A Look Back at 12 Spruce Street, Uxbridge: From Dairy to Demolition

At the corner of Spruce and Albert Streets once stood a modest but hardworking building that played many roles in Uxbridge’s civic and commercial life. Though it is no longer standing today, 12 Spruce Street carries a long legacy shaped by local enterprise, municipal service, and community evolution.

A Dairy Start: Silverwood’s Arrives (1945)

The story begins in 1945, when the building became home to Silverwood’s Dairy. Known across Ontario for its milk and dairy products, Silverwood’s chose this location to expand its presence in the region. For about a decade, the building also functioned as an egg-grading station, serving local farmers and supplying fresh, graded eggs to the community.

One of the unique features of the structure was its two-level access:

• A main entrance on Spruce Street, and

• A lower-level entrance on Albert Street.

This split-level design would later make the building perfectly suited for a variety of uses.

A New Civic Purpose (1954–1974)

In 1954, seeing the need for a permanent municipal home, the Township of Uxbridge purchased the building. For the first time, the township had a dedicated space for town offices and its council chamber, anchoring local government in the heart of the community.

Just two years later, in 1956, another important public service moved in: the Uxbridge Police Department. The basement level—accessible from Albert Street—was renovated to include holding cells, transforming the lower floor into a fully functional police station. For nearly two decades, the building housed both the township administration above and the police force below.

This arrangement continued until 1974, when the creation of the Region of Durham prompted a move to a larger municipal facility at 20 Bascom Street. With the upper level vacated, the entire building was sold, and the police department expanded to occupy both floors.

The above Google street view image shows the building in 2016 before it was demolished.

A Police Headquarters (1974–1999)

From 1974 to 1999, 12 Spruce Street served solely as the town’s police headquarters. Generations of residents came to know the building not as a dairy or municipal office, but as the place where local law enforcement operated. By the end of the 20th century, however, the department had outgrown the aging structure and moved to a new facility.

A New Chapter: Vintner’s Nook

After the police relocated, the building was purchased and reinvented as Vintner’s Nook, a retail shop where customers could craft and bottle their own wine. It brought a new kind of foot traffic to the corner, offering a blend of creativity, community, and commerce.

But when Vintner’s Nook eventually closed, the future of the aging structure came into question.

Heritage Efforts and Environmental Challenges

There were community-driven attempts to have the building added to Uxbridge’s heritage register, recognizing its long and varied history. However, during this process, a serious obstacle emerged. Contamination from the adjacent long-standing gas and service station had migrated beneath the building, raising concerns about long-term environmental safety.

Despite efforts to preserve it, the site’s condition ultimately prevented heritage designation from moving forward.

The Final Chapter (2016–2017)

In 2016, the property was purchased by Shell Canada, owners of the neighbouring gas station. The environmental findings sealed the building’s fate. In 2017, after more than 70 years serving Uxbridge in multiple capacities, the building at 12 Spruce Street was demolished.

Remembering 12 Spruce Street

Although the building is gone, its history remains an important part of the story of downtown Uxbridge. From dairy operations and egg grading to local government, policing, small business, and community debate over heritage preservation, 12 Spruce Street reflected the evolving needs and character of the town.

Its absence today reminds us that even the most unassuming structures can hold decades of community memories—quietly supporting everyday life until the day they make way for something new.

Read about it here in the Uxbridge Cosmos

https://thecosmos.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/June15.pdf

Photos Courtesy of:

Google 

Uxbridge The Good Old Days by: J. Peter Hvidsten

Sources:

The Uxbridge Cosmos

Uxbridge The Good Old Days by: J. Peter Hvidsten

www.mykawartha.com

Centennial Park

The above photo shows the Uxbridge Trans Canada Trail Pavilion located in Centennial Park. The Pavilion lists the individuals that played a crucial role in creating The Great Trail of Canada. The Trail now stretches over 27,000 kilometres, connecting the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans.

Centennial Park is located in downtown Uxbridge behind the township office and the stores on Brock Street. The Great Canadian Trail and the Uxbridge Historic Trail pass through the pavilion located in the park. In the 1800’s this area looked very different.  Back then the area was covered by Wheler’s Pond (seen below)

_{The following photos courtesy of Uxbridge The Good Old Days and Uxbridge The First 100 Years by: J. Peter Hvidsten}

This photo is believed to be take from the Anglican Church bell tower in the late 1800s and shows Wheler’s Pond and downtown.  Of note in the photo, you can see the home of Joseph Gould on Main Street in the lower right.  This stately residence was torn down in 1961-62 to provide a playground for the newly constructed St. Josephs Catholic School (now the site of the Uxbridge Township Office).  Read more about the Uxbridge Township Office/St. Joseph Catholic School

In the middle of the photo near the top you can see the Trinity United Church, which was torn down in 2022 after it was hit by a tornado earlier that year. On the left side of the photo you can see the Bell Tower located behind the Library.

This aerial view taken in the early 1900s shows the pond viewed over the corner of Toronto Street and Brock Street.  This photo also shows a number of historical buildings, some of which are long gone.  In the middle of the photo you can see the The Joseph Gould Institute (Uxbridge Public Library) and the Bell Tower. To the right of the Library site is the Mansion House Hotel (torn down in 1963) with the stables behind it.  Beside the Library you see the Jones Hardware building (taken down in the late 1940s) and across the street is the Market Hall (torn down in 1955).

Looking across Wheler’s Pond South East behind the Library.

This rare photo shows the bell tower from behind from the bridge at the north end of Whelers Pond.

Behind the bell tower you can see the stables at the Mansion House Hotel. 

Courtesy of Uxbridge The First 100 Years by: J. Peter Hvidsten

The above photo shows Wheler’s Pond looking to the south west.  Up on the hill you can see the home of Joseph Gould and the Anglican Church on Main Street. The photo below shows the area today taken from a similar vantage point.  The Medical Centre on Toronto Street now hides the view.  

In the late 1940s the pond was no longer needed for water power, and was reverted to being a creek.  The pond bottom for many years became the town’s dump.  As a Centennial project in 1967, the former pond site and dump became Centennial Park. 

The photo below shows the dump in 1957.  

The area today is now made up of Centennial Park and a Municipal Parking Lot.

Photos courtesy of Uxbridge The Good Old Days and Uxbridge The First 100 Years by: J. Peter Hvidsten

Source: Uxbridge The Good Old Days and Uxbridge The First 100 Years by: J. Peter Hvidsten and http://www.DiscoverUxbridge.ca