Mowat Avenue
(Mowat Avenue, Kingston)

Portsmouth United Church, built in 1855. Like other United churches built in Sydenham, Odessa, Elginburg and Westbrook about the same time. A central front door, between tall windows, and 4 windows on each side. None have a steeple. — Portsmouth United Ch…

This home built in 1845 has a wing on the back which may have been used as a summer kitchen. In the days of wood burning cook stoves, they did the cooking there in the summer to keep the rest of the house cooler. It would also heat the house in the winter by opening the door from the kitchen. A house this size would require 5 to 8 full cords of wood for heat, worth $1,000 a cord if hand cut, split and delivered by horse wagon. — This home built in …

Cosy wood frame cottage, built in 1842. It was rare for an 1850's era house to have a front lawn. Lawn mowers were usually just tethered cows or goats. Big backyards often kept a milk cow, chickens, perhaps a horse, an outhouse, maybe a shallow well beside it, and huge supply of fire wood for the winter. Any space left over was planted with vegetables. — Cosy wood frame cott…

Sisson's House built in 1845. The stone work on the 2 nd. floor is different than on the lower floor, indicating that it may have been added later. Note the absence of front lawns for all the houses of this era. Back yards were large, with stables, a winter supply of fire wood, and an out-house. There was probably a basement cistern for rain and wagon loads of water.. — Sisson's House built…

Brewery, possibly 200 years old. This building was one of three on the site forming a brewery that was operating in 1878. There was one licensed brewery for every 65 citizens in the area at that time. Today, we call them micro-breweries. — Brewery, possibly 20…

Kingston is popular with scuba divers examining hundreds of ship wrecks. One wreck can be seen from shore here. Visibility has increased from 1 to 2 m. in the 1960's to about 10 m. and more now. The dock is the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour. One diver has reported being able to see his boat 116 ft. 34 m. above him in the St.Lawrence River and even make out clouds above that. Where else in a populated area is that possible, and have it warm too? — Kingston is popular …

Strong winds kick up huge waves at the Olympic Harbour. Kingston Penitentiary in the background is now closed down, Dec. 1 2013. — Strong winds kick up…

Sunken schooner off the Olympic Harbour break water. It can be seen from on the break water in 4 or 5 m. of water, under ideal conditions about 50 m. out, near the boat launching ramp. There were 40 steamers, 35 schooners, 3 brigantines, numerous canal barges operating from Kingston in 1855 when the rail way opened up. Check the inner harbour, N end of Dead Mans Bay and Garden Island for more pictures of wrecks. — Sunken schooner off…

Snake Island shoal with ice piled up on the south side, seen from near the Olympic Harbour, 3.8 km. away. Mid April 2014. There are Cormorant birds on the island for scale. Another picture using more zoom, established the ice piles at 4 to 5 m. ( 12 to 16 ft.) thick. — Snake Island shoal w…

Portsmouth Orange Hall, built in 1878. Many Orange Halls are found in rural areas. Most are very simple box construction and are abandoned. This is one of the best. — Portsmouth Orange Ha…

St. John's Anglican Church started about 1850 and built in stages. Note it's modest steeple. — St. John's Anglican …

Part of a former tannery, not very beautiful, but designed for a job. Built about 1845. The main loading entrance is on the other side, but it is obstructed by trees. — Part of a former tan…

A former coal dock is now a scenic harbour. — A former coal dock …

This attractive 2 story stone house built in 1845. This simple compact symetrical design was more efficient to build and heat through long Canadian winters. Known as the John McIntyre house. It would have used iron box stoves and stove pipes instead of fire places for heat. Many old stone chimneys have been replace with brick ones due to the mortar weathering. Where fire places were used, often the chimney was just a hollow in the stone wall, the heat and creasote were hard on the limestone. — This attractive 2 st…

Catamaran police boat makes it's patrols. — Catamaran police boa…

Waves frequently pound this part of the break water at the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour. It attracts many visitors on very windy days. Some people come for the car wash. Look for the red van behind the spray for scale. It tops out at about 8 m. 25 ft. high. The ducks enjoyed it here all day. — Waves frequently pou…

Public waterfront walk way. Now part of the Rideau Trail from Kingston City Hall, to the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. Looking south west. — Public waterfront wa…

This two story house was probably built about 1850 as a single story house, which was enlarged later. Extensions have been added to the rear and far side. The windows appear to be originals, thus 160 years old. — This two story house…

Duplex built about 1845. This simple design with one common wall was easier to heat with wood when it was built. There was no municipal water or sewage until annexation by the City of Kingston in 1952. Shallow wells, out houses and septic systems were never far apart. Plagues often decimated the local population until municipal water was available. — Duplex built about 1…

Originally a one room rural school, probably began about 1850, was operating in 1878, and now is expanded as a private school called Quintilian School. — Originally a one roo…

This attractive home was built in 1860 for John and Mary Pugh. Would you have built with stone or wood in 1860? Both lasted 150 years. Neither was insulated, wood heat was very expensive. Wood planking can leak a lot of air in a winter storm and will get hotter in the summer. Stone houses usually take 3 to 5 days to to heat or cool follow a sharp temperature change because of their mass and never need painting. Stone may have cost more and comes only in grey. — This attractive home…

Modest functional house built in 1843. Compactness is a feature when you heat with hand cut wood from some distance. Pennsylvania anthricite coal became available after 1871 for heating. It takes a full cord of hard wood to keep a reasonable fire going for a month, it costs $300 a full cord today, it would be well over a $1000 if harvested, cut and split by hand. Heating was bare minimial, bedrooms were always cold. Most older people died in the winter. — Modest functional ho…

An house built in 1850 backing onto the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour. Now a fitness centre. Portsmouth did not have municipal water or sewer until 1952 when it was anexed by the City of Kingston. Outhouses, undersized septic systems and poor wells were everywhere. — An house built in 18…

This story and a half house, built in 1843 may have had the 2 nd. floor added later. The wing on the right is the summer kitchen where the cook stove was used in the summer to prevent over heating the rest of the house. The windows appear to be original with hand made glass in oak frames, now 170 years old. — This story and a ha…

Kingston, ON, Canada

Tannery Cottage built in 1844. They had daily milk delivery in glass bottles until mid 1950's by horse drawn wagons. Horses learned the route, and waited for the driver at each corner. Customers had a choice of Jersey (5 % fat), Gurnsey (4% fat) or Holstein (3 % fat) milk, homogenized or not, eggs and butter too. Unhomogenized milk allowed you to skim off real cream for coffee and fruit. Milk was ordered by placing colour coded tickets in empty bottles and leaving it on the porch.. — Tannery Cottage buil…

Wave kicks up 13 m. about 40 feet high at the Olympic Harbour in Kingston. Nov 1, 2013. The far end of the dock which is in deeper water and is far more exposed does not have the same action. It is very localized, and has good public access. There is always a steady stream of cars visiting here getting a free car wash. — Wave kicks up 13 m. …

Francis Street
Herbert Street
Hatter Street
McDonald Street
Forsythe Avenue
Church Street
Calderwood Drive
Baiden Street
Mary Street
Stadium Lane
Cartwright Street
Churchill Street
Kennedy Street
Yonge Street
Marley Street
Copperfield Drive
Foster Street
Woodstone Crescent
Grange Street
Richard Street
Gardiner Street
Wolfe Street
Logan Street
Pickwick Place
Union Street
Author's Lane
Dickens Drive
Portsmouth Avenue
Johnson Street
Water Tower Lane
West Campus Lane
Pember Place
Roden Street
Curtis Crescent
Watts Crescent
Nickle Avenue
Silver Street
Cliff Crescent
Heakes Lane
Purdy Place

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