A Stately Property Stands the Test of Time

The Crooker House is a beautiful Victorian mansion built in 1884 as the principal home of one of Waterdown’s most successful merchants, William H. Crooker. W.H. Crooker and then his son, Frederick, operated the Crooker General Store on the northeast corner of Main and Dundas Streets until it was destroyed by the fire of 1915. F. Crooker later served as both village postmaster and reeve.

The red brick structure retains much of its original architectural detail minus porches and porticos that once graced its front and side entrances. The landscaping has undergone several revisions in the past 120+ years and the coach house, originally located at the rear of the property, was relocated to the west side of the building and opened as a beauty salon in 2019.

In the 1940s and 1950s, Dr. Reginald Perkins used the building as both resident and office. Since then, it has been primarily operated as a commercial establishment with residential dwellings on the upper floors. More recently, it has been home to a bridal boutique, photography studio, tutoring business and counselling service. Ward 15 Councillor Ted McMeekin used the coach house for his local constituency office for a period when he was a Member of Provincial Parliament. Councillor McMeekin served five terms as MPP and served in four Ontario Cabinet portfolios.

Digging Into the Community’s Agricultural Roots

The metal artwork in this planter represents the many market gardens and apple orchards that lined the entryways into Waterdown from the east and west. Apples were a common feature on most farms and gardens in East Flamborough from the earliest settlements.

Cider production was common. Vinegar Hill, just east of the Grindstone Creek bridge, is rumoured to be named for the smell of fermenting apples that arose from the making of apple cider – a smell that would have been noticeable to visitors to the village.

In the west, Hamilton and Dundas Streets were bordered by the Metcalf Farm, a market gardening operation that also included small fruits such as black currants.

The Waterdown Farmers’ Market began as a non-profit initiative in 1952 to support rural farmers in the surrounding Flamborough Area. A trip to the Market, held in Waterdown’s Memorial Park, was a key social and shopping outing. In its current format, the Waterdown Farmers’ Market operated by the Waterdown Business Improvement Area (BIA) in the Legion Parking Lot on Hamilton Street North, continues that tradition, connecting an ever-expanding suburban population to their farm neighbours.

The apple orchards and farms to the west of the downtown core were phased out as commercial strip development moved in. A Sunoco Service Station opened on the northwest corner of Hamilton and Dundas Streets in 1953, and the farmland beyond slowly reverted to brush until the Waterdown Plaza was built (opened in 1988).

Credits

Mural art by Bhairavi Jathar Talpade

Metal art by Soul Metal, Carol Nasvytis

Learn more about the Heritage Art Walk HERE.