- This very large turn of the century four level building has a flat roof and brackets around the eaves. Once a brick building with detailed cornice, a number of windows with trim and entry overhang is now obscured by addition of vinyl siding. THe building once had clssical feature simplified to a modern turn of the century style reflecting Bridgeater's post "Great Fire" streetscape.
History:
- Lillian Smith purchased this lot in 1894 for $900 which indicates the presence of a building. However, the fact that Lillian Robinson (nee Smith) sold this lot for $2300 in 1906 seems to suggest that a new building (this one) was built during that time period. On the first floor (King Street entrance) was a grocery store and Mervin Knox ran a barber shop. Before there was a barber shop, there was a pool room which was eventually moved to the third floor after the Empire Theatre shut down. On the second floor, Charlie Thompson had an appliance store on the right side of the second floor. George Crouse had a lawyer's office and Ruth's Photo Studio was on the King Street side of the building. The third floor was the Empire Theatre until it closed and later became a pool room. The fourth floor was where Charlie Thompson had living quarters. The top floor was used as storage. In the attic space above Charlie Thompson's apartment was about 4 or 5 feet of space. You headed west across the beams until you came to a false wall which had another 3 or 4 feet of space behind it which is where Charlie Thompson kept his illegal liquor during prohibition which came from Lorne James of LaHave on a Garwood (speed boat). Lorne would get the liquor from rum runners outside of the 12 mile limit (in international waters), which he would then bring into Bridgewater for Charlie Thompson.
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