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.
Glenholme — 62-64 High St.
This striking home, among the other striking homes on the west side of High Street between Dunlop and Park streets, was built in 1872 for Barrie lawyer George Lount Jr. He lived at this swanky address with his first wife, Sarah Mulock, sister of Chief Justice Sir William Mulock of Bond Head. His brother William, lived at super swanky 25 Valley Dr. — Lount’s Castle for those who don’t recognize the address.
If you don’t know the Lounts for their impressive homes, you might know the name Samuel Lount, uncle to the Lount kids, whose birthday was just two days ago on Sept. 24, 1791.
Samuel, brother to George Sr., who planted the black walnut trees at Rockforest II, was a blacksmith, MPP for Simcoe in 1834-36 and a Reformer. He was also hanged for treason on April 12, 1838, for his role in the 1837 Rebellion of Upper Canada.
Another recognizable occupant of Glenholme was Marjorie Hamilton.
Marjorie was only the second woman to serve on city council at the time, appointed in 1948 to fill a vacancy. She was one of a delegation sent to Ottawa in support of an application for a radio station in Barrie. And in 1949, Barrie got its station: CKBB (1230 on the radio dial) – the ‘BB’ standing for Beautiful Barrie.
Set to go live at 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 31 in a ceremony at Memorial Square, bad weather intervened when lightning struck the transmitter and CKBB was off the air until 4:55 p.m. Programming officially began Sept. 1, 1949.
In late 1950, Marjorie Hamilton shared her objectives in running for mayor, adding that being a woman "was beside the point," given her committee experience and a platform focused on growth, expansion and fiscal responsibility.
Marjorie Hamilton was elected in December 1950, the first of only three women to serve as Barrie's mayor.
During her tenure, a bylaw was passed to change the names of 18 city streets, eliminating confusion related to many local roadways. Elizabeth Street became Dunlop Street West, Charlotte Street at the end of Collier Street became part of Collier Street and the same for Louisa Street as it became part of Dunlop Street East. There were many changes and much simplification to the street names around town.
But perhaps one of her most memorable moments was proclaiming May 11 a civic holiday to celebrate returning 1951 Memorial Cup winners, the Barrie Flyers.
In the November election of 1952, Mayor Hamilton was defeated by James W. Hart. In 1955, Hamilton was appointed Juvenile and Family Court Judge for Simcoe County. She died in 1990 at the age of 91.
When the five great homes on the west side of High Street were being built in the 1870s through to the early 1900s, their properties reached all the way back from High Street to Small Street, which was later renamed Parkside Drive in 1931.
While Judge Hamilton lived at Glenholme, the house was converted to a duplex and the original brick exterior was changed to the current stone veneer.
Over time, George Lount’s beautiful estate was severed. Interestingly, it was J.W. Hart who had a home on old Lount property, fronting on Parkside Drive and coincidently in the former backyard of his predecessor Marjorie Hamilton.
