Recently uncovered in the Evening Record from 1912:
This attractive residence is located on Dougall avenue, and is the home of Mr. Geo. H. Wilkinson. The exterior walls are of brick and brown shingles. The first floor contains a living room, 23×12 feet, dining room, vestibule, hall with a coat closet and an (sic) open stairs, and kitchen. On the second floor are three large chambers with closets, a linen closet, and a bath room. The first floor is finished in oak with hardwood floors. The living room has panelled (sic) walls and beamed ceiling. Hot water system is used for the heating. Leybourne & Whitney are the architects.
George Wilkinson was the proprietor of Wilkinson’s Shoes on Ouellette Ave. A longtime downtown business. Some of the older readers of this site might remember the business.
So I tracked the house though the city directories to being located at what is today, 1319 Dougall Ave. I hopped in my ride to go see how it’s fared after 97 years…
She’s long gone. Surprisingly, because in that area of town (Dougall & Montrose – just south of Gilles) is fairly original. Judging from the houses now on the site (one of about 4 identical side by sides), it’s hasn’t been gone too long, or at least the land was vacant not too long ago.
Anyone live near here, or know what the scoop is with these houses?
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I grew up on Church St right behind this property. It was vacant from the time I was born in 1975 until I moved away for college in the late 90s. The only things remaining of the old house were two brick pillars facing Dougall Ave. and the concrete floor of the garage. Plus a few interesting depressions in the ground scattered here and there. Oddly, the property extended to the other side of the alley between Church and Dougall, meaning no one on Church St. had any access to the alley, which was about 25 feet from the fence line.
I too am surprised by the house depicted. From what my parents told me, the house was rather large and had a garage with servants' quarters attached. It was similar in style and size to the big white house that is just north of the property.
I also know that there was a proposal, either from the neighborhood or the city, to make it part of Mitchell Park which was linked to it by the alley. Guess that never happened which is too bad considering how many huge oak and elm trees had grown there.
Interesting... The house above dates to 1912. It is possible that they built a new house on the property in later years. After all the shoe store on Ouellette moved into larger quarters in 1930.
I lived on Clinton just around the corner in 1953. If I'm not mistaken, I seem to remember an old inground pool on the property and being warned by my parents to stay away because of it. There were quite a few grand old chestnut trees in the area. I'll have to go for a walk and see if any are left.
I am George Wilkinson.....hahahaha
Ok on a serious note this was the original house which had a study addition on the left side of the house, a greenhouse on the back and a large pond in the back yard with fish in it not a swimming pool.
This was my grandmothers house.
Hi
I lived at 1366 Dougall for 20 years - 59/79. I remember the house as a lot larger than the one pictured, but I may be wrong. There was a dirt alley that ran off of Clinton to Giles Blvd. We kids used it to get to Mitchell park.....which origianaly had Church Street still running through it...or if we were feeling brave, ran through the northernmost part of the property, which was quite a bit lower, and a good distance from the main house. I recall chicken coops as well out back. The property was indeed massive, and when the house came down, it seemed that more kids played there than at the park. I know that all the boys with bikes were there a lot, cause we made hills, ramps etc to jump over. There is another house three door down to the south that I have always been interested in. It looks real old. It is a small white frame house that I am sure is one of the true originals from the area, as it looks like a farmhouse, and for Windsors earliset times, the world ended at Giles. If i remember corretcly, the house, everyone called it the mansion, came down in the late 60's.