys were living in Tay Township at that time. (Did you know Tiny, Tay and Flos townships were named after the pet dogs belonging to Lady Sarah Maitland, wife of the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada from 1818 to 1828?)
Thomas was likely apprenticing in Barrie when he met Alice Hind, who would have a career of her own as well, running a store. They wed in 1873 and together the couple had eight children in the first 12 years of their marriage.
Kennedy started his architectural firm in 1879. His home, built in 1882 and dubbed Lilac Villa, was like the original ‘model home’ as it included several architectural features designed to show prospective clients different elements and styles that were available to them.
Thomas Kennedy, on his own or working with various partners and associates, designed many important buildings in Barrie including:
- Sanders Block, Dunlop Street East (1879), a designated property under the Ontario Heritage Act
- Bothwell Block, Dunlop Street East (1880), still standing
- The Reform Episcopal Church on Collier Street (demolished)
- The new Post Office (1882) in Memorial Square (demolished in 1958)
- Dutton House, 30 Mary St., built in 1874 for brewer and Barrie’s first mayor, Robert Simpson
- William H. Cross’ mansion (1886) at the northwest corner of Collier and Poyntz Street. Demolished for the expansion of Collier Street Church
- Simcoe Hotel proprietor Michael Shanacy’s home at 87 Toronto St. (1887)
- Improvements to the Bank of Toronto (1888) on Owen Street (demolished)
- Barrie Electric Light Company on Bayfield Street (demolished)
Kennedy designed projects in Toronto as well as other Ontario towns and was active in his practice until about 1908.
He died at St. Michael’s Hospital in 1916. His son, Sarsfield, who had trained as an architect in Kennedy’s office in the 1890s and had opened his own firm in New York, died in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1954.
Kennedy’s showpiece home, Lilac Villa, a true heritage treasure, was almost lost when a fire ravaged the building in 2017.
In the most remarkable of good news stories, the owners of 87 Owen St. salvaged the beautiful structure and have been rebuilding the historic Kennedy home.
This important heritage property and tangible reminder of Thomas Kennedy’s significant contribution to the architecture and history of Barrie, will continue to stand.
