A building once occupied by L.A. Ball Furniture in downtown St. Marys is on the market, offering someone the chance to own a distinctive part of the Stonetown’s history.
Located at 95 Queen Street East, this three-storey building stands out with its limestone facade that incorporates elements of sandstone on the upper stories as well as grey sandstone (possibly terra cotta material) on the main level. This building, connected with 97 Queen Street East, came to market in 2024 and features more than 16,000 sq ft. of space over its three stories.
Once upon a time, the furniture store sign had black lettering on a decorative panel above the store. The date ‘1863’ is inscribed on the raised keystone above the middle window on the top storey, and an early heritage report notes that a two-storey addition made of stone was constructed along with a two-storey brick storage addition were constructed on this site some time after 1880.
Mr. Edward Long is listed as the original owner of the building, an early retail merchant and settler of St. Marys. He was believed to have built the current building, the site of his former log cabin home. Another heritage report noted that this building ‘serves as a fine example of well-preserved limestone buildings in St. Marys, thus making it an exciting part of the downtown landscape’.
The lowest level of the building has a large, divided display window with a single combination door, with sidelights and a transom surrounding. It also has a lean-to, steel sided roof connecting to the building on its right – due to a past heritage committee member’s reports of a frequently leaky roof.
Currently, there are two residential units and one commercial unit in the building. More details can be found in the Realtor.ca listing.