Mount Forest in Wellington North in Wellington County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Mount Forest Heritage Building 149 Main Street South

1882

— Charles Jay Gilles Books, Stationery and Fancy Goods —

Mount Forest Heritage Building 149 Main Street South Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Boyd, September 25, 2026

1. Mount Forest Heritage Building 149 Main Street South Marker

Inscription. The Gilles family settled in Normanby Township in 1862 after leaving Germany. By 1865, Charles Gilles was working as a house and sign painter in Mount Forest. He then opened a Book & Stationery Store in 1872. Ten years later he built this three-storey building and added Fancy Goods to his business. The Dominion Bank occupied the building from 1920 to 1976 which included the merging of the Dominion Bank and the Bank of Toronto to become the TD Bank. Brian Padfield, realtor, bought the building in 1976 and became Padfield Insurance Brokers in 1984. Bill Nelson has owned the building since 1996 operating as Padfield-Nelson Insurance Brokers.

Erected 2023 by Mount Forest Museum & Archives.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1882.

Location. 43° 58.87′ N, 80° 44.094′ W. Marker is in Wellington North, Ontario, in Wellington County. It is in Mount Forest. It is on Main Street South (Highway 6) 0.1 kilometers south of Wellington Street West, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address:

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

157 Main Street S, Wellington North ON N0G 2L2, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Huron-Perth-Waterloo-Wellington Area

and in Southwestern Ontario.

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 Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Mount Forest Heritage Building 153 Main Street South (here, next to this marker); Mount Forest Heritage Building 130 Main Street South (within shouting distance of this marker); Mount Forest Heritage Building 162 Main Street (within shouting distance of this marker); Mount Forest Heritage Building 191 Main Street South (within shouting distance of this marker); Mount Forest Heritage Building 114 Main Street South (within shouting distance of this marker); Mount Forest Heritage Building 106 Main Street (within shouting distance of this marker); Mount Forest Heritage Building 187 Main Street South

Photographed by Tim Boyd, September 25, 2026

2. Mount Forest Heritage Building 149 Main Street South Marker

The upper marker

(within shouting distance of this marker); Mount Forest Heritage Building 101 Main Street South (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wellington North.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 3, 2026, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 3, 2026, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.