2007 – The Year In Review

Every year, with the last post of the year, I look back, and recap some of the demolition that has occured in the last year.

The victim of arson in late 2006, this was one of the first victims of 2007, and another vacant lot in the core. this house was on Janette.

Lasalle, our neighbours to the west, knocked down one of the few old building they had with the demolition of the former Bishop Cody School.

The former home of Home Watkins on Peter St. in Windsor’s west end went up in flames to the arsonist on February 1st.

The old CAA building at Gilles and Ouellette came down to make way for the new Rexall Pharmacy.

These two tidy homes on Elsmere made way for a parking lot. At least at last check the tree was saved.

These five houses on Crawford fell to make way for a future No Frills Grocery Store.

The Albert Kahn designed Ford Foudry was closed, and as of the end of December, demolition work had begun.

This oldie on Karl St. which was in poor condition and structurally unsound, fell in April.

The same weekend the house on Karl was demolished the Grad House on Sunset at the University of Windsor was demolished as well.

The 1957 Cleary Guest house was demolished to the delight of Gord Henderson, and replaced with the over-priced and un-inspired Peace Beacon.

Huron Lodge, designed by John Crouchman of J.P. Thomson Associtates in 1961 was demolished in November.

Longtime local landmarks, the smokestacks on the paint shop at Winsdor Assembly were removed during the summer shutdown.

The two houses above on Riverside Dr. just east of Pilette were demolished by the Chuck Mady Corporation after his plans to demolished the former convent at Riverside and George were thwarted by the desingation of the historic structure. In the end a house form the 1950’s and one from 1928 fell to make way for more highrises.

Much to the delight of neighbours the Cat House on Windermere Rd. came down in September, and is today a vacant lot.

The historic Ojibway Tin Mill, that was last in use as Windsor Cermaic Tile, was demolished in October.

Across the river in September one of Detroit’s most famous ruins, the Livingston house (a.k.a. Ol’ Slumpy) was finally put out of its misery. A little peice of local architectural history was lost with that demolition as it was the first structure designed by a young architect by the name of Albert Kahn.

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Another year gone, and another recap that’s far too long.

Hopefully the year in review for 2008 will be shorter.