Guelph City Realty Limited

A Brief History of the Alma Block - 127-135 Wyndham Street

These buildings have commercial and residential uses.  Contact our office for details on pricing and availablility)

The original building on the site of the Alma Block was the first major business erected north of St. George's Square. Built in 1854 by W.J. Brown, this three storey limestone structure provided space at street level for at least four shops beneath a series of segmented arches. Following a disastrous fire in December 1867, the then owner James Massie commissioned Toronto architect James Smith to design an impressive replacement. Interestingly, the segmental arches appear to have been retained in the new design; they remain visible today in the facade of the northern unit. With its richly decorative stone brackets supporting a parapeted cornice, and carved stone entablatures which grace the window heads (on the third floor with segmental arches, and on the second floor with bracketed horizontal pediments), the building remains one of the most attractive examples of commercial architecture in Ontario from the 1860 decade. Local builders Kennedy and Pike had the contract for the rebuilding; Walter Grierson was the stone cutter; and James Barclay was responsible for the carpentry work.

The northern unit (Number 135) of the Alma Block was acquired by Carere Bridge in the late 1970s and rehabilitated along with their property to the north. Separated from the southern part by a masonry fire wall, this section has housed some notable long-term business firms. From the mid-1880s until about 1933, the George Williams store was an area landmark, offering "confectionery, cakes, pastry, soda water, ice cream, Dr. Sweet's Root Beer, fruit and groceries"; the third floor was a banquet hall, and the rear of the store a restaurant and ice-cream parlour. In 1943 John Armstrong moved his dry goods business and its furnishings north from 95-97 Wyndham where he had begun operations in 1911; this firm remained in operation here until 1969.

As described in Downtown Walkabout:  A Walking Tour of the Central Business District of Guelph by Gordon Couling (a publications of the Guelph Arts Council Walking Tour Series).