Pickering Museum Musings

Curiosity Corner

by Ellen Tayles

Blue Boxes and Brougham- A History of the Commercial Hotel

When people think of travelling, they don’t usually think of rural southern Ontario, especially the town of Brougham. 150 years ago, however, the small rural town was neither small nor rural.

Brougham was only a day away from Toronto in the 1800s. Daily stage coaches with travellers would arrive from what is now Durham Region (Whitby, Oshawa, Ajax, etc.). Upon arrival they would find a thriving town that offered all the services needed at the time- blacksmithing, general stores, carriage making, harness shops, tailoring, dressmaking, medical services (for people and animals - Brougham had both doctors and veterinarians), and of course resident ministers and pastors for the town’s many different churches.  

Accommodation was in abundance for visitors to Brougham. The town saw enough visitors to support 3 different hotels. That may seem pale by today’s standards, but in the 1800’s the hotels were an indicator of how bustling the town was.

The first hotel built in Brougham was the Central Hotel. The hotel was built in the late 1830s, and was operated as a Temperance Inn by Powell Woodruff in 1850. It is now is one of the buildings in the Pickering Museum Village.

The Central Hotel

Photo courtesy of the Pickering Public Library www.pada.com

The Brougham Hotel was the next to be constructed in 1858. Unfortunately, it was demolished as part of the expropriation in 1986.

The Brougham Hotel

Photo courtesy of the Pickering Public Library www.pada.com

The third notable hotel in Brougham was the Commercial Hotel. Also known as the Commercial House, the hotel was built by Samuel Webb in 1858.  An argument over a game of checkers arose between Webb and the proprietor of the Brougham Hotel, Charles Matthews. Enraged, Webb threatened to build his own hotel, and proceeded to do so. Webb expanded his house (which was across the road from the Brougham Hotel) in retaliation, and thus, the Commercial Hotel was established.  

The Commercial Hotel

Photo courtesy of the Pickering Public Library www.pada.com

The building served as a hotel and, later on, the town jail, until 1926 when it became a private residence for the Gray family. The building was leased in 1986 to Jack McGinnis, the man credited with creating the Blue Box recycling program. McGinnis was a resident of Toronto. In the 70s, he was one of the pioneers of recycling in Canada. He, along with numerous other individuals, worked hard to develop the blue box system we all know and use today. The Commercial House was transformed into the headquarters of Durham SustainAbility (DSA), an organization that brought recycling to Durham. Sadly, in 2011, McGinnis passed away, and DSA moved their headquarters to Port Perry.

Today, the Commercial Hotel still stands at its original location, and houses the offices of TCG, a Toronto-based landscaping company. A perfect example of how old buildings don’t have to stay stuck in the past, the Commercial House is a beautiful building that will hopefully continue to endure, a lasting impression of the once flourishing town of Brougham.

Article courtesy of the Pickering Public Library www.pada.com

Article courtesy of the Pickering Public Library www.pada.com