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Kellock Block, 39 to 43 Gore St. E. In 1848, John Ellis erected this stone building for Roderick Matheson. Around 1885, James F. Kellock had the building extended and the front raised to form a third floor, with the back half left the same. The first tenant at 39 Gore St. was, from 1848 to 1854, James Leischman, a tailor; then, from 1854 to 1876 the Ferlands operated as General Merchants. Then, until 1898 it was a tailor’s shop. In 1898 the Perth Courier moved here from down the street and still occupies the building. An assortment of tenants have occupied 41 Gore St. E. on the second floor, including a broker, Canada Customs, a tax collector; a dental office and a Beauty Shop. Above the Courier office a barrister had his office until 1920 and then from 1939 to 1953, W.W. Walker, owner of the Courier, had his residence there. In 43 Gore St. from 1848 to 1858, Mark Billings operated a hatters and furriers shop. In 1858 A. Allen opened a drug store and in 1861 moved to the Foster Street location of the present Perth Pharmasave. Dr. John F. Kellock purchased the business and operated it from 1861 to 1880 and in 1878 he bought the building. Besides selling medicine, he was an agent for a boat line and sold houseplants. “Dr. John Kellock disposes the business to a younger brother James Kellock, a graduate of the Ontario College of Pharmacy. The store has been recently reconstructed and extended in order to keep pace with modern ideas. Mr. Kellock does an extensive jobbing business mainly in the towns and villages along the lines of Canadian Pacific and Kingston & Pembroke Railway. He makes a specialty of coal oil and imports fully two thirds of the coal oil consumed in this section. Mr. Kellock is agent for the old Hartfore (Conn) Fire Insurance Co,. and holds some of the best risks in town.” (ex May 1887 Toronto Mail). From 1901 to 1933, W.S. Robertson took ownership of the business and from 1933 to 1971 Arthur Thornbury assumed ownership and in 1947 remodelled the store. From 1971 to 1997 R.J. Wilkinson, BSC PHM, operated the Perth Apothecary and from 1997 to 2003 it was a variety gift shop called Passiflora. It is presently the home of O’Reilly’s Pub.
Photograph, c1915 from the archives of the Perth
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