Buildings of WindsorDemolitionLost Windsor

Essex House Hotel - 317 Riverside Drive West

December 12, 2021
Image from SWODA A look today at the Essex House Hotel from 1961. The Essex House Hotel was built around 1840 and sat on the south west corner of Riverside Drive West and Dougall Avenue. In the late 1950s plans to develop a civic auditorium next door began to take shape and the Cleary Auditorium and convention centre rose to the east. The Essex House started to fall on hard times, and was…
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Lost Windsor

Westwood Hotel - 1941

October 25, 2021
A view of the Westwood Hotel from June, 1940. The Westwood was later known as Bronson’s and was demolished around 2001. The building was popular with workers from the nearby salt mines, and was a popular stop during the prohibition days. This ad from 1941 gave…
Lost WindsorNewsWindsor

Windsor: Then & Now

October 17, 2021
I am happy to announce the release of my new book Windsor: Then & Now. Local publisher Biblioasis approached me back in the winter of 2020 with the idea to work with them to prepare a new addition to their collection of local history books. We talked back and forth about…
Old Newspaper StoriesOld Photographs

Wigle Park - 1909

April 13, 2021
A view of the Wigle Park Fountain – August, 1909 – Mayor Wigle to the right The Wigle Park Fountain, designed by Watt & Crane, 1909, made out of cement. Lost somewhere to time. It likely wasn’t built to survive being constantly wet, and likely deteriorated over time. Did you know that Wigle Park, opened in 1909, was Windsor’s first city park? Located at Erie…
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Lost WindsorPostcardsWindsor

Odd Fellows Temple - 36 Wyandotte St E

March 28, 2021
Postcard View c. 1915 Designed by architects Crane & Pennington, and built in 1913, the Odd Fellows Temple was located just east of Ouellette on Wynadotte at the intersection of Dufferin. The first floor contained an auditorium, stage, dressing rooms and kitchenette.
Lost WindsorOld PhotographsRenderings

Home Of The Friendless - 1902

March 14, 2021
From the Evening Record – August 12, 1902 Above is shown a rendering from 1902, of the new wing facing Wyandotte Street, of the Home of the Friendless. The Home of the Friendless was established in 1885 to provide shelter to older citizens who found themselves…
Lost WindsorOld Photographs

Auto Specialties Co - Tecumseh Road

December 6, 2020
Back in 2009 we took a quick look at this one, and left with more questions than answers. Despite being a major employer at the time, it strange that so little info exists on this one, and I have been unable to even locate a decent picture of the place. Map of the factory – 1935Overview of the factory site – 2020 The Auto Specialties factory came to Windsor in 1919…
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DemolitionLost Windsor

Wyandotte & Windsor - 2012

July 26, 2020
While looking through some older photos recently, I came across this one from 2012. Looking north west from Wyandotte and Windsor at the now long demolished Beer Store. This building was a Brewer’s Warehouse, dating back to the post-prohibition days, at least as early…