Counter from P & R Laing Grocery

One of the original counters from P & R Laing’s.

One of the most fascinating architectural artefacts in the Museum’s collection is a section of the impressive wood counter from the hardware store located in the Laing Block (11 – 21 King Street West).  This three-storey commercial block was erected in 1882, following a devastating on fire in September 1881 which destroyed the buildings from Cross Street to the Collins Hotel.

The storefront at #19 was originally occupied by hardware merchants T.H. Mackenzie and J. Findlay Smith but is best remembered by long-term residents of Dundas as Hugh Walker’s Hardware (circa 1936-1968).  Miraculously, the wood counter and tall shelving unit behind it have survived largely intact, through several phases of renovation for a succession of businesses.  Today, these fittings are proudly displayed in the boutique owned by Modella Ladieswear.  The section preserved in our collection was acquired by the Museum in 1964.