Basswood Block, Brigden

Visit part of an early main street in this building which houses a carpentry shop, print shop and harness-making shop.

Constructed in the mid-1800s in Oil Springs, this building originally served as a hotel.  In the early 1870s it was moved to Brigden.   This 16 km trek was made easier by moving it in winter so that the movers could slide it over the frozen ground.  In the early 1900s, the building housed four businesses – W. J. Gray’s tailor shop, George Roger’s tin shop, a barbershop/pool hall and the municipal office.  After Frank Carroll purchased it in 1909, he added an upper floor which served as a roller rink, dance hall and community hall.  Subsequently it was also known as Carroll’s Hall. From 1946 to 1991, Steadman Brothers funeral home and furniture store used the building.  The upper storey was later removed.  When it was to be torn down in 1991, Steadman Brothers offered Moore Museum volunteers the opportunity to salvage the façade of the structure.  Sufficient materials were salvaged only to reconstruct the building with three shops instead of the original four.

Explore the Village

Main Building

1 of 16

Reilley Cottage

2 of 16

Railroad Station

3 of 16

Basswood Block

4 of 16

Playground

5 of 16

General Store

6 of 16

Firehall

7 of 16

CNR Caboose

8 of 16

Rear Range Light

9 of 16

WW1 Memorial

10 of 16

Trinity St. Clair Chapel

11 of 16

Blacksmith Shop

12 of 16

Log Cabin

13 of 16

One Room Schoolhouse

14 of 16

Exhibition Hall

15 of 16

Lionel Model Train Room

16 of 16

From The Newsletter

Scroll to Top