Building a Dream and a Legacy

Mr. W.E. Holton purchased land (lot 46) in downtown Belleville. He commissioned an
architect named Mr. John Forin and a mason named Mr. Woodley to construct a one-of-
a-kind building for him in 1863. It was 4 stories tall, with heavy stone sides and rear
walls, a large skylight, and contained over 16,000 square feet of space. At the rear of
the building and on the Moira River, Mr. Holton had a 46 ft by 70 ft slate-covered stone
storehouse built at a total cost of $16,500.

THE GEORGE RITCHIE COMPANY
In 1900, the George Ritchie Company bought the lot next door (lot 47). It was acquired
and fitted for selling dry goods, millinery, mantles, merchant tailoring, men’s furnishings,
carpets, etc. dressmaking.

Mr. Ritchie crossed the Atlantic over 60 times on buying trips while visiting the world’s
biggest and best markets to furnish his store. He installed a modern hydraulic
passenger elevator and a cash carrier system. Up to 90 people were employed in the
busy season, and all three upper levels were used for merchandise display. The
basement area was designated for storage. It was later sold to his son, Thomas, and
the 2 lots were joined together as 270-274 Front Street.

THE CANADIAN DEPARTMENT STORE
The Canadian Department Store opened in 1927 at this location and closed in 1949
when the T. Eaton branch took over. It carried on the same business practices as the
Ritchie Company had.

THE T. EATON COMPANY 
The building was purchased in 1949 and completely renovated before the grand
opening. The business motto was all about providing the very best customer service in
town. Eaton’s had an excellent return policy, and people took advantage of it. John
Tolaso, the sales manager, had good stories to tell of Belleville’s elite returning dresses
the day after the company’s Christmas party. I suspect it created juicy gossip for
employees around the coffee room the following day!

Televisions were a hot commodity in the 1950s, and only the wealthier patrons could
afford them. Eaton’s allowed customers to take a tv home and try it out for a week. If
they liked it, they paid for it or returned it to the store.

During this time, Mildred Matthews worked at Eaton’s and told friends that management
was always at the door to greet her in the morning and show her out at night. They felt
they were all one big family and she was making the grand sum of 50¢ an hour at the
time.

I recall the announcement on the radio that Eaton’s had been sold. So many thoughts
crowded my mind regarding my favourite store; concern for the fate of our cool elevator
operator that always looked so professional in his uniform and hat; worry over the
employees losing their jobs and fear for the demise of my beloved downtown area. The

Eaton’s store closed in 1966 and reopened as Walkers Department Store the same
year.

WALKERS DEPARTMENT STORE
Walker’s Department Stores opened in 1966 and offered a new line of clothing at The
Young Man’s Shop, a new candy department and a budget-minded sports and lingerie
department. I was a frequent visitor at the candy department, deciding between the
humbugs and chocolate-coated pretzel balls for my weekly treat.
Dress sizes at the time ranged from 5 to 13, and cloth coats with dyed raccoon collars,
were all the rage! There was a custom dressmaking and millinery department on the
second floor designed for upscale shoppers. They also held a famous dollar day
shopping spree event every year. This store was a shoppers paradise with literally
something for everyone!
A trolley system carried the customer’s money in little mini cars to the cashier’s desk
and returned the change. It was an updated version of the same one used by the
Ritchie Company in 1900. The store closed in 1977 following news of the expansion of
the Quinte Mall.

MARKS AND SPENCER
Marks and Spencer bought Walkers Department Store under St Michaels label where its
operations were similar to Walker’s. It was closed within four years after opening.

S AND R DEPARTMENT STORE
in the fall of 1981,S and R launched their 35,000 sq. ft store in Belleville with a full line
of discount retail clothing, footwear, and accessories similar to their parent store in
Kingston.

They occupied three floors of space, including the basement and a newly created
footbridge entrance to Footbridge Alley. They also installed a new elevator and
designed a new wider stairway to the basement level. S and R Department Store
employed 40 full and 40 part-time staff and operated from 1981 to 1991 in downtown
Belleville.

‘The little ones love the brightly coloured necklaces and chunky rings for their moms.
Many of them bring just one dollar to buy their presents, forgetting about the seven
cents tax.I keep a little fund of pennies here to help them out.’ Quote from salesperson
This grand old building in the heart of the downtown district has withstood the true
testament of time by reinventing itself many times over the past 160 years. Cheers to
another 160 years!

(270-274 Front Street is currently home to Capers Restaurant and Maxwell Paper
Canada and at the time of this writing, it is undergoing extensive restoration work.)

If you would like to read more of Connie’s work about Belleville’s history, check out The Tin Box Memories series.