Town Hall 1873 Self-Guided Tour: Welcome

 

150th Anniversary Self-Guided Tour

 

Welcome to Town Hall 1873! We are going to take a walk back in time to re- discover our Hall and give you a picture how the building has transformed from 1873 until present day.

  • One of the first acts of the newly incorporated Village of Port Perry was to build this building.
  • Joseph Bigelow, married to Elizabeth Paxton, and the towns 1st Reeve, formed a committee to build a Town Hall.
  • The parcel of land at the corner of Simcoe & Lilla Street was purchased from Benjamin Crandell for $1000.00. (now the corner of Simcoe/Queen).
  • Joseph Bigelow was a driving force behind the building & design of the Hall, he was an ambitious man and was involved in many business enterprises during his lifetime (general store owner, Port Perry Postmaster, railroad executive, real estate tycoon, lumberyard owner and, rumour has it, he also had some questionable business practices.
  • Built in the “Italianate Style”, a popular architectural design in Ontario in the
  •  late 19th Century, the hall was built to emphasize the corner lot and position in the town.
  • The design included a tower and belfry which were popular features of the era; this design was in harmony with many of the commercial buildings of the downtown and was also popular with many homes including Joseph Bigelow’s own home that is still standing today.
  • Estimated cost to build Town Hall was $6000.00.

“Town Hall 1873, not only a place to conduct the business of the town but a centre for cultural, social, and recreational activities.  An impressive landmark for Port Perry.” –Joseph Bigelow

 

A New Life as A Theatre:

  • In 1974 a group of like-minded citizens got together to save the Hall when council slated it for demolition in January of that year.
  • Money was raised and the Hall soon became the home of local theatre groups  Borelians Community Theatre and Scugog Choral Society as well as host to many professional and amateur Canadian performers.
  • We are proud to carry on the cultural, social, and recreational activities today.

 

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