The building as it appears today |
1894THE FORD BLOCK
This building stands on land originally part of the Bowser Farm property purchased from Daniel Hawkins in 1777. In 1894 local merchant George E. Ford acquired a five acre lot, on which he constructed this block as a department store in three sections: Tailoring, Dry Goods and Groceries. It was "all handsomely fitted up" and by 1902 was among the first buildings in Sackville to be lit by electricity. A room, "Ford"s Hall," on the second floor was the site of the crucial meeting which approved the incorporation of the Town of Sackville on 12 January, 1903. Owned by the Ford family until 1947, it has since been home to a number of businesses. |
| Marker placed at initiative of Historic Sites Identification Project, on 17 February 2001; jointly funded by Renaissance Sackville and York and Main Holdings |
| On the Ford Block, see Bill Hamilton, "A 'Block' Of Local History," Sackville Tribune-Post, 14 February 2001, page 5. |
| This site is listed in the Canadian Register of Historic Places ; see George E. Ford Block |
GEORGE E. FORD MEMORABILIA George E. Ford (1846-1928) took over the family store on the death of his father in 1871. Under his direction the business prospered, and in 1894 moved into the newly constructed "Lion House," known locally as "The Ford Block." The following illustrations come from the 1880s and 1890s. Click on the small picture to see the full-size illustration.
 Original exterior of
Ford Block
Click to enlarge. |
GEO.E.FORD
masthead
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 Invoice
dated Apr.3, 1884
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 Receipt for $1.85
dated June 5th 1884
Click to enlarge. |
Illustrations courtesy of Al Smith; photo scans by Leslie Van Patter. |
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| Old photographs of the Ford Block show that the building originally had a "grotesque" in the form of a stylised lion's head, about one foot square, in the centre of the facade just below the half-moon window. This was removed a number of years ago when the structure was undergoing renovations. On 1 November 2001 an exact replica, cast by Enterprise Fawcett Foundry, was placed in the original location. See "Lion Returns to 'Lion House'",Sackville Tribune-Post, 7 November 2001, pp.1,10. |
 Original Lion
"grotesque"
Click to enlarge.
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