Southampton Cultural Heritage Conservancy
P.O. Box 3036 N0H 2L0 Southampton, ON, Canada

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS: SOUTHAMPTON SONG We are reposting our adaptation, The Twelve Days of Christmas: Southampton Song, which many of our Facebook followers will remember from December 2019. Some of the twelve gifts are obviously pre-COVID-19, but we trust you will view them in the spirit of hope for a healthy and happy 2021.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS Sparkling lights are brightening up Southampton during a holiday season with restrictions for inside gatherings. We think the abundance of festive lights and decorations enhances the pleasure of walking outdoors.

TWO SOUTHAMPTON CHURCHES AT NIGHT Southampton’s beautiful churches provide spiritual and social support for our community year round. We also value the cultural heritage of their architecture, interior design with stained glass windows, as well as the biblical stories that inspire our imaginations. At Christmas time many of us enjoy attending a service on Christmas Eve or Christmas day, but this year services are being held virtually. The Southampton United Church and St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church stand out for their stained-glass windows and colourful Christmas decorations.

HARRIGAN’S EVERYTHING MUST GO SALE Would you like a little piece of High Street history to take home? On Saturday, Dec. 12th, from 12:00 to 4:00 pm, Harrigan’s will have a garage-style sale of what remains of the store’s furniture and fixtures, including a pine harvest table, stand-alone cupboards and cabinets, and an antique commode stand. Practical food preparation items (pots and pans, etc.) will also be for sale. Mary Ellen Harrigan says Everything must go.

SOUTHAMPTON'S HIGH STREET DECORATED FOR CHRISTMAS We couldn't help getting the Christmas spirit walking down High Street on Friday night. The lamp posts with lighted wreaths, the decorated shop windows, the cozy restaurants with Christmas trees inside, and the recordings of Christmas carols playing for people walking and shopping are just what we need.

SOUTHAMPTON MYSTERY QUIZ: NO. 3 Many people wonder about the concrete platform with a bulge at one end, at the bottom of High Street/Millard Blvd (Dominion Look-Off). Depending upon lake water levels, the concrete platform can be visible or invisible (hidden below the water). What is it? What was it used for? To find out more, including a story about a dead pig in the town's water supply, click through the photos below.

HERITAGE CONSERVATION IN WALKERTON SCHC is always delighted when beautiful heritage buildings are conserved and celebrated. This week Walkerton’s Victoria Jubilee Hall (1897) received from the National Trust for Canada (Ottawa) the Resilient Places Award for 2020. To read more about this award, click here: https://nationaltrustcanada.ca/nt-awa/victoria-jubilee-hall Also in Walkerton, we are impressed with the conservation of the Walkerton Baptist Church (1883), a designated heritage building notable for its combination of Gothic Revival and Queen Anne Revival architectural styles. The renovations are respectful of the building’s historic architecture. #nationaltrustcanada

SOUTHAMPTON MYSTERY QUIZ: No. 1 How well do you know Southampton? You may not recognize all five of the objects or places in this post, but it might be fun to try. The first 5 photos are shown without any clues. The remaining 5 photos have answers in the captions. No spoilers please.

CENTURY HOMES RECENTLY SOLD IN SOUTHAMPTON Southampton’s historic buildings are part of our collective identity. We look upon our former Town Hall, Art School, and the Beach House (in our header photo) with a sense of civic pride. These buildings, along with many others, have a long and important cultural heritage extending back for well over a century. The same is true for Southampton’s historic summer cottages and attractive streetscapes of Gothic Revival, Queen Anne, and... Georgian-style houses of yellow brick or wood shingles. The individual owners change over time, but many buildings remain as meaningful reminders of who we are. In this post we share eight photos of century homes that have recently been sold to new owners. We are encouraged to believe that most owners of century homes in Southampton appreciate how their own private residences contribute to Southampton’s cultural heritage and its stature as a beautiful lakeside retirement community, summer resort, and tourist destination, well known throughout Ontario and beyond as the The Oldest Port on the Bruce. See more

SUMMER COTTAGES, A SOUTHAMPTON TRADITION: PART III In our third and final post on summer cottages in Southampton, we feature examples of cottages that were constructed initially not as cottages, but for completely different uses (as a life-saving station, as a chicken coop, and as a barn). These cottages are interesting because they were not built to be lived in, and they were not built to last this long. Their preservation and re-purposing is proof that buildings of all kinds can be moved, placed on new foundations, renovated, and repurposed. They are important because, with their stories, they continue to add character and interest to the cultural heritage of Southampton. Examples of the conservation and re-purposing of other types of buildings, not as cottages but as year-round homes, will be featured in a future post.

SUMMER COTTAGES, A SOUTHAMPTON TRADITION: PART 2Off the Beach. In our last post we showed examples of cottages on Southampton beach. In this post we focus on cottages off the beach, but nearby. All of these cottages, some of which have remained in the same family for several generations, are important examples of a tradition stretching back more than a century. They are important cultural assets, not only for the families that own them, but because: 1. They reflect, all... year long, the tradition of summering at the beach, by reminding us of the relationship of the town to the 3rd largest lake in the world, with its shoreline, sand dunes, and sunsets, 2. They contribute to our sense of Southampton as a lake-side resort and retirement destination within a thriving historic year-round community, 3. The cottage-style architecture has merit, by adding character and sometimes whimsical charm to Southampton streetscapes, 4. As artifacts or as time-capsules, they present a tangible record of the people who have owned them, as well as the architects and carpenters who built these special places, enjoyed by so many over the decades, 5. They signify the early development, growth, and importance of Southampton’s tourism economy, 6. They underline the strong ties and the enduring community that exists through the generations of family members who have continued, for over a century, to enjoy summering in Southampton, and 7. They provide good examples of heritage buildings saved and preserved, in that 3 of the cottages in this post have been lifted off their foundations and moved. See more

SUMMER COTTAGES, A SOUTHAMPTON TRADITION: PART I The summer cottage escape from the city is ingrained in Canadian culture. Southampton has played an important role in this tradition since the late 19th Century. Whether built as privately owned cottages or as rentals, these cottages are a delightful cultural asset, adding picturesque character and charm to the landscape, as well as the gaiety and fun that comes with family gatherings and relaxation in a summer resort atmosph...ere. How very fortunate we are to have so many historic summer cottages within our town. In this, the first of three posts on cottages, we are focusing on cottages that are right on the beach. Our next post will present a selection of cottages within the town of Southampton, not directly on the beach. Sources for further reading: Memories of Cottage Life in Southampton In Their Own Words (Cottage Life Group of Southampton’s 150th Anniversary Committee, 2008) and Robin Hilborn’s Guide to Old Southampton (Family Helper Pub, 2019). See more

Lost and reposted: SOUTHAMPTON HERITAGE DESTINATION WALKS: PART II In this second post on Heritage Information Plaques in Southampton, we focus on heritage information plaques in 7 locations within walking or biking distance south of High Street, west of Albert St. The plaques memorialize catastrophic events, important historic buildings, pivotal industries, and unforgettable people. For a virtual tour of all of the plaques prepared by the Saugeen Shores Municipal Heritage Committee and volunteers, click on this link: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapTour/index.html

HERITAGE DESTINATION WALKS IN SOUTHAMPTON: PART I It's nice to have a destination when you are going for a walk. Southampton has an excellent program of heritage information plaques that provide interesting stopping points for self-guided heritage walking tours (thanks to the Municipal Heritage Committee of Saugeen Shores and its volunteers). In this post we focus on the 6 plaques situated on or close to High Street and north of High Street. Our next post will feature the remaining 8 plaques south of High Street. For an online tour of the plaques, click here: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapTour/index.html

SOUTHAMPTON: A VILLAGE IN A GARDEN Southampton is so fortunate to have a long tradition of gardening excellence, adding to its natural landscape of wildflowers and heritage trees. For well over a century, Southamptonians have shown an appreciation for gardens and the surrounding natural environment, evidenced by our first Mayor Alexander Belcher's wish, in 1907, to form a horticultural society, our long history of garden parties, and a News Record report, on Aug. 8th, 1907, that "Miss Tina MacDonald has returned from Chantry Island and says it is a garden of bluebells and other flowers."

MCNABB POINT LIGHTHOUSE Southampton has four lighthouses, three of which we see nearly every day in trips around town: the Chantry Island Lighthouse, the Saugeen River Front Range Lighthouse at the harbour mouth, and the Saugeen River Rear Range Lighthouse near the bridge off Highway 21. But the fourth, the McNabb Point Lighthouse, is harder to find. You have to look for it. Built in 1877 at the northern tip of Horseshoe Bay, the McNabb Point Lighthouse played an important... role guiding ships into the Harbour of Refuge constructed in the 1870s, with a long dock and a short dock extending from Beach Rd at Jerry’s Fast Food, and another dock extending from Chantry Island. In 1901, the McNabb Lighthouse was moved from the northern tip to the southern tip of Horseshoe Bay, where it remains today, on the shore, bounded by private property. See more

A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF SOUTHAMPTON, circa 1905. What does your eye see? In this early postcard, we can see several places of interest, including the buildings listed below. Can you see your home, the house across the street, or some other historic building? The photo was taken sometime after 1901 when the Knechtel Wood Turning Factory, now Southampton Market, was built, but before 1910, when the former Town Hall at the SE corner of High and Albert was built. On Victoria St No...rth (bottom right corner), we can see: 22 Victoria St N, built in 1865 for Catherine McNabb, Southampton’s famous meteorologist. On High St, we can see: St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 1889 The Lutheran Church, built 1891 (a Baptist Church when the photo was taken) Judy Rich law office (in the original house at 243 High St) Off-Shore Bakery (see the original house, 233 High St, before modern addition) The old Rifle Company drill hall (SE corner of High and Albert), replaced in 1910 by the former Southampton Town Hall (now Southampton Arts Centre) On Albert St South, we can see: The Southampton Arts School, (built in 1888 as the Mechanics Institute) 15 Albert St, built in 1865 by Capt. George MacAulay (across from the drill hall and Art School) Hampton Court, 1902 (the Bowman mansion stands out with its turreted roof) Susan Dollar Law Office, 44 Albert St South (rear view of house) St Patrick’s Catholic Church, 36 Albert St. S, built in 1886. The Elk and Finch Pub and Bistro, 54 Albert St S Southampton Market, built in 1901 as Knechtel’s Wood Turning Factory. On Palmerston St, we can see: Eagleson’s Funeral home (recognizable by its tall chimney on the east side) Hiram Cole house, 239 Palmerston St (Gothic Revival home built in 1896) On Lake Huron Chantry Island and the lighthouse THE SOUTHAMPTON CULTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVANCY INVITES YOUR COMMENTS AND ADDITIONS TO OUR LIST

The DIZZY BIRD ON SOUTHAMPTON’S HIGH STREET Southamptonians are pleased to see another historic building on High Street restored and occupied. We love our new coffee shop, the Dizzy Bird, which opened earlier this month in the former Trends Hair Salon, at 182 High Street. The Dizzy Bird is flanked on the west by Sisters on Huron, and on the east by Outlaw Brew Co. The warm yellow brick, the round-headed upper windows, and the decorative cornices, mirrored by the adjoining b...uildings, are important features, beautifully preserved. Roy McVittie’s 1967 column entitled Memories of the Yesteryear (The Beacon, 25 October 1967), describes early occupants of The Dizzy Bird (long before Trends). We are sure that many long-time residents and visitors remember The Golden Crust Shoppe. Early in its history, the store was occupied by Johnny Woods, general merchant, then replaced by a grocery store (James MacKenzie and Sons), and then by a bakery (John Doll and family) followed by the Golden Crust. The building was constructed after 1885, when a fire destroyed about 50 buildings on the north side of High Street, from the north east corner of Grosvenor to Victoria. In 1913 the new building was threatened by another fire. To see a photo showing two horse drawn-fire engines and firefighters pouring water on the roof of 182 High Street, click here (and enlarge the photo with a 2nd click): https://brucemuseum.pastperfectonline.com//4DC1A18E-149F-4 See more

NEW INVESTIGATION FINDS BRUCE COUNTY HELD CLOSED MEETINGS IN VIOLATION OF MUNICIPAL ACT The latest independent investigation (July 6) adds another 7 improperly closed meetings to the 5 improperly closed meetings identified in an earlier investigation in December 2019. In short, the County met secretly in improper "closed sessions" at least 12 times to negotiate, in partnership with Bruce Power, to build a nuclear institute at 254 High Street, with plans to purchase and demolish the historic former St Paul's Anglican Rectory, using a restricted trust "for archives storage and display" from philanthropist and heritage advocate Bruce Krug. For more information, see article by Scott Dunn: https://www.owensoundsuntimes.com//more-bruce-county-close

HARRIGAN’S FOOD TOWN PART OF OUR HISTORY PART II We have a few more photos to add to our post of July 6th on Mary Ellen and Dave Harrigan’s announcement of their plans to retire from the grocery business in October, after 35 years of serving the public. The store will continue to sell groceries and to provide catering services until October 31. We trust that Southampton residents and visitors will make a special effort to support the Harrigan’s and their friendly staff in their final months of business.