This post looks at the north-side of Queen St. in Niagara Falls, Ont., starting from St. Lawrence Ave. walking eastward towards Crysler Ave. (formerly known as Welland Ave.)
Click on photos to enlarge!
below: Feb.18, 2009 - standing on the west side of St. Lawrence Ave., south of Queen St., looking diagonally across Queen St. towards the north-east corner of Queen St. and St. Lawrence Ave., seen in the upper left distance. The building seen at the upper left of photo is a government office.
above: same view, same corner, as it was in 1923 - at that time, Criger's Garage, seen at the left with the curved roof, was located on the north-east corner of Queen St. and St. Lawrence Ave. The house with the corner lawn at the right eventually had storefronts built on its front and side lawn; the house's front and side gables can still be seen today, in the earlier photo above.
(also see photos at end of Niagara Falls Then and Now: Old Storefronts on Queen St., part four )
Directly to the east beside this house the Seneca movie theatre would later be built.
above: Feb.5, 2009 - looking the north-east corner of Queen St. and St. Lawrence Ave., the same corner where the curved-roof Criger's Garage once was; now the site is occupied by a newer building, which was built as a supermarket (sometime in the late 1980's -early 90's) then later converted into government offices.
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below: May 1965 - the former Criger's garage building with the curved roof is seen now with three storefronts; at the left (west) is D and B Hardware, then the Oriental Restaurant, with two Coke button signs; then Caselton's variety.
above: May, 1965 - continuing eastwards, next to Caselton's is seen Ralph Biamonte Realtors, then Hare's Bakery. This building, with the stepped-top upper facade, can also be seen in the distance in the 1923 photo seen earlier. (second photo from top of post)
above: May, 1965 - continuing eastwards along Queen St., next to Hare's is seen what looks like a vacant storefront, with Tape Recorders written on its awning. At the far right is a barber shop.
above: May, 1965 - next to the barber shop is Power City Shoe Rebuilders, Established 1920; next to the right (east) is an infant and maternity wear shop; at the right is the neat vitrolite-faced storefront of Grader's Ladies Wear.
above: Sept.28, 1965; a black and white view of Grader's stylish vitrolite-with-stainless-steel-trimmed facade, then at 613 Queen St. (Grader's, in the 1950's, was once located in the east-side of the Bank of Montreal building, on Queen St. at Ontario Ave.!)
above: same view, Feb.8, 2009, of the former Grader's building (now 4613 Queen St.) For a time previously, there was a tavern here (called 'New York' something, possibly?) All the buildings seen previously above which were located to the left (west) of the former Grader's store have been demolished. A newer building with government offices now occupies that stretch of Queen St.; the east corner of which is seen above at the left, beside the former Grader's. This is where the maternity shop (seen earlier) had once stood. To the right in both above photos is seen the same stone wall of the next building to the right (east).
above: Jun.9, 2009 The former Grader's storefront is under renovation.
above: Jun.17, 2009 - the metal upper facade has been removed. On the lower green part of the facade was revealed the outline of a former sign which read "billiards" in Ye Olde Englishe Style Scripte. (click on photos to enlarge!)
above: Jun.18, 2009 - the green part of the upper facade has been cut away below the plywood; framing has begun for a new taller front entranceway.
above: Jun.24, 2009 - new plywood facade and windows installed on storefront
above: Jul.14, 2009 - newly painted facade; the former Grader's Ladies Wear store will become a crepe house - as seen below, a month later, on Aug.13, 2009, with its new awning and sign:
below: to the right of Grader's Ladies Wear was Rigg Memorial Works, with the distinctive stepped-parapet. (photo date not known). The Grader's store had a painted sign on its east wall, as can be seen at the far left.
below: Oct.4, 1964 - continuing to the right from the old Grader's; the building below on the left (which was next (to the east) of Grader's) is where Rigg's would later be; but, at this time it looks unoccupied. Note the bench in front of the building in both shots. Not clear what was in the building at the right.
above: Feb.5, 2009 - same view.
above: same view, Feb.5, 2009. The building seen at the above right was once home to Niagara Office Supply
below: This building is the same one with the rounded-edge windows seen in the centre of the second next photo below. There looks to be a barber shop on the right side, not clear what was on the left side. This photo of the 'modernized' facade was probably taken after the 1964 version, seen second next below
below: Oct.4, 1964 - the building in the centre is the same building as shown above. On the left side is John's Shoe Repair (seems there is no barber shop at the right side at this time). The building at the far right (east) has an overhanging Coca Cola sign that says Queen St. Billiards. The building at the far left was where the white-painted Niagara Office Supply would later be.
above: same view, Feb.5, 2009. The building at the centre, where John's Shoe Repair once was, now has a city work-order posted on its boarded-up facade. [This building was demolished in Feb. 2012, becoming a parking lot/bar patio] The building at the right, where the billiards hall was, is now part of the Orchid bar. The building at the far left was where Niagara Office Supply once was.
above: Mar.13, 2009 - at the far left is the boarded-up building with the work-order posted on its front (where John's Shoe Repair once was); next to the right (east) is where Queen Billiard's once was; next, the lower single-story building is where the Carillon Shop had once been; and at the corner (far right) is where the Elliott Tavern had been, as seen in this undated colour-view below:
Above: same view, Dec.22, 2008. At some point in the past, the three former storefronts have been combined into a single facility (up until about Jun. 2009, known as the Orchid bar).
above: same view, as it was on Jul.4, 2005, then known as the Daily Planet, in a yellow/blue paint scheme. (A Rashid, Niagara Falls Library Archive)
above: Jun.15, 2009 - the Orchid sign has been removed
above: same view, Jul.30, 2009 - building undergoing another facelift
Click on photos to enlarge!
below: Feb.18, 2009 - standing on the west side of St. Lawrence Ave., south of Queen St., looking diagonally across Queen St. towards the north-east corner of Queen St. and St. Lawrence Ave., seen in the upper left distance. The building seen at the upper left of photo is a government office.
above: same view, same corner, as it was in 1923 - at that time, Criger's Garage, seen at the left with the curved roof, was located on the north-east corner of Queen St. and St. Lawrence Ave. The house with the corner lawn at the right eventually had storefronts built on its front and side lawn; the house's front and side gables can still be seen today, in the earlier photo above.(also see photos at end of Niagara Falls Then and Now: Old Storefronts on Queen St., part four )
Directly to the east beside this house the Seneca movie theatre would later be built.
above: Feb.5, 2009 - looking the north-east corner of Queen St. and St. Lawrence Ave., the same corner where the curved-roof Criger's Garage once was; now the site is occupied by a newer building, which was built as a supermarket (sometime in the late 1980's -early 90's) then later converted into government offices. *
below: May 1965 - the former Criger's garage building with the curved roof is seen now with three storefronts; at the left (west) is D and B Hardware, then the Oriental Restaurant, with two Coke button signs; then Caselton's variety.
above: May, 1965 - continuing eastwards, next to Caselton's is seen Ralph Biamonte Realtors, then Hare's Bakery. This building, with the stepped-top upper facade, can also be seen in the distance in the 1923 photo seen earlier. (second photo from top of post) 
above: May, 1965 - continuing eastwards along Queen St., next to Hare's is seen what looks like a vacant storefront, with Tape Recorders written on its awning. At the far right is a barber shop.
above: May, 1965 - next to the barber shop is Power City Shoe Rebuilders, Established 1920; next to the right (east) is an infant and maternity wear shop; at the right is the neat vitrolite-faced storefront of Grader's Ladies Wear.
above: Sept.28, 1965; a black and white view of Grader's stylish vitrolite-with-stainless-steel-trimmed facade, then at 613 Queen St. (Grader's, in the 1950's, was once located in the east-side of the Bank of Montreal building, on Queen St. at Ontario Ave.!)
above: same view, Feb.8, 2009, of the former Grader's building (now 4613 Queen St.) For a time previously, there was a tavern here (called 'New York' something, possibly?) All the buildings seen previously above which were located to the left (west) of the former Grader's store have been demolished. A newer building with government offices now occupies that stretch of Queen St.; the east corner of which is seen above at the left, beside the former Grader's. This is where the maternity shop (seen earlier) had once stood. To the right in both above photos is seen the same stone wall of the next building to the right (east).
above: Jun.9, 2009 The former Grader's storefront is under renovation.
above: Jun.17, 2009 - the metal upper facade has been removed. On the lower green part of the facade was revealed the outline of a former sign which read "billiards" in Ye Olde Englishe Style Scripte. (click on photos to enlarge!)
above: Jun.18, 2009 - the green part of the upper facade has been cut away below the plywood; framing has begun for a new taller front entranceway.above: Jun.24, 2009 - new plywood facade and windows installed on storefrontabove: Jul.14, 2009 - newly painted facade; the former Grader's Ladies Wear store will become a crepe house - as seen below, a month later, on Aug.13, 2009, with its new awning and sign:
below: to the right of Grader's Ladies Wear was Rigg Memorial Works, with the distinctive stepped-parapet. (photo date not known). The Grader's store had a painted sign on its east wall, as can be seen at the far left.
below: Oct.4, 1964 - continuing to the right from the old Grader's; the building below on the left (which was next (to the east) of Grader's) is where Rigg's would later be; but, at this time it looks unoccupied. Note the bench in front of the building in both shots. Not clear what was in the building at the right. 
above: Feb.5, 2009 - same view.
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below: Oct.4, 1964 - continuing eastward.
above: same view, Feb.5, 2009. The building seen at the above right was once home to Niagara Office Supply
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below: a closer view of the same building, taken Sept.28, 1965, when it was Niagara Office Supply (prior to its parapet being levelled out)
below: This building is the same one with the rounded-edge windows seen in the centre of the second next photo below. There looks to be a barber shop on the right side, not clear what was on the left side. This photo of the 'modernized' facade was probably taken after the 1964 version, seen second next below
below: Oct.4, 1964 - the building in the centre is the same building as shown above. On the left side is John's Shoe Repair (seems there is no barber shop at the right side at this time). The building at the far right (east) has an overhanging Coca Cola sign that says Queen St. Billiards. The building at the far left was where the white-painted Niagara Office Supply would later be.
above: same view, Feb.5, 2009. The building at the centre, where John's Shoe Repair once was, now has a city work-order posted on its boarded-up facade. [This building was demolished in Feb. 2012, becoming a parking lot/bar patio] The building at the right, where the billiards hall was, is now part of the Orchid bar. The building at the far left was where Niagara Office Supply once was.
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below: Oct.4, 1964 - continuing along to the east - Queen St. Billiards is seen at the left; next in the centre is the single-story Carillon Shop, and at right (standing on the north-east corner of Queen St. and Crysler Ave.) is the Elliott Coffee Shop.
above: Mar.13, 2009 - at the far left is the boarded-up building with the work-order posted on its front (where John's Shoe Repair once was); next to the right (east) is where Queen Billiard's once was; next, the lower single-story building is where the Carillon Shop had once been; and at the corner (far right) is where the Elliott Tavern had been, as seen in this undated colour-view below:
above: the building at the far left is where Queen Billiard's was, but in this undated view its coke sign is gone. Also note that the former billiard hall building is seen with two bay windows on the second floor. Date not known, likely 1960's-70's.
Above: same view, Dec.22, 2008. At some point in the past, the three former storefronts have been combined into a single facility (up until about Jun. 2009, known as the Orchid bar). 
above: same view, as it was on Jul.4, 2005, then known as the Daily Planet, in a yellow/blue paint scheme. (A Rashid, Niagara Falls Library Archive) 
above: Jun.15, 2009 - the Orchid sign has been removed
above: same view, Jul.30, 2009 - building undergoing another facelift
above: same view, Aug.4, 2009 - new paint being applied over the red/black scheme.
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For the next post in this ten-part series, see: Niagara Falls, Old storefronts on Queen St., Part Seven
Or, go back to the beginning of this series at: PART ONE
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Or, go back to the beginning of this series at: PART ONE
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(Also see my related series of posts at: Niagara Falls Then and Now: Buildings lost, buildings found, part one.)
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The older photos in this study are from the NFLA; the recent photos are by R. Bobak.
Thanks for visiting Right In Niagara!
Thanks for visiting Right In Niagara!
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