Description of Historic Place

Hands Bakery, located at 169 West Street, is situated on the south side of West Street between Wellington Street and Wellesley Street in the Town of Goderich. The property consists of a two-and-a-half-storey clapboard residence that was constructed circa 1840.

The property was designated by the Town of Goderich in 1978 for its historical or architectural value under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 7 of 1978).

Heritage Value

Hands Bakery was prominent in the social and economic life in the Town of Goderich, in particular as the venue for an early 1840s costume ball recounted by Robina and Kathleen MacFarlane Lizars in their book In the Days of the Canada Company. The residence was constructed circa 1840 by D.B.O. Ford who was involved with the Goderich based Canada Company. The Canada Company had a prominent role in settling the Huron Tract, present-day Huron County. Ford sold his property to local baker Henry Hands in 1852 and the Hands family resided in the house and used it as a bakery until 1883. Interestingly, the house was also used as a guard house during the Fenian Raids of 1866. Hands Bakery stands today as one of the oldest surviving buildings in Goderich and as a reminder of the town's rich past.

Hands Bakery is an extremely rare example of Greek Revival architecture in the Town of Goderich and one of the few wooden structures left standing in the town as most others have fallen victim to fire. Aspects of the Greek Revival style are displayed in the rectangular plan, the flush clap-board exterior, the gable roof with pediment. The façade exhibits symmetry in its evenly spaced six-over-six windows and is dominated by a pediment with central door, flanked by two windows. Also of note is the bold main entrance on the east side of the façade which features Doric columns, sidelights, transom and heavy entablature.

Located on West Street, Hands Bakery contributes to the streetscape which is comprised of numerous buildings built in the mid-1800s. During the settlement of Goderich, West Street was an important residential area of town and now stands as an excellent display of Goderich's early architecture. Further, Hands Bakery is located directly across from the Thomas Mercer Jones House, which was the centre for social life in early Goderich.

Sources: Town of Goderich, By-Law 7 of 1978.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of Hand's Bakery include its:
- rectangular plan
- wooden, clapboard construction, flush boarded front
- gable roof
- pediment on façade
- symmetrically arranged windows on the façade
- irregular window placement on the east and west elevations
- dentils
- cornice and cornice returns
- front entranceway on the northern most side of the façade including Doric columns, sidelights, transom and entablature
- location within the historic West Street streetscape in close proximity to other historic structures, including the Thomas Mercer Jones House