Uxbridge Vintage Art: May 2023

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

POST OFFICE

Acrylic Print on Premium Canvas 24 x 18 (5 only) $160 including shipping.

783 777-6277

OLD MARKET PLACE AND FIREHALL 1950'S

the

Market Hall

, which stood on the northeast corner of Toronto and Brock Streets in downtown Uxbridge.

Built in 1884, it was a central hub for the community for over 70 years.

History of the Market Hall

Purpose: The lower floor housed various commercial tenants over the years, while the upper level served as the meeting place for the Uxbridge Town Council.
Cultural Hub: Between 1884 and 1887, it was used by the Mechanics' Institute (the predecessor to the local library) for meetings, lectures, and concerts.
Demolition: The aging structure was demolished in September 1955 to make way for the modern block of retail stores that occupy that corner today.

Other Historic Buildings at this Intersection

While the

Market Hall

is no longer standing, other historic landmarks still define this corner:

Uxbridge Public Library
(Southeast Corner): Built in 1887 as the Joseph Gould Institute, this High Victorian Gothic building with its iconic clock tower remains a major town landmark.
Mansion House Hotel
(Former): A grand three-storey red-brick hotel built in 1871 by town founder Joseph Gould once occupied a corner of this intersection before its eventual removal.The Original Building:

The Old Fire hall:
Constructed in the mid-1880s, this building on Brock Street served as a multipurpose civic hub. It housed the fire hall, the police chief’s office (including the town's early jail cells), and the town council chambers.

The fire hall at this location was destroyed by fire in 1882 and immediately rebuilt on the same site.
Demolition: The entire block, including the Market Hall and the firehall/police building, was torn down in September 1955 to make way for modern commercial development.

SHORTY FORSYTHE'S BARBERSHOP 1950S

BASCOM AND BROCK

Artist Statement – Gary LeDrew My creations are rooted in memory, story, and place. I return again and again to small towns, train stations, corner shops, and quiet streets because they hold the kind of everyday drama that often goes unnoticed—a car paused under a streetlamp, a woman waiting alone on the platform, children skating on a winter pond, a single fisherman on still water. These scenes are modest on the surface, but they are full of lives in motion. Working in a detailed, representational style, I aim to capture not just what a place looks like, but how it feels to stand there: the weight of a grey, rainy sky over a brick hotel, the sharp cold of a starry winter night at Uxbridge station, the warmth spilling from windows onto wet pavement, or the quiet echo of a steam engine arriving through snow. I’m particularly drawn to mid‑20th‑century architecture, vintage automobiles, and historic rail travel, because they embody a time when movement and connection felt slower, more deliberate, and deeply human. Many of my works explore the moment between departure and arrival—the instant when a train hasn’t quite stopped, when someone is about to leave or just returning home. I’m interested in the stories that hover around these thresholds: the uncertainty, the hope, the longing, and the comfort of routine. Even in busy scenes, my compositions often circle back to one or two figures, giving the viewer a focal point to wonder about and emotionally connect with. Light plays a central role in my work. From the cool glow of evening streetlights reflected on wet roads to the soft shimmer of winter sun on ice, I use light and shadow to shape atmosphere and mood. Reflections in water, windows, or ice become a way of suggesting memory—what we think we remember versus what actually was. Although many of my subjects come from specific places—Uxbridge stations, small Ontario towns, familiar main streets—I paint them with the intention that they feel universal. Viewers may recognize the architecture or the era, but more importantly, I hope they recognize a feeling: waiting for a train, skating with friends until it’s too dark to see clearly, driving through town on a rainy night, or sharing a quiet moment of connection, li Ultimately, my work is an invitation to slow down and look closely. These paintings are my way of honoring the poetry in ordinary scenes and preserving the fragile, beautiful intersections between people, time, and place.

menu

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

POST OFFICE

ANGLICAN CHURCH

OLD MARKET PLACE AND FIREHALL 1950'S

RAILWAY STATION 1050'S

SHORTY FORSYTHE'S BARBERSHOP 1950S

GOULD HOUSE

UXBRIDGE CREAMERY

BROCK STREET 1958

DAVID MILINE'S HOUSE

UNITED CHURCH

DAVID BROWN MILNE

Tin Mill

Monday, May 1, 2023

SHOW

SHOW