Description of Historic Place

The building at 31 Main Street South, commonly known as the Waterdown Post Office, is situated on the northeastern corner of the intersection of Main and Griffin Streets in the heart of Waterdown. The two-storey clapboard structure was constructed c. 1857 as a combined shop and residence, but by 1860 it was operating as the village post office.

The exterior of the building is protected by an Ontario Heritage Trust conservation easement.

Heritage Value

Located at the northeastern corner of the intersection between Main and Griffin Streets in the heart of Waterdown, the old Post Office is one of many well-preserved buildings within the boundaries of the tranquil and beautiful village. It is situated only two blocks southwest of the village's main intersection and is within a short walking distance of various other recognized heritage properties such as the Wallace House (1840), the Pearson Home (1857), the Former East Flamborough Township Hall (1857), and the Drummond House (1880).

The Waterdown Post Office is historically significant as a small, community-based, pre-Confederation post office from the era before Canada's postal services were unified in 1867.

The land on which the building stands was originally granted to Alexander McDonnell in the late 1790s, but after failing to develop the area, ownership was shifted to Alexander Brown in 1805 and then to Ebenezer Culver Griffin in 1821. Griffin, who is considered the founder of Waterdown, established three mills and a general store in the village before dividing the land into lots in 1831. Following Griffin's death in 1847, the vacant lot at the northeastern corner of Main and Griffin Streets was sold to Matthew Barnes, and it is assumed that construction on the post office building commenced shortly thereafter. Likely erected around 1857, the building was originally used as a combined shop and residence, but by 1860 it operated as the communications hub of the village with a telegraph station and post office.

J.B. Thompson held the position of postmaster at the site from the early 1860s until the first decade of the 20th Century, and following his death in 1908 the building was transferred to his younger brother for use as a harness-making shop. The use of the building continued to shift throughout the 20th Century with one highlight being the accommodation of CPR workers on the second floor during the construction of the railway through Waterdown from 1912 to 1914. The building currently operates as a tea room and private residence.

The Waterdown Post Office is representative of a typical mid-19th century, wood-framed, small town commercial building. The design, which incorporates many features typical of a traditional small town frame structure, also includes details such as the return eaves and oculus that are inspired by the Greek Revival style. The symmetrical, two-storey, clapboard structure is set on a rubble stone foundation, and its original appearance has been substantially altered due to the loss of a verandah across the front facade and the late-20th Century addition of a new wing to the east side. The building's most distinguishing features are the large storefront windows that flank the main door and are accented by simple wooden pilasters. Both the individual panes and the windows themselves are much larger than in earlier stores, thus providing an abundance of light into the front section of the building.

Source: Conservation Easement Files, Ontario Heritage Trust

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Waterdown Post Office include its:
- location near the centre of the village
- existence as one of the many heritage buildings within the village
- combination of mid-19th Century vernacular design with Greek Revival inspired details
- simple gable end plan, modified by additions to the east and the south
- overall architectural presentation and careful proportions of the main (east) facade
- central entrance with double leaf door flanked by simple wooden pilasters
- two ground floor storefront windows containing four-by-four glazing arrangements and flanked by simple wooden pilasters
- second storey two-over-two sash windows located centrally above the storefront windows
- oculus located in the tympanum formed by the eave returns and boxed cornice
- low-pitched gable roof