Ogilvie Street Terrace

From 1860 to 1868 James Bell Ewart’s estate built a red brick terrace row house-style apartment at 31-37 Ogilvie Street. James Bell Ewart (1801-1853) was born in England and emigrated in 1817. Afterwards, he began his own store in Dundas around 1820 to 1825. His partners in enterprise include Benjamin Babington and John Gratshore. Ewart had multiple occupations and at any point was a merchant, banker, mill and factory owner and magistrate. Ewart was also married to Mary Margaret Cooks (1815-1876). After Ewart’s death, she returned to England and later passed in Brighton.

The Ewart estate was possibly run by one of Ewart’s partners, Babington or Gratshore. In 1868 John Babington (possibly related to Benjamin Babington) owned all four units of the terrace with James Crow, a bookkeeper, as his tenant. In 1879 Isabella Clark owned and occupied unit #31, shortly after James J. Grafton purchased all four units.

In general, Ogilvie St. Terrace is notable for its architectural features. The entire terrace was once uniform in appearance with matching trim, roofs and shutters. It was also once surrounded by a picket fence. There is decorative brickwork surrounding the windows and the front entrance.

Sources:

“Picturesque Dundas” 1972.

“Picturesque Dundas Update” 1981.

T. Roy Woodhouse Family History Collection.

“The Canadian Inventory of Historic Buildings”.