KAWARTHA LAKES-The City of Kawartha Lakes says it intends to designate 91 William Street North in Lindsay a Heritage Building.
City officials say 91 William Street North has design and physical value as a unique example of Lindsay’s mid-twentieth century Stripped Classical telephone exchange. The building was constructed between 1948 and 1949 as a new telephone exchange for the Bell Telephone Company and is one of only a few examples of this style of industrial structures in Kawartha Lakes. The Neoclassical style was prevalent throughout the 1920s and 1930s in commercial and public architecture where a range of architects in different urban locations across North America adopted it. Although it had declined in popularity in Canada and the United States by the late 1940s when the subject property was constructed, it remained an important architectural form into the mid-twentieth century of which the subject property is a good example. The property is also representative of increasing technical requirements around telephone exchange construction in the first half of the twentieth century in response to new technologies and increased demand for telephone services.
91 William Street North has historical and associative value in its association with the history of telecommunications in Lindsay according to the City. The building was constructed in 1949 as a replacement for the town’s older telephone exchange and responded to a substantial increase in demand for telephone services in the community. The property yields information regarding the development of the telephone in Lindsay as it evolved from the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century as increasing numbers of residents and businesses installed telephones in the community. Similarly, it yields information regarding changes in the local economy and workforce with the introduction of new technology, particularly automated switching which had a substantial impact on women in the workforce.
The City cays 91 William Street North has contextual value as part of the diverse historic landscape of William Street North. The William Street North corridor, which runs north from Kent Street West in close proximity to the Scugog River, include a wide range of historic buildings dating from the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century and includes both commercial and residential structures. Taken together these form a cohesive evolved landscape that demonstrates the development of this portion of Lindsay and the subject property is linked to its surroundings as part of this evolving development.
Further information respecting the proposed designation is available at the City’s Economic Development Department. Any objection to this designation must be filed within 30 days of February 1, 2024. Objections should be directed to: Cathie Richie, Clerk, City of Kawartha Lakes, P.O. Box 9000, 26 Francis Street, Lindsay, ON K9V 5R8. Objections may be filed electronically at [email protected].
