Demolition of the former Highway Tavern got under way earlier this week as the building eaters scraped away this large building on the edge of downtown. Reader Lisa T. sent along a few pictures of the demolition in progress. They started around the back, and it looks like they made pretty quick work of this place.
Photo © Lisa T 2014
Photo © Lisa T 2014
Photo © Lisa T 2014
Photo © Lisa T 2014
Immortalized in a fantastic song by southwestern Ontario’s own Lonesome Lefty.
I have some photos I shot about two months back Andrew. I will get them to you.
Hopefully who ever owns the property won’t just leave it as a vacant hole in the streetscape for long it’s going to join Windsor’s ever growing list of parking lots,another building that has also fallen to the wreakers ball is the old Union Gas building on Division rd I passed the tavern the other day and it was reduced to a pile of bricks
Another recent demolition, not in the city but county, was the old 2 story building at the very end of Tecumseh Rd in Tecumseh at Brighton Rd. I think it was a vegetable stand when I was little. There was greenhouses on the property, behind it that were demo’ed a while ago and I heard the property was contaminated, but several months ago they starting building a house on the property, and recently, the old pink building came down.
I was never inside the Highway Tavern, or the near-by Windsor Music Cafe, but it’s too bad those 2 buildings, and the old Jason’s couldn’t just strip off all of the nasty add-ons.
I miss Kathy’s kitchen. Good food and well priced.
Also: I remember a lot of vacate buildings on that corner, I am not sure if that is still the case.
I miss Kathy’s Kitchen too. Kathy please come back!!!!!
uzzy I remember that building from way back in the 50’s I think there were a couple rooms or apartments on the 2nd floor and yes they did have a fruit vegable stand on the main floor the building was in better shape back then but!it always seemed to have a junky look about the building
have a great old image of the Highway- let me know if you want to post it!
Boy o boy, the old home town is gettin’ deleted bit by bit. I’m cryin’ in my beer as I’m lookin’ at this post (it’s a Corona Extra – lost my taste for “Labatt’s 50” many years ago, not to mention “Export A’s” – probably be dead now, if I woulda continued that nasty habit). Windsor is much the poorer for the wanton destruction of its many structures of historical interest (if only to former barflies like myself) judged “obsolete”. The Highway House looked like a pretty solid piece of work, and the empty space that will replace it is a reflection of the vacuum that passes for imagination in the leaders of the community. Sorry, I bailed out a long time ago but I can’t keep away. Admire those of you who have stuck around to make it in the face of long odds. Would love to see Chris Edwards’ image.
Well just look what the ‘building scrapers’ uncovered, that rough-faced sandy brick!! Chris Edwards, does your pic show the Highway in it’s heyday with that brick? I would love to see it posted!!
Kathy’s moved her kitchen to the Sportsmanship club on Dougall for anyone who misses her cooking
it just breaks my heart to not only see Windsor’s history be eaten up by the wrecking ball but then to see all that could be salvaged from those buildings bite the dust as well. Such a waste all around :((((