NEW SHIBLEY BUILDING ON CLARENCE STREET

IMPOSING ADDITION TO THE TOWN’S BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS

Dignity Added to Importance of Thoroughfare by Erection of New Structure-Exterior Appearance One of Beauty-Branch of Selrite Stores Occupy Part of Premises-Another Contribution by Industrious Family to Town’s Business Section

[The Welland-Port Colborne Evening Tribune, 18 November 1931]

A fine new addition to the Port Colborne business section is every day coming nearer to completion as the finishing touches are put on the new Shibley Building midway between West and King streets on the south side of Clarence street. This building has replaced a section of Clarence street which was formerly occupied by small establishments and the old home of the late Fred Boyer. With the erection of this building the block now becomes compact and much more business-like in appearance. This street, leading direct from Buffalo on Provincial Highway 3, is one of the most important in town and has become the centre of the town’s trading. With the completion of this building the street will now offer a much more business-like appearance to the motoring public and will give them an added incentive to spread the fine appearance of Port Colborne to other places on the map. This handsome block is a welcome addition to Port Colborne’s already fine collection of business buildings.

The general contract for the building of this fine new structure was given to the Beam Building Supply Company, one of Port Colborne’s oldest supply concerns. This company sublet several sections of the contract, the carpenter work being given to Ira Barnhardt, the plumbing and and heating to F. Vasbinder, the electrical work to the Port Colborne Electric Supply Company, the painting to A.D. Smith of Humberstone, and the roofing work and putting in of the glass to Rawlin’s and Martinson’s hardware.

Fine Exterior Appearance

To the public’s criticizing gaze, the outside of the building offers nothing for them to vent their criticism on in this case. The brick employed in the construction of the front of the building facing Clarence street was the best to be obtained from the Cooksville Brick Company and adds much to the appearance of any building be it residence or store. Inset in the brick is one neat grey block inscribed with the words, “Shibley Building,” which is not only a means of distinguishing this building from others, but tells the public that this is another of the fine additions to the town’s business section that has been made by the hard working and industrious family. Above the large plate glass windows is a narrow band about eighteen inches wide of transoms and leaded work. The plate windows themselves are set in chromium metal. The plate glass is a Canadian product coming from the Pilkington Glass Company of Hamilton. The building faces the street for sixty-six feet and is eighty-five feet deep. The space allotted to the windows is about five feet making the stores about eighty feet long, and two of them are twenty feet wide and the third one is two feet wider. The three stores which comprise the lower floor of the buildings are spacious and comfortable for any type of business. Below the plate glass windows, Sani-Onxy bulkheads in black and white add further to the beauty of the building and this color scheme was continued in the Terrazzo Tile entrances.

The walls of the new building were built entirely of twelve inch brick and tile, a strong combination. The walls are fireproof throughout and sound from careful workmanship. The concrete work on the building was done entirely by the general contractors and is a job any contracting firm might well feel proud of accomplishing.

The second story of the new building has been portioned off into living quarters and office rooms. The living quarters comprise two suites of rooms with a bath and three rooms each. The section given over to offices contains seven double offices, each one being equipped with a bowl having hot and cold running water.

Modern Offices

The offices offered for the use of any business man desiring practical surroundings, are the last word in modern convenience. They are arranged so that there is an outer and inner section to each one and the floor space is very suitable to the furniture of the present day office. The ceiling of the second floor is seven feet high and insures plenty of room for ventilation and proper lighting. The upper rooms and flats are steam heated, insuring again a maximum of comfort to those desiring the proper temperature at all times of the day. The woodwork in the offices and flats of the second story will be finished in cream which will enhance the better lighting effects and cleanliness of the building. Plenty of windows let in an abundance of light and fresh air to the rooms. Everything is properly arranged to give the greatest amount of satisfaction to the persons using the offices, such things as light switches and plug-in receptacles being placed in the most convenient positions. The rooms in the flats each have a door opening on the main hallway and the hallway has an entrance to the front of the building or to the rear. Inside rooms are lighted in the day time by indirect light from sky lights. Metal ceilings are used upstairs are well on the main floor, the one on the second floor however being painted a pale purple tint while the one in the stores on the street level is painted cream.

The basement upon which the three stores have been placed is certainly one of the finest pieces of work imaginable. Absolutely dry, well lighted, roomy and insuring the best of protection for the goods stored there, are only a few of the qualities, with which it has been endowed. The basement as a whole is sixty-six by eighty-five feet in size, but this is divided so that each store has its own separate section, these sections again being the same size as the store above.

The basements are made more advantageous by being built partially under the street in front of the store so as to facilitate better and more rapid unloading of incoming material. Another entrance is placed at the rear to enable the waste to be removed via the rear yard and alley. In each cellar is placed the furnace for heating the store immediately above. The furnaces are large enough to insure absolute comfort at all times. Two ventilators allow for the passage of cold air to the furnace while one large register in the centre of the store allows the heat to enter the store when needed. The seven foot ceilings in the basements allow for plenty of head room and also room for storing and moving merchandise.

Fireproof Roof

The roof of the building was covered with a guaranteed Built up Johns-Manville asbestos roof., four ply in thickness. This roof is absolutely fireproof and is good for at least ten years. It was put on under the direction of the Rawlins and Martinson’s hardware store owners. This type of roof is used on many buildings now and is an absolute insurance in itself. All the builders’ hardware used throughout the building was also supplied by Rawlins and Martinson’s. This included the locks on the doors which are all products of the Peterborough Lock company.

The painting job done by A.D. Smith was one of the finest features of the building, the cream and green color scheme of the first floor being a fine exhibition of this art. The woodwork has been finished in a medium oak color and this has worked well into the Georgian Pine wood to add more beauty to any panelling done in this style. Hardware floors have been placed throughout the entire building which is another promise of it’s absolute worth and pleasing appearance. Ira Barnhardt the carpenter among the contractors is also to be congratulated on his careful and attentive work.

All the electrical work on the new buildings was carried on by the Port Colborne Electric Supply Company and this included the wiring throughout the building and the installation of any fixtures. Very fine and careful work was necessary for the electrical contractors to keep their end up to that standard set by the other contractors. They however have lived up to their part of the agreement and have turned in a first class job on all the electrical installation. Places have been made for sixteen lights to be suspended or placed on the ceiling of each store and as many in proportion to the size of the room have been placed elsewhere in the building. This abundant supply of lighting will insure dependability in this line at any hour of the day or night.

The only section of the building which has been let up to present time is the store nearest the canal end of the building and this has already been placed in condition and is now being used by the Selrite Chain stores, as their Port Colborne branch. The front of this store has been painted red to comply with the general color scheme of the stores throughout the country. With two more such bright stores as this in the building it would certainly look very business-like. The Selrite store has continued its own designing into the interior of their store and have given the walls a panelling effect in red with the Selrite insignia of a large “S” in the centre of each panel. The Selrite store is lighted by large frosted globes attached to the ceiling which in the stores on the first floor are eleven feet high. These lights make the store as bright as if from sunshine and leaves nothing to be desired in the manner of brightness and cheerfulness. The lighting fixtures in this case were supplied by the Selrite warehouse but were installed by the electrical contractors. The counter arrangement in the Selrite store proves that ample floor space is supplied for any type at all and with the modern conveniences which there are, these stores are certainly desirable quarters for any business enterprise.

If no offers turn up for one of the remaining two stores, the owners stated they were seriously considering the idea of installing a up-to-date restaurant in one of them. This would prove a good addition to the town and should pay well on this street along which many tourists and summer colonists travel in the summer months. As a whole the building is the last word in modern construction and is a credit to every contractor and workman who had anything to do with it’s construction.

[Related TALE: SEVENTEEN YEARS SERVICE IN PORT COLBORNE]