Waterloo Public Library Digital Collections

Devitt Block, Waterloo, Ontario

Description

Media Type

Image

Item Type

Photographs

Description

Building at 9-21 Erb Street west at King Street commonly called the Devitt block. Building housed the offices of the Ontario Equitable Life and Accident Insurance Company (later Equitable Life), Menno Devitt and Company, Merchants Casualty Company, Reinsurance Company of Canada and the Waterloo Chronicle newspaper. Note the street lamp, the car and the building decorated with flags.

Notes

The Devitt Block was built in 1870 by Benjamin Devitt and Daniel Snyder. It was located where the parking lot is behind the Bank of Montreal at 3 King street south.

Ontario Equitable Life and Accident Insurance Company was formed in 1920. First office was in the Waterloo Mutual Insurance building at King and Dupont streets. In 1922 the company bought the Devitt Block and occupied a portion of the second floor. The company changed its name to Equitable Life in 1936 when it obtained a federal charter and moved out of the Devitt Block in 1971.

The Princess Theatre was the first theatre in Waterloo, opening in the Devitt Block on December 23, 1913 and closing in 1921.

Date of Original