Union Fire Hall: Located at the corner of First Ave and Petrolia St. Fires were a common and yet serious problem during the oil boom. There was an ongoing competition between Union Station and the fire station at Victoria Hall, to reach and extinguish fires first. Whichever group did so first was paid for their services.
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Canadian Oil Refinery Property: Located on the northwest corner of Blind Line and Tank Streets. The independent company was formed in 1901 and a refinery was immediately built. Its main product was kerosene for lighting but, as cars become more abundant, the refinery switched to gasoline. The company was a rival of Imperial Oil. In 1907, the company was taken over by the National Refining Co. of Cleveland. In 1952, a large, modern refinery near Sarnia replaced the Petrolia facility and in 1962, Shell Oil purchased Canadian Oil Companies.
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Centre Street: in the 1890s Centre Street was the main industrial artery in Petrolia. Oil wells, refineries and factories lined both sides of the street.
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Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital: Located at the corner of Dufferin and Greenfield was originally the home of Jacob L. Englehart, an oil baron who was one of the founders of Imperial Oil. The mansion, complete with 9-hole golf course, was built in 1886 as a wedding present for Jacob’s wife Charlotte. After her death in 1911 the home was bequeathed to the town for a hospital. Many additions have been built over the years at no cost to the local taxpayers. Jacob Englehart had donated money and Imperial Oil shares to ensure continued financing for the hospital.
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First Baptist Church: Located at 418 Greenfield St. It was erected in 1896 in Gothic style. Barrels of oil, it is said, were often given as yearly offerings. Unlike many boomtowns, Petrolia was civilized and peaceful with churches outnumbering saloons.
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“Little Red Bank”: Located on Oil St. The single storey, grey stucco building was previously the little red bank. This private bank was owned by John H. Fairbank and Leonard Vaughn. The bank opened on this site in 1869 after the building was moved from Oil Springs. One and one half million dollars worth of business was carried on in the first year. Fairbank and Vaughn virtually financed the local oil business on their own. When the bank closed in 1924, it was recognized as one of the most successful and long running private banks in Canada.
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Christ Anglican Church: Located on Oil St, the church was built on this site in 1882. In 1910, a chime of eleven bells was donated by J.L. Englehart and installed in the tower. The original church burned in 1957 but the tower and bells survived.
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Tank Street: was named for the oil tank wagons that lined the road waiting to be unloaded at the refineries.
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Oil Well Supply Company: Located on Robert St, this firm was started in 1866 by Hector McKenzie, a machinist. He later joined forces with James Joyce, a blacksmith and the business prospered. The company manufactured drill rigs, special tools for the oil industry, as well as pumps, valves, and many other industrial products. The largest drill bit ever produced by the company weighed 5000 pounds.
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Blind Line Nitro-glycerine Plants: Oil wells extended as far north as Blind Line by 1871. However, it was the presence of nitro-glycerine plants along the road that made Blind Line notable. The explosive was used to ‘shoot’ oil wells to make them more productive. The detonation caused by the nitro would crack the oil bearing formation and free more oil for production. The manufacture and transport of the liquid explosive was a dangerous business. All the plants along blind line eventually blew up. Many unfortunate handlers and transporters of the material also met untimely demises.
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Oozloffsky, Ignatiefna and Valentina Streets: many of these street names seem out of place. A.C. Edwards a former Mayor of Petrolia developed the property along the streets. He had drilled for oil in Petrolia in the 1890s as well as in central Asia. He honoured many of his acquaintances from foreign lands by naming the streets after them.
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Nemo Hall: Located at 419 King St, this home was built in 1878. The original lot included oil wells and exotic gardens. This energy efficient home was built with three layers of brick with air spaces between. Nemo hall has three floors, 20 rooms and five fireplaces. The marble fireplace in the drawing room won first prize at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair for its design and craftsmanship.
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Iroquois Hall: Located on the corner of Albany and Petrolia Streets was one of the most luxurious hotels in town. Built in 1895, the Iroquois originally had three stories with 50 rooms and private suites. The entrance hall was 30 metres long and lined with Venetian glass. The top floor burned but the remainder of the building was saved and eventually renovated.
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Fairbank House and Lancey House: Located on Petrolia St past Oil St is the Fairbank House on the left and the Lancey House on the right. Fairbank house was built in 1890 by John Henry Fairbank and was composed of twenty two rooms. The Ohio clay bricks for the exterior were individually wrapped in wax paper before being shipped to Petrolia. The Lancey House was built in the 1870s by Henry Lancey for his daughter. The home, an example of Georgian symmetry was originally larger by ten rooms.
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Lambton Central Collegiate Vocational Institute (LCCVI): Located on Dufferin Ave the high school opened in 1884 with 75 students attending. The original building was replaced in 1926 and further additions have been made to accommodate rising enrolments.
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St. Philip’s Roman Catholic Church: the original church was located in the east end but as the population moved westward so did businesses and other establishments. In 1887 the congregation purchased this property and the new cornerstone was laid.
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St. Paul’s United Church: Located on Petrolia St the original building was built in 1865 in the east end of town. Later it was moved to Bear Creek Flats. In 1900, the present church was completed and until 1969 was the only church in town with an active oil well in its backyard.
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Old Post Office: Located on Petrolia St it was built in the Romanesque Revival style and served as the post office from 1892 to 1964. The second floor housed the Customs office and warehouse facilities. A caretaker’s apartment was located on the third floor.
Petrolia Heritage Committee.
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Crown Savings and Loan Company (Royal Bank) : Located at 4186 Petrolia Line. This private bank was established in the 1890’s by some of Petrolia’s leading oilmen. Today their names can be read on the cornerstone. The founders of Crown Savings and Loan Co. believed a strong agriculture industry would complement the booming oil industry. As a result, they directed some of the surplus oil profits into sound farm mortgage investments. In 1935, the bank merged with the Industrial Mortgage &Trust Co., Sarnia and in 1969 it became the Royal Trust Co. (Courtesy of Daytripping)
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