Postcard Memories is a series of historic views, stories, and photos of Bradford and the area, a trip down memory lane on a Saturday morning.
Did you know that Bradford beauty salon, Victoria Bourque, located at 92 Holland Street West used to be home to belong to Bertha St. Clair in the 1890s?
The Italianate-style house was built in the 1890s where St. Clair lives for years.
When she died, her nieces Kay and Isabel (daughters of Robert Spence) moved into the house. They were hairdressers.
Isabel later moved and part of the house was rented to George and Ethel Stewart.
The building was eventually sold to a real estate agent.
The office of Dr. Fitzsimmons was also here at one time. Next to this structure was a vacant lot belonging to the Sinclair family. Many years ago there was a Temperance Hall and a church located there.
The two-storey, rectangular, main building has a single-storey, rear addition, asymmetrical façade, and a moderately pitched, hip roof with a central chimney. The grand, Italianate scale is reflected in the large window openings, high floor-to-ceiling heights, and the large, 6/6 sash windows.
There are deep, projecting eaves with ornately decorated, paired cornice brackets and ‘false quoins’ (wood detailing meant to resemble masonry). The window cornices are exaggerated.
According to the 2000 inventory, the stone foundation, wood frame construction, horizontal, wood-sided exterior finish (resembling masonry), and painted, exterior, wood trim are maintained well.
-from the BWGPL archives
