A sturdy turn-of-the-century Barrie building that has served area customers for more than 110 years will soon be no more.
The Parry Automotive building at Sophia Street West and Mary Street — just west Bayfield Street — was built to last when it was constructed in 1908 by Joseph Rodgers.
Rodgers, who had apprenticed with George Ball until about 1890, and William Gallie bought the Ball Planing Mill in 1897 and in 1908, Rodgers built the Barrie Planing Mill on the corner of Sophia and Mary streets.
That was the year all-day power and light service came to Barrie and the town’s phone exchange was connected to the Oro Telephone Co. (It would cost you 15 cents to make a call.)
It remained a sash-and-door operation until about the mid-1930s, stood vacant for several years and at one point was the Robson Bakery, then Parker and Hannah Agricultural Implements before it became Parry Automotive in 1957.
Jim Moore has a lifetime of memories working in the two-storey building that looks pretty much the same as it has for decades.
“John Parry, my uncle, was the original owner and my dad, John Moore, bought it from him around 1975. And then myself and my brother Rick have been here since then,” Jim told BarrieToday while walking on hardwood flooring that has been scuffed with work boots for 11 decades.
But no more.
Generations of local residents can claim to have been a customer of Parry’s during its 50-year run, but the Moore brothers closed up shop last month, bringing the working life of the building one step closer to an end.
“A few customers were... maybe not upset (but) disappointed because we’d been doing business for quite a while,” Jim said. “We did automotive parts supply and we ran the machine shop back here.
“Originally, we were building engines left and right. At one time, there were four or five men back here rebuilding engines: automotive, industrial, agriculture tractor engines.”
Randy Partridge was one of those machinists for a long time. As in 43 years.
“I started this month back in 1978. I rebuilt motors, turned brake drums and rotors, press work: did most of it,” he said. “It was a busy, busy job. We were servicing most of the garages, the city of Barrie, Bell Telephone, we did them all. Quite a few people came to rely on us.”
The building itself was built to serve with its huge (10-inch square) post-and-beams. The stucco exterior belies the built-like-a-tank construction.
“It’s wonderful to be able to see firsthand how remarkably solid the old building is and how it has endured the years,” said the Barrie Historical Archive's Deb Exel, who also writes the popular Then and Now column for BarrieToday. “It’s fascinating to observe a heritage building in pretty much original condition. Most don’t survive without multiple renovations or makeovers.
“The owners have truly honoured the old planing mill and its history — and Barrie’s history — by keeping the building so intact and original," she added.
As for the future of 30 Sophia St. W.?
The city says it has no active planning applications on the property and it's currently zoned transition centre commercial, which allows for everything from, appropriately enough, an automotive service station to a data processing centre to a fitness club to a funeral establishment.
“It will likely be torn down,” Moore said. “I’d like to see it developed. The building has served its purpose for a really long time.”
