Stratford Times - August 2021

105-109 St. David Street - Front Elevation

​Ubiquitous in Toronto, this bay-and-gable row is a rare gem in Stratford. Popular in the 1880s these rows, often constructed with Gothic Revival and Queen Anne influences, take their name from the protruding bays and accompanying - and often decorative - gables. Most rows of this style are two-and-a-half storeys which permit maximum space on a narrow lot. 
 
This c. 1888 row, located at 105-109 St. David Street, features decorative bargeboard along the gables and shed roofs covering the entry porches. Buff brick is present in the bay corners, decorative detailing, and around the windows. Older or original windows are still present along the first storey and have segmentally arched heads. 107 and 109 St. David mirror each other in form. The east side of the row has a fire wall while the west side has a gable with decorative bargeboard. It is likely that this row was constructed to accommodate a growing population as the Grand Trunk shops, located just across the street, were expanded in 1888.

​In 1902, Albert Klophel, Maggie Duggan, and Thomas J. May lived at 105-109 St. David Street.
 
Albert Klophel, who was a machinist at the GTR Shops, was born on June 13th, 1864. Though German, Albert’s father, William, was born at sea on an English ship. He was a professor of music. Albert Klophel lived here with his wife, Emily Pitcher, who was three years his senior and came from nearby Guelph. Klophel died in April 1903 at the age of 39. Emily likely moved to Toronto in 1917 where she lived for 31 years until she was 86. 
 
Maggie Duggan would've been neighbours with Albert and Emily, at least for a short time. Born on August 26th, 1859, Maggie was an Irish Catholic immigrant who worked as a clerk at the J.A. Duggan dry goods store that was located downtown at 18-24 Downie Street.
 
T.J. May was a traveler and tea merchant who was married to English-born Alice May. They would have lived there with their son and two daughters.
 
In 1999 105-109 St. David Street was designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. 

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