YOME mowmtoeN Arm. I»Ss LAI ES STHlE WARDROBE EXCHANGE 1$ NOW RECEIWING NEW LADIES SCLOTIIES & ACCESSOR(ES TO SELL ON SCONSIGNMENT, SO c IF.YOUi1AUE > CLOTHES THAT SAREW ENTYLE IN 5 ~' Qfflfj ALL ORCOME AND SEE us AT THE WARDROBE EXCHANGE Il13 DUNDAS STM W. WHITBY. ONT. SCLIP THIS AD AND 51 SRECEIJE $5.00 OFF MINIMUM $25.00 PURCHASE QMPRES MAY 1 9U1 FANTAm1CCLIHJG Y. *AUSnAAT.OJPAQ(* Laj'optaige ,TRtADING Antiques, Clothing Jewellery, Home Decor & Much More. 106uDWamSTSIW., Watson's Boc ast wsat the tumof the oentury Picture taken c 1906, Photo used by permnission from TOWN of WHITB ARCHIVES. LGA IAUA fine example of Vietorian architecture By BiRiANWINTrER The stores on the east side of Brock St., south of the old Dominion Bank building, were owned by John Watson - one of Whitby's leading grain mer- chants at the harbor. In 1877, he began to build the block of stores. Before the construction was completed, however, the building was gutted by a fire on Oct. 16. 1877. The present Watson Block dates back to 1878. The architects for the Watson Block were Langley, Langley and Burke of Toronto. The principal pantner, Henry Langley, was a noted Toronto architect and he was no stranger to, Whitby - having designed many buildings in the town including Ail Saint's Anglican Church. At the samne time as the Watson Block was built, Lewis Allun had a store of the same design built att 115 Brock St. S. to complete the block. The first store south of the old bank was a grocery store operated by Thomas Lawler and, later bis son Arthur T. Lawler, from 1878 to 1928. The second store, ncaw the Golden gate Restaurant, was the Whitby Dry Goods Emporum - operated by Hugh and George Ross fromi 1878 to 1924. The third store was a drug store for many years, operated by Thomas () Wbitfield, G.E. Gibbard and James F. Willis. Whitby's first Bell Telephone exchange was established in this store The fourth store - now Judy s Flowers andi Gifts - was Robertifi Jameson 's "Italian Warehouse" and was later a grocery store operated by the Gibson faniily and John Waterhouse From 1914 to, 1984, it was ahardware store operated by W.M. Pringle, Fred Maundrell, W.A. Holliday and Waller and Ralph MacCarl. The fifth store - now Picture This and That - was known as Lewis AlIin's Block. 16 was a book and sta- tionery store from 1878 until the 1 920s From the 1930s to 1972, il was a butch- er shop - the last proprietor being Gerald Fletcher. Watson 's Block is the finest examnple of Victorian commercial architecture lrom the 1870s in downtown Whitby. 1BRIAN WENTE19 is the archivist for dhe Towna of -Whitl. MWM~I OeiL UN 41. (410> 006.100 HOP UN TO ORDER AN EASTER BASKET WWi Gourmet Foods, Coftee Rogers or Lindt Chocolate 1Belgium Truiffles SEE OUR EXPERT STAFF 4, ABOUT A MADE OR