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UER Forum > Archived Canada: Ontario > Demolition: Imperial Hotel (Tillsonburg) (Viewed 346 times)
Intrinsic 


Location: Collingwood
Gender: Male




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Demolition: Imperial Hotel (Tillsonburg)
< on 7/7/2009 8:00 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 


By Jeff Helsdon

Staff Writer

A Tillsonburg landmark is soon to become history.

An agreement in principle has been reached by 2209662 Ontario Inc. to purchase the property known as the Imperial Hotel. George Gilvesy, spokesman for the company, said the intention is the building will be demolished soon after the agreement is finalized in about a month.

The area will then be used for parking.

Gyulveszi Properties Inc., which owns the Metro property and the building at 205 Broadway, has intentions to rejuvenate the building formerly occupied by Shopper’s Drug Mart. Gilvesy said it could be kept as one unit or subdivided into three or four units down the side. A final decision won’t be made until a tenant is found for the building.

“When you reconfigure a building, you need to add parking as well as there are long-term interests of the Metro property to keep in mind,” he said.

Gyulveszi Properties Inc. was started by George’s grandfather George in the 1950s.

Donna Peirce, chair of the Tillsonburg and District Historical Society, said the demolition is to be expected considering the state of the building.

“I don’ think anyone would try to rebuild it again back to its glory days,” she said. “I think it’s sad but these things happen.”


Edit:
http://www.tillson...lay.aspx?e=1643384
[last edit 7/7/2009 8:00 PM by Intrinsic - edited 1 times]

N1Hawk 


Location: Ajax, Ontario, Canada
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Re: Demolition: Imperial Hotel (Tillsonburg)
<Reply # 1 on 7/7/2009 8:06 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Let's get out there before it's gone! It seems like a nice hotel!

Intrinsic 


Location: Collingwood
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Re: Demolition: Imperial Hotel (Tillsonburg)
<Reply # 2 on 7/7/2009 8:10 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by N1Hawk
Let's get out IN there before it's gone! It seems like a nice hotel!


And if that's not possible, I always hope that some enterprising individual(s) may try contacting the owner and trying the legit way before the wrecking ball comes knocking.

If it was local to me, I'd call them up and say, "Hey, local history coming down. Let me in for 5 minutes." Liability on the other hand.... *sigh*


Clemmer 


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Re: Demolition: Imperial Hotel (Tillsonburg)
<Reply # 3 on 7/22/2009 11:59 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I have been all through that building. I highly doubt the owner would allow anyone into it at all, assuming that it hasn't already changed hands. Truth be told, that building scares me.

It is fully fire sprinklered, but fairly run down for a recently habitated building. It has been empty for about 1.5 years.

The basement is fairly cluttered as are some rooms on the second and third floor.

I do know that on at least one occasion the basement was heavily flooded due to a 1 1/2 sprinkler main freezing and breaking.

I also know that the fire escape on the north side is very wobbly and I feared it would collapse when I was out on it.



Intrinsic 


Location: Collingwood
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Re: Demolition: Imperial Hotel (Tillsonburg)
<Reply # 4 on 7/23/2009 12:55 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
A follow-up story... It sounds like she would have been quite beautiful back in her earlier days.

Imperial Hotel truly historic

Greeting the traveler entering downtown Tilsonburg in 1889 was the Imperial Hotel. Built to accommodate the visitors arriving to Tilsonburg it was strategically located near the train station and at the entrance to the town’s commercial district; the first hotel lodging to be found by the weary traveler.

The completion of the building’s construction warranted an article in the March 8, 1889, Tilsonburg Observer.

“The handsome and rather imposing hotel building being erected this winter on the southwest corner of Broadway and Hale St., immediately south of the BQT overhead bridge, by Mr. Geo. Southwick, proprietor of the Tilsonburg Cigar Works”

“The building is three storey brick on a stone basement, the top storey being of the Mansard form, with a handsome tower on the corner. The stories are all lofty and the building has about the elevation of an ordinary four-storey building. It occupies a commanding position and is an ornament to the street.”

Today the Imperial Hotel is a mere shadow of its original self, but 120 years ago this building was a treasure. It was of the Italian Mode, and was heavily ornamented with strong, horizontal lines, yet one’s eyes were immediately drawn up to the slate roof and tower four stories above at the northeast corner of the building.

The tower had a slate mansard roof with eighteen protruding gables on all four sides and a graceful flagpole rose majestically to touch the sky.

In between all other windows are decorative slate flower designs. Each gable had a artistic design painted below the peak. Large eaves, which jutted out were supported by colourful brackets, which follow a stringcourse of decorative brick.

Both east and north walls had a door leading onto the second floor porch, which originally ran the full length of both these walls. The porch was extended to a balcony over the wooden sidewalk providing a protected entrance below to the ground floor’s centered east double door and smaller north door. This verandah allowed the customers fresh cool air during the hot summers and a picturesque view of Tillsonburg.

The ground floor east wall was a series of three double doors plus the tower doors, to which two stairs ran the whole length of the wall to provide access.


In later years the double door beneath the portico remained unchanged, while the doors on either side of it were made into large windows, although the stain glass above the transoms was left until a later renovation.

The smaller two story section on the north side with entrance way level with the side walk was Mr. Southwick’s Cigar Factory and later a kitchen. So proud was George of his hotel he named a new cigar ‘The Imperial.’

At this time there were also out buildings adjacent to the south wall and a large barn out the back (west) to house the traveler’s horses and rigs.

The interior is best described by those who viewed it.

“The building is fitted throughout with hot air and has a perfect system of ventilation by fan lights, wall ducts etc. All the woodwork is cherry and walnut finish and all the rooms are airy and well lighted, and well arranged for comfort and convenience. There are several stairways and nothing in fact that would be likely to make guests comfortable has been omitted.”

“On the ground floor are a reading room, office, bar room, wash room, porter’s room, carving room (connected with the kitchen in the basement by a dumb waiter and a stairway), and a well lighted and commodious dining room, extended across the full width of the building at the rear and connected with the carving room in the usual way.

“There are three stairways from the hall, the main stairway leading up from the main entrance, a private stairway leading up for the use of guests and employees and a stairway leading down to the pool and billiard room in the basement. The bar also has a fine cherry counter fitted with racks, basins, iceboxes etc. and a handsome stand with a six foot mirror and shelves behind it. A door opens from the bar upon Hale Street and another one into the main hall. The washroom is fitted with marble basins and hot and cold water faucets.

“The second storey contains 12 bedrooms and 2 sitting rooms or parlours. The third storey contains 10 bedrooms a suite of 3 handsome rooms and a well fitted bathroom.”

“The basement contains a large billiard room, kitchen, pantry, laundry, furnace rooms, fitted with two of Copp Bros’ largest and best furnaces and a wine vault.”

“The wash rooms, laundry, bath room, kitchen sinks, water closets, etc. are all connected with an admirable private water service and a private sewer, and an outside stairway connects the second storey with the yard. The house is, in fact, as complete as money and intelligence could make it and no doubt it will become on of the popular hotels of the district.

“Over two hundred dollars worth of silverware have been purchased for the dining room and every table will have a handsome set. Mr. Hugh Connolly of this town supplied the silverware. The dining room will seat 48 persons comfortably. At night it will be lighted by two elegant nickel chandeliers each bearing four lamps fitted with flower shaped colored glass globes. Every room in the third flat of the hotel has already been engaged by regular boarders.”

Those glory years are gone. The Imperial was sold and renovated many times over the century slowly removing the special touches which made it a beautiful building and leaving little left to remind us of its elegant past.

It is now scheduled to be demolished this summer.

Source

UER Forum > Archived Canada: Ontario > Demolition: Imperial Hotel (Tillsonburg) (Viewed 346 times)



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