Page 6, Thursday, September 23rd, 1971, WHITBY FREE PRESS COME TO WHITBY CANADA'S ONLY COMPLETLY RESTORED DOWNTOWN An imaginative scheme for the re- visai of the southeast block in the heart of downtown Whitby has created much enthusiasm in the town over the past week or two. The idea, presented at the second meeting of the downtown action com- mittee, was chosen the one most pop- ular from three discussed: (a) a com- plete restoration of the southeast block to the 1880 era, (b) a mal1 for the down- town core, (c) a bul1dozing of the core area in order to begin afresh. The restorat ion scheme, presented by young Whitby historical archivist, Brian W inter, would if implemented, create an aspect of old fashioned charm to the downtown of Whitby, and could eventually be the drawing card in lur- ing tourists back to the County Town. BACK TO THE ROMANTIC ERA OF 1880 Restoration of the southeast block would involve a detailed trace-back in time to the 1880 period, when almost all the stores in the block were mutu- al y r e constructed after a t r ag ic Whitby fire. Inbringing the archivist's ideas to real ization, architects and consult- antsassembling the past, will be able to r e f e r to photographs of t h e type used in this newspaper article, which date back over ninety-two years. To achieve the 1880 look, present buildings in theblock, many of them of great historical significance to the town, would have to be sandblasted. Most of the Whitby buildings found in thatera were red brick with yellow trim, with the occasional yellow build- ing with red trim. As can be wi tnessed iri old archive photos, the stonework was very finely laid with some of the buildings boasting keystone architect- ure. Mr. Winter offers the present-day Chalet Restaurant, formerly the site of a drygoods store, as a prime ex- ample of the beautiful stonework to be found in Whitby in the 1830's. VICTORIAN GABLES & GINGERBREAD Charming window shutters, gables and the intricate victorian woodwork known as "gingerbread" would be res- tored in fine detail for effect. "The entire idea would be to build the ch ar acte r back in", says Mr. Winter, who believes that the secret to success in the downtown is offering s om e th ing s o totally different that people will want to corne there. The restoration idea for the south- e a s t b I o c k is not only imaginative, it's economically feasible, according to at least two of the action committee member spres en t at the mee ti ng, Real- tor BilIl Shatzman and CouncilIlor Vern MacCarl. RESTORATION COULD BE ECONOMICAL Merchant Association President Joe Ottenbrite also added his approval to the restoration idea, and referred to a restoration project which took place in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania about adecade ago. Hollidaysburg is a town almost uncannily similar to Whitby in statistics such as population etc., and before its rejuvenation, experienced similar problems in its in-town area. The restoration of Hollidaysburg which involved the zealous aid of stu- dents and service clubs, entailedsand blasting of buildings, artistic painted scro ll signs as a replacement for brassyneon lights, the installation of early century wrought iron gas lamps and the planting of trees. Cost of the project, apparently was borne strictly by the business owners. Dr . Peter Cave, a Toronto uni- versityprofessor, who is undertaking at his own time and expense, a retail f a c il1 i t i e s survey of the downtown, spoke in favour of the restoration pro- posai. He sai d the downtown should be considered a focal point in planning, TYPICAL VICTORIAN GOOD EXAMPLE OF WINDOW DISPLAY FINE STONEWORK and not an isol ated area. He also warn- ed that the street widening will hinder rather thgn help 'the downtown core, because wider roads will increase the traffic flow with less stopping. Mayor Desmond Newman, new chair- man of the action committee was able to d e t e r m in e from merchant, land- lords at the meeting, that they would be willing to invest $2, 000 on their respective properties, enabling the committee to implement a plan for the core's refacing. COMMITTEE TO STUDY PLAN On a suggestion fromMrs. Mar- jorie Mcintyre who owns property in the southeast block, the meeting agreed to empower t he committee to prepare a plan for the southeast block, and to take into consideration, the restora- tion proposal. The commi ttee will bring back their plan at the next meeting, s ched ul ed for this coming Tuesday 7:30 p. m. S h o u.1 d t he restoration proposal succeed, it is possible that the Town of Whitby will have the only completely restored.downtown in the Dominion of Canada. AT MRS. ALLIN'S BOOKSTORE, WHITBY (1904) ROSS BROTHERS STORE, NOW GOLDEN GATE RESTAURANT (1880) L.C.B.O. Extends open hours As of the week of S e p t ember 20th, the Whitby Liquor Control Board at Brock Street S., w i I l remain open t il1 9 p.m. , rather than 8 p. m. , Thur- day and Friday nights. A request t o the l iquor board by the c o r p o ratión that the W h i t by store exte nd its open- h o u r s 10 a. m. to 1 0 p. m. Monday through Friday was denied the town because the board only grants these hours to ci t- les wi th populat- ions over 50, 000. FIRE REPORT From the period b e t w een January an d August 1 971, three hundred and for ty- three fire alarms were res- ponded to by stat- ion halls numbers one, two and three of the Whitby Fire Department. The total fire loss for that period of time is recorded at an approximated $174, 790. According to the d e p a r tment's in- spection report for the month of August 7 1, fi ve building plans were review- ed, and fifty-one farms, twenty-four commercial sites,& seventy-eight homes were in- spected. FREE DANCE An evening of s q u a r e dancing, which is open to the public will be he 1 d Sa turday n i ght, September 2 5 t h at Anderson Street School, Whitby. The dance begins at8:15, and offers free admission toa night of dancing toresidents of the Wh i t by-Brooklin area. " You don't need a new hat just to go over to brockway furniture in Bay Ridges." brockwAy Phione 839-1332