Old Halifax

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Found this photo on the archives site of the old grocery store on the corner of Morris and Barrington from 1946:



https://novascotia.ca/archives/EastC...es.asp?ID=1035

The building exists today as a pizza shop but its appearance has changed drastically due to the siding applied on it at some point. At first I didn't even recognize them as being the same building until I started picking out some of the hard point details (such as building shape, window layout, etc.).

Here it is on Google Maps:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.64174...7i13312!8i6656

Just one of those small, 'invisible' buildings that could be improved so much just through removal of an old siding job.

Edit:
Even more interesting again is this photo from May 1945 of what appears to be the same building damaged as a result of the V.E. Day riots.



https://novascotia.ca/archives/EastC...es.asp?ID=4475

It actually had wooden siding on it originally as well as a more ornate entrance/window display area. One could surmise that the brick was added and the entranceway changed as an aftermath of the riot damage.

Either iteration was more attractive than how it looks today, IMHO.

Well, that's what happens to old, run-down buildings.

The entrance in the riot aftermath pic was on the corner, at a 45 degree angle to either street. That seemed to be a popular thing in the earlier part of the 20th century. I agree that the 1946 pic - presumably fresh off a renovation after the riots - is the most attractive version of this place. It must have been a fairly extensive reno as I note the upstairs windows were changed to a 9 over 1 design from the older pic and all of the Victorian gingerbread trim on the ground floor was removed.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Interesting points. Do you think that the original structure was masonry with wooden cladding over it? The original entranceway being larger than the later one leads me to believe otherwise, but it's a fascinating idea just the same.

I'm really not sure. My comment was more about the way it looks today. If you look at the building in person, there's vinyl on the front but then the telltale masonry on the back, which I guess is probably this 1940's-era exterior. Actually, if you look closely even on Google streetview you can tell that the windowsills are brick. If the vinyl siding were removed and the building were cleaned up it might look pretty good, although it's not on the same level architecturally as, say, the Hamachi House building.

The only thing I wonder about a "reno" from wood cladding to brick is; what was there to really save from the old building? Why would they make such an extensive change but preserve the old roofline, some of the fenestration, etc.? Would they have reused the wooden beams of the old building, torn down the walls, and then built in a new brick exterior?

The streamlined look of the masonry, particularly the stonework above the storefront, looks very 1930's-1940's to me. 1489 Hollis is another example in a vaguely similar style.

Another vinyl-clad mystery building is 1280 Barrington. Is there anything left under there? I have no idea.

[OldDartmouthMark]

It confounds me a little as I at first really questioned whether the photos might have been mislabeled and were actually of similar buildings at different addresses, but there are too many similarities in the structures and locations to not be the same building.

But yes, one would question the viability of such a renovation. Perhaps insurance money from the riot damage allowed additional investment of an already-planned renovation?

Likely the actual reasons are now lost to time.

[IanWatson]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Found this photo on the archives site of the old grocery store on the corner of Morris and Barrington from 1946:



https://novascotia.ca/archives/EastC...es.asp?ID=1035

Cool find! That photo is a little sad in a way, because if you look to the very left edge of the frame you see some buildings that appear to be of the same architectural quality as the Hamachi House building or the Halliburton Inn. Now those buildings are gone and we have the the terrible street wall provided by Renaissance South.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by IanWatson

Cool find! That photo is a little sad in a way, because if you look to the very left edge of the frame you see some buildings that appear to be of the same architectural quality as the Hamachi House building or the Halliburton Inn. Now those buildings are gone and we have the the terrible street wall provided by Renaissance South.

I honestly do not recall what that section of Morris was like in the '80s when Renaissance South was originally proposed, but I suspect given the name of the development that they must have been very run-down. It would be interesting if any photos of that block from that era could be found.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

I honestly do not recall what that section of Morris was like in the '80s when Renaissance South was originally proposed, but I suspect given the name of the development that they must have been very run-down. It would be interesting if any photos of that block from that era could be found.

Here's one:



http://halifaxbloggers.ca/noticedinn...own-the-house/

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by someone123

During the Victorian era there was a time when brick was used for the structure (I guess for fire resistance or general durability) and wood cladding was often added to the exterior for aesthetic reasons (or maybe to protect the structure underneath from weathering?). Look at the side or rear walls of older buildings for clues.

I found an old photo online that illustrates your point very well. Thanks for bringing it up as I was not aware that some houses were built in this fashion.

Pic is at the link:

http://shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/old-s...rb/photos/1681

Edit:
Found on another website:

http://www.halifaxhistory.ca/Hollis-...0Buildings.htm

From the June 2009 HRM Council Report:

"The house on the separate property, 1267 Hollis Street, is known as the Ruhland House and it is thought to have been constructed around the time of confederation"

Hmmm... wooden cladding on this side + windows. Must have been attached to another building years ago...

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Found this photo on the archives site of the old grocery store on the corner of Morris and Barrington from 1946:



https://novascotia.ca/archives/EastC...es.asp?ID=1035

The building exists today as a pizza shop but its appearance has changed drastically due to the siding applied on it at some point. At first I didn't even recognize them as being the same building until I started picking out some of the hard point details (such as building shape, window layout, etc.).

Here it is on Google Maps:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.64174...7i13312!8i6656

Just one of those small, 'invisible' buildings that could be improved so much just through removal of an old siding job.

Edit:
Even more interesting again is this photo from May 1945 of what appears to be the same building damaged as a result of the V.E. Day riots.



https://novascotia.ca/archives/EastC...es.asp?ID=4475

It actually had wooden siding on it originally as well as a more ornate entrance/window display area. One could surmise that the brick was added and the entranceway changed as an aftermath of the riot damage.

Either iteration was more attractive than how it looks today, IMHO.

Mystery solved:
I was looking through a downloadable PDF from HRM, Heritage Inventory Sheet – South Barrington HCD, that I had posted in another thread:

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...epIQdg&cad=rja

...and found this info on pages 62 and 63 of the document:





So the "masonry" was actually asphalt imitation brick shingles.

The main thing that threw me off was that the bottom of the second storey windows still show real brick which must have been added at the same time as the imitation brick to add to the effect.

The document is 214 pages long and has a lot of neat info, for those interested.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

So the "masonry" was actually asphalt imitation brick shingles.

The main thing that threw me off was that the bottom of the second storey windows still show real brick which must have been added at the same time as the imitation brick to add to the effect.

The document is 214 pages long and has a lot of neat info, for those interested.

I know the place across the street had that asphalt imitation brick roll goods material on it. It couldn't fool anyone. But this building does not look like that. Also look above the upstairs windows at the lintels. That does not look like fake anything. I am dubious of the researcher's findings.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

I know the place across the street had that asphalt imitation brick roll goods material on it. It couldn't fool anyone. But this building does not look like that. Also look above the upstairs windows at the lintels. That does not look like fake anything. I am dubious of the researcher's findings.

Yes, I blew up the photo on the archives' site again to look at the details and couldn't find anything that obviously called it out as fake brick. Even the half/full overlap on the corner looks right on.

That said, the researcher must have gotten that information from somewhere as it's not evident from looking at the building in its current iteration that it ever had asphalt imitation brick on it.

Hmmm... maybe the mystery isn't solved yet!

[OldDartmouthMark]

Here's one that many will perhaps not know about. I recall my mother telling me about seeing it flying overhead when she was a child - she recalled that it was very scary to her as she thought it was some kind of bomb. Remember, there was no internet or even TV back then, so it would have taken a lot of people quite by surprise.

It's actually kind of ominous considering what was coming up in 1939, not to mention the Hindenburg's fate less than a year later...



https://novascotia.ca/archives/EastC...ives.asp?ID=32

German Airship Hindenburg flying over Halifax

The giant German airliner Hindenburg flew over Nova Scotia on Saturday, 4 July 1936. It appeared to fly low over Halifax and the province in general but especially low over Shelburne, Chester and Hazel Hill.

The airliner flew at an altitude of about 1000 feet, but due to its size the dirigible seemed to be just above the tree line.

The Halifax Herald, 6 July 1936, p. 4, reported in bold print that it was possible that “those aboard the Hindenburg were taking pictures of Halifax and other places, for the files of the German air ministry”.

Military authorities said photographs could easily be taken up to 10,000 feet and it would be impossible to prevent photographs from being taken.

Date: 04 July 1936

A little more interesting info from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZ_129_Hindenburg

In May and June 1936 the Hindenburg made surprise visits to England. *snip* The June visit was more sinister as it has been suggested by the historian Oliver Denton, in his book 'The Rose and The Swastika', that the Hindenburg was on a spying mission to observe the industrial heartlands of Northern England.

In July 1936 it completed a record Atlantic double crossing in five days, 19 hours and 51 minutes. Among the famous passengers was German heavyweight boxing champion Max Schmeling, who returned home on the Hindenburg to a hero's welcome after knocking out Joe Louis in New York on June 19, 1936.[41] In the 1936 season the airship flew 191,583 miles (308,323 km) and carried 2,798 passengers and 160 tons of freight and mail, encouraging the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin Company to plan the expansion of its airship fleet and transatlantic service.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

I found an old photo online that illustrates your point very well. Thanks for bringing it up as I was not aware that some houses were built in this fashion.

Pic is at the link:

http://shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/old-s...rb/photos/1681

Edit:
Found on another website:

http://www.halifaxhistory.ca/Hollis-...0Buildings.htm











Hmmm... wooden cladding on this side + windows. Must have been attached to another building years ago...

Was thinking about this a little more recently. I'm wondering if the brick section might have been put in as a firewall between adjoining houses. Can anyone confirm whether this was a construction practice back in the 1800s?

[OldDartmouthMark]

There has been some discussion on this board in the past about the long lost Customs House that once occupied the area (which currently contains a parking lot) surrounded by Lower Water, George St, Bedford Row and the Dominion Public Bldg. Well, I happened upon this blog post in "Noticed in Nova Scotia" today. There are a few pics and interesting facts about the building in the post that I've linked below.

Here's the link:
http://halifaxbloggers.ca/noticedinn...bout-eternity/

It never occurred to me that the sandstone lions at the entrance to Granville Mall were removed from the Customs House during its demolition:

Lions at Granville from Google Maps

[someone123]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Was thinking about this a little more recently. I'm wondering if the brick section might have been put in as a firewall between adjoining houses. Can anyone confirm whether this was a construction practice back in the 1800s?

If you look closely at Victorian houses around Halifax, masonry construction above the foundation is pretty common. I think there are a lot of houses that have wooden cladding on top of brick (I've read that the more colourful painted wood siding was in fashion back then, but I don't remember the source). There are also a lot of masonry buildings that were covered in siding in recent decades. There are also many rowhouses that are stucco on brick.

I like to point out buildings like this one: https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.63565...2!8i6656?hl=en

Note the brick around the doorway. I'm guessing this one is mostly or entirely masonry construction.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by someone123

If you look closely at Victorian houses around Halifax, masonry construction above the foundation is pretty common. I think there are a lot of houses that have wooden cladding on top of brick (I've read that the more colourful painted wood siding was in fashion back then, but I don't remember the source). There are also a lot of masonry buildings that were covered in siding in recent decades. There are also many rowhouses that are stucco on brick.

I like to point out buildings like this one: https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.63565...2!8i6656?hl=en

Note the brick around the doorway. I'm guessing this one is mostly or entirely masonry construction.

I never noticed that one on Inglis before. I'm thinking about how much better it would look as a masonry building without the 1960s/70s-vintage siding on it.

I'm wondering if any demolition photos exist for the above-pictured building on Hollis. It would solve the mystery for me, anyhow.

If I had more time, I'd love to investigate some of the old buildings around the city to see more examples like this. Maybe some day when I retire, if there are any still left, that is.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by someone123

If you look closely at Victorian houses around Halifax, masonry construction above the foundation is pretty common. I think there are a lot of houses that have wooden cladding on top of brick (I've read that the more colourful painted wood siding was in fashion back then, but I don't remember the source). There are also a lot of masonry buildings that were covered in siding in recent decades. There are also many rowhouses that are stucco on brick.

I like to point out buildings like this one: https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.63565...2!8i6656?hl=en

Note the brick around the doorway. I'm guessing this one is mostly or entirely masonry construction.

I bet there's a gem under there. I'd really like to see this building restored (there aren't many buildings in town combining this scale and this vintage, to say nothing of its flatiron-style massing) but I fear it's headed for an Elmwood-esque fate one day.

[Cove17]

I took these photos of the apartment building on Inglis Street in the 1980s (I guess) when we lived just up the street. The shed dormers and the brick entrance details appeared to be newer than the building. Assumed the stucco over the brick was also newer because it was textured which didn't feel right.

[Cove17]

I took these photos of the apartment building on Inglis Street in the 1980s (I guess) when we lived just up the street. The shed dormers and the brick entrance details appeared to be newer than the building. Assumed the stucco over the brick was also newer because it was textured which didn't feel right.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Cove17

I took these photos of the apartment building on Inglis Street in the 1980s (I guess) when we lived just up the street. The shed dormers and the brick entrance details appeared to be newer than the building. Assumed the stucco over the brick was also newer because it was textured which didn't feel right.

Could you repost those photos? It's not showing up in the thread.

Thanks!

[fenwick16]

How many on here remember the ferries prior to the current modern ferries. I often rode these across the harbour in the 1970's:



This one was before my time (prior to the MacDonald Bridge being built). It is hard to imagine having to take a car ferry over to Dartmouth.



Source for both images: http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2012_02_01_archive.html