Port Perry in Durham Region, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Ontario Carriage Works
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 2, 2024
1. Ontario Carriage Works Marker
The original Ontario Carriage Works opened here in 1874, but was destroyed by fire ten years later. The present building, originally two storeys, was constructed in 1884 by Lewis Hobbs who manufactured buggies, wagons and sleighs on the main floor. The northern section was the blacksmith shop with the carriage trim shop upstairs.
James M. Swan and his two sons purchased the business in 1902 and owned it until 1934. When carriage sales started to slow, due to the interest in automobiles, the building was rented out to a variety of tenants.
Among the businesses which occupied the building were Percy Graham's Ford Auto Garage and the Oshawa Lumber Company. From 1933 to 1945 a shoe factory, owned by the town's Reeve, Merlin Letcher, manufactured products for Bata Shoes and boots for Canadian soldiers during World War II.
In 1945 Lloyd Morrow purchased the building and operated Morrow Farm Equipment here until 1974. Upstairs, the Tease Knitting Mill knit sweaters and socks for all of the NHL teams. A fire ravaged the building in May 1951, after which the second floor was converted into five apartments.
Lloyd Morrow and his brother Gordon sold the building to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario in August 1976. During renovations the second floor was removed and the exterior covered with stucco.
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce • War, World II. A significant historical year for this entry is 1884.
Location. 44° 6.234′ N, 78° 56.612′ W. Marker is in Port Perry, Ontario, in Durham Region. It is at the intersection of Perry Street and Mary Street, on the left when traveling south on Perry Street. The marker is mounted at eye-level near the southwest corner of the subject building, facing Perry Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 181 Mary Street, Port Perry ON L9L 1B8, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Toronto, specifically on the Golden Horseshoe, in the York, Durham and Headwaters Area, and in the Toronto Metropolitan Area. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Ruperts Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: William Hiscocks Block (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); The Willard Block (about 90 meters away); Port Perry Post Office (about 90 meters away); John W. Davis Block (about 90 meters away); Aaron Ross Block (about 90 meters away); The Allison Block (about 120 meters away); The Currie Block (about 120 meters away); Wm. L. Parrish Block (about 120 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Port Perry.
Also see . . . Old Flame Brewing Company, Port Perry.
Excerpt:(Submitted on November 23, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)The historical building housing Old Flame Brewing Co. at our flagship location in Port Perry was originally built in 1874, beginning as the Ontario Carriage Works. It was here where horse-drawn carriages were manufactured locally in the late 19th century. The building also served as a wood shop and blacksmiths forge during this time. Beginning in the early 1900s, the building changed hands and uses several times. It became home to a Massey-Harris dealership, a shoe factory, a lumber yard, a farm equipment supplier, and a textile factory, before converting to its most recent use as Port Perrys LCBO, in 1976. During the painstaking revitalization of our flagship location in Port Perry to restore the building to its grand former self, its original post and beam structure was uncovered, along with century-old brick and burnt timber from a historical blaze.circa 18852. Marker detail: Ontario Carriage Works, circa 1885
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 2, 2024
3. Ontario Carriage Works Marker
The marker is mounted on the left side of the southwest entrance.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 2, 2024
4. Ontario Carriage Works
The carriage works building today houses a craft lager brewery.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 5, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 23, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 355 times since then and 42 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 23, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
