Niagara Falls Then and Now: Buildings lost, buildings found; part one

Below: looking west along Queen St. in Niagara Falls, taken on a snowy February day in 1978 from the east side of Erie Ave. Rosberg's Dept. Store is at the right corner of photo.

(All 'before' photos in this post from the Niagara Falls Library Archives)

Above: same view on a cold and snowy Dec.22, 2008. The steeple of St. Patrick's church, which is located on Victoria Ave. at the west end of Queen St., can be seen in both photos in the distance. (All the 'after' photos in this Photo Series were taken by R. Bobak on Dec.22, 2008)

*

Click on photos to enlarge!

*

below: Looking at north-west corner of Queen St. and Erie Ave. Note streetcar travelling on Queen St. Date of photo not known.

above: same view, Dec.22, 2008
*

below: 1927, looking west down Queen St.; the south-west corner of Queen St. and Erie Ave. is on the left. Behind the tall tower, behind the tree, can be seen the Niagara Falls fire station with its own lookout tower.

above: same view, Dec.22, 2008; at left is the 'old' Niagara Falls City Hall, now sealed up and vacant; the current City Hall is located behind it, out of view. In both shots, St. Patrick's church steeple can be seen in the far distance at the west end of Queen St. where it meets Victoria Ave.

*

below: looking north-east along Erie Ave., from across Queen St. A streetcar is seen turning the busy corner from Queen north onto Erie Ave. This is the corner (on the right, east) where Rosbergs would be built up; in the distance in both photos below can be seen the outline of the row of shops which faced onto the east side of Erie Ave. Before it was Rosbergs, the corner building was the Armstrong hotel.

above: same view, Dec.22, 2008
(see also: Niagara Falls Then and Now: Rosbergs)
(In 2009, Rosbergs was destroyed by fire; see http://rightinniagara.blogspot.ca/2009/10/rosbergs-destroyed-by-fire.html)

*

below: looking at south-west corner of Queen St. and Ontario Ave., taken 1919

above: same view Dec.22, 2008

*

below: date unknown; F.C. Burroughe's Furniture store in Niagara Falls, looking at the south-east corner of Queen St. and Crysler Ave. (There was also a F.C. Burroughe's Furniture store in Toronto, located on the south side of Queen St. W., east of Bathurst St. The National Post reported on Jan.24, 2009: "FC Burroughes Furniture Company constructed this building in 1907 as its flagship department store. And for 53 years, ending in 2002, the [Toronto] address was the home of King Sol, a camping gear retailer.")
See more on F.C. Burroughe's history here

above: same view, Dec.22, 2008, green steel-cladding removed.

*

below: same Burroughe's Furniture building as seen from the front, on Oct.4, 1964.

below: Burroughe's Furniture building, 'modernized' with steel sheeting, as seen from a little farther east along Queen St., date unknown.

above: same view on a snowy cold Dec.22, 2008
above: Before it was home to Burroughe's, the same building was home to Northcott's Furniture, as seen in above photo taken in 1930. Not sure if the sign is going up or being taken down. Chances are that the folks would be posing to commemorate their new neon sign! Note to the far left (east) is seen a house next door on Queen St., this was the home and office of Dr. Alex B. Smillie, at 544 and 548 Queen St. (now Moodie's Bakery is on that site in a newer building; at some point the Smillie houses were torn down). Though I don't know how long he had been there, Dr. Smillie was listed being here on Queen St. in 1945 and 1955.

above: same view, 1920 -before Northcott's, this same building was home to Wallace's. Wallace's at some point later, before 1930, moved across the street, to a building on the north-west corner of Queen and St. Clair (see: here, scroll to end).

*

below: Oct.4, 1964 - looking at the north-west corner of Queen St. and Crysler Ave, occupied by the Elliott Coffee Shop, with its fantastic corner neon sign overhanging the sidewalk. In the right distance is the old power plant which stood on the south-east corner of Park St. and Crysler Ave. Seen in the right distance is the old power generating station of the Niagara Falls Electric Lighting Co., which stood on the SE corner of Park St. and Crysler Ave. (Crysler was formerly known as Welland Ave.) This station had been built in 1895 and was demolished during Nov.17-19, 1969.

below: the Elliott Coffee Shop in an undated colour view

above: same view, Dec.22, 2008. The building became for a time the Daily Planet bar, and is at this point in time operating as the Orchid. The former Carillon Shop (seen above) and the next building to the left have been melded into the larger tavern.

*

Below: looking at the north-west corner of Queen St. and St. Lawrence Ave. - Oscar's Italian Imports is on the corner (with the Pepsi sign), and Dag's Meat Market was the next building to the left (west, with the Coke sign) as seen on Oct.4, 1964

above: same view, Dec.22, 2008

*

below: date not known; looking at the south-west corner of Zimmerman Ave. (formerly known as Clifton Ave.) and Park St. This was the Niagara Falls Review newspaper office. The former Michigan Central railroad tracks ran behind the building crossing a bridge over Zimmerman at the left of photo. In the far left distance is the top of the hat factory which later became the King Edward Hotel [located on the south-west corner of Queen St. and Zimmerman Ave., see also: Niagara Falls, Then and Now: the Eastland shed ] The building at the far right (with the advertisement painted onto its side wall) was the building that later became St. Jude's shelter for homeless men - seen further below.

above: Dec.22, 2008, same view of S/W corner of Zimmerman Ave. and Park St., the corner lot now vacant. The now-abandoned Michigan Central bridge, seen at the left, still stands, rusting over Zimmerman Ave.; in the distance to the right is the hulking rear of the now-vacant former Rosberg's Dept. Store. (which burned down in Oct. 2009)

Hard to imagine that this area was once the vibrant centre of Niagara Falls, near two major train stations and two bridges crossing the Niagara River from the United States, near all the main stores, banks and government offices.

*

Below: the St. Jude's homeless men's shelter as seen on a snowy Feb. 1976. These buildings were demolished in May 1976. This view looks at the south side of Park St., these buildings were just west of where the Niagara Falls Review building had once stood at the south-west corner of Park St. and Zimmerman as seen earlier above; the building at the left was the one with the advertising painted on its left (east) wall. At the lower right of the photo below can be seen the corner of the Eastland Shed, mentioned earlier above. Peeking above the Eastland Shed's roof can be seen a bit of the top of Rosberg's Department Store.

above: Dec.22, 2008 - same view looking south across a snowy Park St. where the St. Jude's houses had once stood, the land long since vacant, now used as a parking lot. At the far-right, the top of the now-vacant Rosbergs can now be fully seen, because the Eastland Shed has been demolished. The now-abandoned Michigan Central rail right-of-way (with the same oddly-bent trees running by the tracks, as seen in the 1976 photo) can be clearly seen stretching across the centre.

*

below: photo taken while standing by the railroad tracks, looking at the same two St. Jude's houses (which fronted onto Park St.) from the rear, in Feb. 1976. To the right can be seen a bit of Zimmerman Ave.; the small stone building at the far right centre of photo is part of the grand Federal building, which was built in 1883. It held the Customs and Post Office, and later police station, but has sadly sat abandoned and vacant for decades. (see: Niagara Falls, Then and Now: The old Post Office) At the far-left is seen the south-east rear corner of the Eastland Shed.

above: The same view looking from the rear towards Park St. where the St. Jude's buildings once stood on the now-vacant lot. This view is from the rear south-west corner of Park and Zimmerman, and is looking across to the north-east corner of the same intersection, where the old Federal building stands. The small stone building (from the previous 1976 photo above) can still be seen on Zimmerman Ave., standing to the north of the abandoned Federal building. In both above photos can also be seen the gable and chimney of the building further to the north along Zimmerman.

*

Below: Looking at the south side of Queen St., west of Ontario Ave., May 1965

above: same view, Dec.22, 2008. Note faded advertisement painted on wall. (possibly: "Eat More Bread, Gay Brothers") The store on the right (west) side of the white-painted building was once a Gay Brothers Bakery location.

*
Below: Oct.4, 1964 - looking at north-east corner of Queen St. and Crysler Ave., where Swalm's Television Sales and Service is seen, at 559 Queen St.; in 1955 there was a Derrick's Appliances there. Next is seen a Leon's Furniture storefront at 555 Queen St. Leon's (founded in 1909 in Welland Ont.) has since become a major big-box furniture retail chain, and is celebrating its 100-year anniversary in 2009! Earlier, in 1945, there was a Loblaw's there.

above: same view, Dec.22, 2008

*

below: looking at the north-east corner of Queen St. and St. Clair Ave. at the Capitol Theatre building (formerly Queen Theatre) prior to its demolition in 1964 (date of photo unknown, possibly summer 1964) to allow construction for a new Lincoln Trust building. At the far right can be seen the west-end of the neighbouring Woolworth building.

below: At the left is the vacant site of the demolished Capitol Theatre building, before the Lincoln Trust building was built. To the right (east) next to the vacant lot is the west end of the Woolworth's store, as seen on Oct.4, 1964.

above: same view, Dec.22, 2008: the modern 'new' bank building stands on the site of the old Capitol Theatre, contrasting to the remnants of the deco upper facade of the former Woolworth's building.

*

below: Looking at the north side of Queen St., just east of Ontario Ave., as seen May 5, 1965. Queen St. was really a bustling retail hub; with many major chain merchants as well as smaller shops and services represented throughout the strip from Rosberg's at the east end of Queen to Loblaws and Eatons at the west end along Victoria Ave. It was a shopping destination where customers could browse the street shops for an entire afternoon. It was what malls today attempt to recreate.

above: same view, the little Palms Restaurant, along with its overhanging Coke sign, is gone, but My Country Deli still remains.

*

below: looking at the Dominion grocery store, and the Reitman's women's wear shop, on the north side of Queen St., just west of St. Clair Ave., as seen Oct.4, 1964.

above: same view, Dec.22, 2008

*

below: looking at the north-west corner of Queen St. and Ontario Ave., May 1965. Rainbow Bowling Lanes had a nice neon sign overhanging the sidewalk on the corner, the bowling entrance was at the side door with the curved glass block. Lane's Restaurant and Soda Bar was at the west end, and Robert's jewellery and china was on the corner. Robert's is still on Queen, having relocated to the south side nearby across the street. Note the black Meteor and tan finned Pontiac (?) parked out front! That's audacious style for you!

above: the same view on a dreary Dec.22, 2008. The building has been stuccoed and became an office. The building to the left, once the Giant store, is now vacant.

*

below: looking at the south-east corner of Queen St. and Ontario Ave. in Sept. 1986.
Bank of Montreal is at left, and a federal employee credit union was at the right; earlier, this was the Dominion Bank.

above: same view, Dec.22, 2008. Canopy of the Bank of Montreal building is seen at far left.

*

below: looking at the south side of Queen St., between St. Clair Ave. and Crysler Ave., May 1965. Check out the beat up brown Pontiac convertible!

above: same view, Dec.22, 2008. to the far left (east) is seen a bit of the corner of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce building. To the east of the CIBC stands the federal Post office building.

*

below: looking at the south side of Queen St., between Crysler Ave. and St. Lawrence Ave., Oct.4, 1964. Paterno jewellers is seen at the left, the eastern half of the Niagara Falls Seneca Theatre at the right. It was here at the Seneca that the Canadian premiere of the movie Niagara, starring Marilyn Monroe, was held in 1953. Another fin-tailed wonder is parked on the street in front of the movie theatre.

above: same view, Dec.22, 2008. The brilliant red vitrolite trim combined with gleaming stainless steel accents on the old Paterno shop grabbed the eye of passersby.

*

below: the fabulous Seneca Theatre neon marquee as seen in its glory days, Oct.4, 1964.

above: same view, Dec.22, 2008, forty-four years later - on this dreary December day, the past glory of the Seneca is but a distant memory. . .
*

below: the west side of the Seneca, where The Sandwich Shoppe was located.

above: same view, Dec.22, 2008. New shops are emerging once again to breathe life into downtown (but most didn't last long).

*

below: Oct. 1966 - looking at the Metropolitan Stores building on the north side of Queen St., between Ontario Ave. and Erie Ave., directly across the street from Niagara Falls City Hall.

above: same view, Dec.22, 2008

*

below: Oct. 1965, looking north-east along Valley Way towards Victoria Ave. Note the electric blue sky! Visible are three gasoline stations - a B/A , an Esso, and a Shell. At the right is the huge green neon lettered sign, on the pale-yellow vitrolite facade of the Loblaw's grocery store.

above: same view, Dec.22, 2008 - the Loblaw's building later became a Canadian Tire store for many years
*

below: Oct. 1965, looking north along Victoria Ave. at the Bender St./ Palmer Ave. curve. The Supertest gasoline station was on the west side curve of Victoria Ave., north of Hunter St.

above: same view. Where the drug store was on the corner now is a large Japanese food restaurant.

*

below: Oct. 1965, same Supertest station, looking south, as Victoria Ave. curves around to the right. The then-Oneida (later Kodak) observation tower dominates the skyline at the left. The built-in-1962 Seagram Tower (today's Minolta Tower) can be seen peeking up at the far bottom right.

above: same view, Dec.22, 2008. A hotel occupies the corner at the right. The Oneida tower is now closed, and is a giant advertising beacon for the casino, with a hotel having been built beside it. The Minolta Tower is today out of view from this area, surrounded by high-rise hotels.

*

See also: Niagara Falls, Buildings Lost, Buildings Found, PART TWO

*

Older photos in this study are from the Niagara Falls Ont. Library Archives; the recent photos are by R. Bobak
*
Thanks for visiting Right In Niagara !
*