Three Small Towns and Uncle Tom's Cabin

[boden]

Looking summer....unlike the recent chilly weather!

[flar]

It already is summer in these parts. These towns are on the edge of the banana belt, basically the narrow strip of land between Lakes Erie and St. Clair. Essex and Kent counties enjoy hot wet summers and mild winters with little snow. Tulips and flowering trees are pretty much done in this area and soon the fields will be bursting with tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, carrots, lettuce and other vegetables.

[Hozay]

Nice litle towns

[flar]

Thanks everyone

I think Ridgetown is underappreciated within Ontario for its residential architecture, quite a distinctive gothic style with points and elaborate bargeboards being very common. Here are a few more Ridgetown houses showing examples of this:

[Jimby]

Great photos. I love the old brick and the architecture. Thanks for including the fascinating history of the underground railroad.

[pdizzle]

I never see many Gothic revival style houses around. Are they as common in that area as your pictures seem to show?

[SpongeG]

nice pics

i thought we were going to see your uncles cabin - lol

[JackStraw]

great photos!

[flar]

Originally Posted by pdizzle

I never see many Gothic revival style houses around. Are they as common in that area as your pictures seem to show?

Gothic revival was the most common style for vernacular houses in mid 19th century Ontario, so much so that there is a subtype of house known as Ontario Gothic. The only picture I had handy of the prototypical Ontario Gothic house is the one below. This one is in Fergus, Ontario (link to photos) where stone is the local building material. In other areas it would be wood (usually board and batten) or brick, whichever local building material was favoured. Houses of this basic design are commonly found throughout Southern Ontario, especially out in the country and in small towns, but as you can see above, they come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

[flar]

I was also a bit surprised that some hadn't heard of Uncle Tom's Cabin, it was a very famous book. The book itself is fairly controversial, on the one hand it brought attention to the plight of slaves, but it also perpetuated some negative stereotypes about African Americans. I've always thought it was unfortunate that "Uncle Tom" became such a derogatory term, it seems unfair to the "real" Uncle Tom, Josiah Henson. From the little history I know, it wouldn't necessarily be fair to call Henson an Uncle Tom.

[Andy6]

Another quality thread! Enjoyed it and hope for more.

[kwoldtimer]

Classic (Southwestern) Ontariana! Thanks for bringing this back, Flar.

[Blitz]

Classic indeed! I drive through Thamesville quite a bit...sometimes I prefer to take Highway 2 commuting between Windsor and London just to enjoy the countryside without dealing with Highway 401 trucks.

[Swinefeld]

Very nice! Some of these beauties would fit well in small town Pennsylvania. And I saw a nice twin for the Poth House in Powelton.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Very nice, though those downtown areas seem to suggest towns much larger than 2-3000. Also, Godfathers Pizza has to be the most peculiar chain restaurant; you only come across them in small towns. Can't say I really understand the logic behind that.

[brycedavid]

I love all the red brick buildings and houses.

Is this a house or an business/office? It's unique.

[photoLith]

Freakin beautiful red bricks they have up there. Those are much prettier than most of the small towns here in Arkansas, it actually looks like their downtowns are still be used and are in good shape.