1

Wingham's first main street was fittingly called Victoria Street - after her majesty, the Queen of England.

But when the railway came to town and built their station at the north end of Josephine (the name of Napoleon's queen), main street followed the train.

2

The Kent Block was built in 1877 by Edwin Kent at a cost of $8000.
1916
176 Josephine Street, Wingham, Ontario Canada

3

On the southwest corner of Josephine and Victoria streets, the Kent Block's magnificent three storey brick building anchors the main street.

It was built in 1877 for a mere $8,000.

In 1916, the Gurney Glove Works took over the upper floors of the Kent block. Through two World Wars they cut and stitched gloves and mittens for military personnel and civilians.

4

Gurney Glove Works was located on the second and third floor of the Kent Block from 1916 to 1976.
1977

5

A showroom of Dore carriages(1901), shelves groaning with groceries(1870s & 1926-61) and since 1977, the rich smells of pizza and lasagna have graced the first floor store of the Kent block.

6

The Kent Block
2004
176 Josephine Street, Wingham, Ontario Canada

7

Luckily, in its 126 year history, the Kent block has not had a major fire.

In the early days the fire department did not have ladders high enough to reach the third storey.

8

A building, repainted and modernized.
2004
180 Josephine Street, Wingham, Ontario, Canada

9

The Morton block was filled with the click and beep of the first Bell telephone switchboard, located behind a drug store from 1886 to 1901. The storefront was known as "The Pharmacy" in 1873. It bore the names Towler's Drug Store, Hamilton's Drug Store, Gordon's Drug Store, Morrow's Drug Store and Douglass' Drug Store over the space of 34 years (1870-1905)

Telephone users grew from 5 to over 100 in 15 years - that was only the town residents. Country residents didn't get telephone service until 1909 and the formation of the North Huron Telephone Company.

In 1942, Gurney Gloves bought the Morton Block and used it as office space for the glove factory next door.

In the last 30 years, the storefront has housed Belle's Variety & Gifts, Rosalind's House of Fashion and The Workshop (a store specializing work clothes).

10

This is the other half of the Morton Block.
2004
182 Josephine Street, Wingham, Ontario, Canada

11

In the early days of Wingham, residents from the town and country only got their mail at the post office, so it had to be in a central location. The Fishers built this building to house the Post Office, which it did from 1873 to 1898.

The Post Office was moved again in 1898 when the complaining about it not being central enough got it moved to the MacDonald Block.

Complaining about it not being central was what got it moved to this building from its original site on Victoria Street.

For a short time around 1900, John Hanna Sr. opened a tea room in this building. But by the 1920s, it was the plumbing business of Robert Mooney, which later became W.J. Clark Plumbing. In the 1970s, the Waxworks Boutique opened up to sell candles as well as local and Canadian arts and crafts. Since the 1980s, the space has been home to the Keil Insurance Group.

12

Stainton's Hardware is located in the Wilson block.
1954
184 Josephine Street, Wingham, Ontario, Canada

13

The long white brick building to the left housed the first bank in Wingham, Consolidated Bank, on its first floor as well as the first hospital in the area on its second floor. After the bank merged and moved its location in the 1920s, the founding of a very successful hardware store business followed. First there was Buchanan Hardware which became Stainton Hardware in the 1940s. It is still Stainton Hardware today.

14

184 Josephine Street was first a bank then a series of hardware stores.
2004
184 Josephine Street, Wingham, Ontario, Canada