Old Post Office

Old Post Office. . , John Ferguson was North Bay's first postmaster for a few weeks in 1883, operating out of his boardwood cabin. He was succeeded by William McDonald who opened a general store and post office that same year. McDonald was postmaster for 25 years (his son W.D. held the post for another 19, to 1926). With a steadily growing population (2500 in 1899, 3813 in 1905) the Federal Government agreed to construct a building to host a post office and other federal offices. Lot #108 on the north side of Main Street, at Fraser, was purchased by the crown from the William Doran family for $8000 in 1905. The federal building cost $50,000 to construct and opened for business in 1908., It was a two story masonry structure of red brick, concrete and stone, set on a foundation of rough faced rusticated stone blocks. A set of stone steps led to the Main Street entrance which had oversized oak doors with a half rose window within a roman arch flanked on each side by a huge stone pedestal base supporting double columns. A simplified Corinthian capitol and a pediment bearing the recessed wording "Post Office" were other features of the entrance. Such detailing was typical of renaissance revival and neoclassical styles. The main facade windows appear heavier and more rustic than the double windows above because of undulating keystone surrounds. The roof line above the cornice features a stone/concrete balustrade set between cap extensions at the corners and a prominent pediment. The white stone of the key design elements of the facade are highlighted by the use of dark red colored brick field panels which make the building stand out and the whole edifice seems to lighten up as it reaches for the sky., The lower floor interior featured oiled hardwood flooring and on the right side of the lobby was a row of wickets with brass grills., The post office was built on rock; it had no real basement, common to many Main Street structures. In winter the entry steps were often covered by boards for the safety of patrons who complained and petitioned for years about the lack of sidewalks of any nature at the Main and Fraser intersection., In November 1921, the North Bay Postal District was formed. In 1939 the first official air mail arrived here and in 1941, with the world war two situation "grave", soldiers placed sandbags around the building which was termed "the nerve centre of business activity in the city". It was the HQ for a number of drives to help the war effort, including acquiring over a thousand "books for bases" and over 3200 pounds of used tires and rubber. , A constant focus of post cards, the somewhat grandiose Post Office building was easily the most outstanding, non-religious structure in the area. , Unfortunately, time marches on. The building was closed in the summer of 1957 and demolished the following year. The Main and Fraser property was sold to S.S. Kresge in 1957, the present structure was constructed and Kresge's operated at the site until the 1980s. In 1990 K Mart Canada sold the building. The cornerstone for a new Federal Building (corner of Ferguson and Worthington) was laid in January 1956 and it is still the main post office for the district. , [photo captions] , . The town band marching down Main Street. , . 1880s Ferguson residence and post office.