Shaw’s of Perth, 1 Gore St. E.

The commercial building is L-shaped, two and a half stories, consisting of coursed, squared rubble local sandstone and stretcher common bond yellow brick.

Its high gable roof with plain frieze eaves has three chimneys. A cut-stone covered carriage archway connects the main building to the original coach house and stable along Foster Street (now the Goodwood Oven). The laneway is conveyed and designated as a free and uninterrupted right-of-way of ingress and egress for pedestrians.

The store was originally fronting on Foster Street, because it was thought to be the main street in the mid-1800s. When it wasn’t a priority, the owners covered up the openings. The original sign, “The Store With a Smile – Shaw’s – Perfect Service”, can still be seen on the wall.

Two windows on the south second floor are square-headed with radiating voussoirs and lugsills. These small windows are set in lead.

The Gore Street front presents an imposing commercial design with its display windows. Four two-over-two windows on the second storey have a plain lintel window head above the windows. The attached unit has two windows, with a plain, flat window head, and its side and back walls are constructed with yellow brick.

The interior of Shaw’s proudly boasts a wide, curved staircase and the store features a beautiful antique desk counter that has been in the store since 1875.

Shaw’s of Perth occupies a key position in one of the best surviving streetscapes in Canada, characteristic of important architectural tradition.

Information from the Perth LACAC files.