An interesting rendering from the Border Cities Star, May 1, 1929.
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Above is the architect’s drawing of the Vikings’ Yacht Club, construction of which is expected to start within a month, on Riverside Drive, just east of the Island View Hotel. The drawing shows the $75,000 clubhouse, in the English Style, and also gives a view of the harbor for yachts, motorboats and seaplanes. The rectangular extension of the dock is designed as a bowling green. To the right may be seen a glimpse of the tennis courts which will occupy the eastern section of the property.
The Island View Hotel is today known as Abar’s, and just east would be the old marine store. I can only assume that that site was the chosen location for this unbuilt Club House. I also going to go out on a limb and guess that the depression was what killed this one…
The plans were drawn up by the Windsor architectural team of Dangerfield & Winter. We saw Douglas Winter’s work on Wednesday with the Temple Baptist Church on Victoria. He teamed up with Bernard Dangerfield in 1928, a partnership that lasted only until 1930, when Dangerfield moved to Toronto.
Dangerfield was born in London, England in 1892, coming to Canada in 1922, settling in Guelph. In 1925 he moved to Detroit, taking a job with Albert Kahn. He moved to Windsor in 1928, teaming up with Douglas C. Winter, which lasted until 1930, when he moved to Toronto. He resigned his membership in the Ontario Association of Architects in 1932, and all records for him stop.
Dangerfield’s bio can be viewed more in depth on Robert Hill’s excellent website.
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that’s pretty cool! Thanks Andrew! probably best that it was never built as this would more than likely be a post about it being torn down because the city needed more storage space for sailboat fuel.
That drawing looks alot like the drawing of the old Edgewater Thomas Inn on the site of Lilly Kazillies, as shown in “Rumrunners”. Speaking of A’Bars (to which i MUST have at least one drink in and be a part of history, before it either burns or is condemmed or sold off like so many other locally historical things around here), i havn’t been down riverside east in quite a while, but my brother said a building nextdoor was going up in flames a while ago and was worried A’Bars would go up with it. is the old white building to the east the old marine store? that might have been what went up.
what’s the story with this swath of green space to the east anyways? is it a park? boy, if i had the money the things i would do with it…. ie: move and fix that little house there to the center of the grass and enjoy the river and every one of those old trees!
Thanks again Andrew!
The marina next door was Edgewater Marina.
The building is in rough shape but it didn’t burn down. Ed Lee sold the Marina property to Zekelman in late 90s early 2000s. Abars, the marina and the vacant land was all supposed to be re-developed. Zekelman I believe, have since sold the property.
I believe it was purchased by everyone’s favourite Bridge owner…
Before it was Edgewater Marina it was a auto repair shop run by Dick Nutall who leased the building from my grandfather Wilfred Drouillard in the later 40’s and early 50’s. There where also four cottages along the beach behind the Edgewater building. My aunt and her husband lived there til around the later 50’s before moving. Eddy Lee purchased the property from my grandfather and later torn down the cottages. Not sure how my grandfather got the property, have to do some checking on this.
Why would it not surprise me if the land was purchased by the Bridge Co? If my memory is correct, Lauzon Road was a possibility as a new bridge crossing but eventually ruled out.
Bernie are you talking about the cottages that used tobe just east of where sand pointe beach is?? years ago when i was a teenager my girl friend found out her mother was living in one of them i vaguely remember them i think they had that old red brick tar siding on them itwould be in that park of the park just east of sand pointe where the trees are
Very interesting. I’ve read about all the taverns that lined the waterfront but one stood out to me called ‘Tecumseh Tavern’. What was the location of Tecumseh Tavern? Chippewa Park is at the foot of Lesperance on Lake St. Clair and I have always wondered what used to be there. When you visit the park you can clearly see old dock structures jutting out into the lake and old foundation and brick pieces lying scattered around. Very curious about the history of this park.
Jim, I understand from my brother, who lives near the corner of Lesperance & Riverside Dr., that during the 1920’s, there was a big dance hall on the east side of Lesperance Rd. at Riverside Dr. called the Bluewater Dance Park/Hall. So I could pretty well imagine there being a dock/dance hall/boat club etc. during that time. I believe the dance hall burned down in the ’30’s. Haven’t found good info about it, just from the Tecumseh Historical society and 2 pics of the inside of the hall. It seem partly open-sided so it might have been used only in summer??