Ford Block

The Ford Block
96-102 Main Street, Sackville, N.B. 
THE FORD BLOCK
1894
The George E. Ford Block is a good representation of wooden commercial structures from the late 1800’s in Sackville. The large pediment faÁade, the storefront and the building’s overall symmetry reflect this early style. In 1894, local merchant George E. Ford acquired a five acre lot on which he constructed the block as a department store in three sections: tailoring, dry goods and groceries. The Ford family operated this business at this location until 1947.
THE FORD BLOCK
1894
This building stands on land originally part of the Bowser Farm property purchased from Daniel Hawkins in 1777. In 1894 local merchant George E. Ford acquired a five acre lot, on which he constructed this block as a department store in three sections: Tailoring, Dry Goods and Groceries. It was “all handsomely fitted up” and by 1902 was among the first buildings in Sackville to be lit by electricity. A room, “Ford”s Hall,” on the second floor was the site of the crucial meeting which approved the incorporation of the Town of Sackville on 12 January, 1903. Owned by the Ford family until 1947, it has since been home to a number of businesses.
Marker placed at initiative of Historic Sites Identification Project, on 17 February 2001; jointly funded by Renaissance Sackville and York and Main Holdings
This building is within the Town of Sackville Municipal Heritage Conservation Area A.

This building is listed in the Canadian Register of Historic Places ; see George E. Ford Block

For the Ford Block as an example of the Greek Revival architectural style see Sackville Heritage Architecture Style Guide Section 2: GREEK REVIVAL.

Hamilton, Bill, “A ‘Block’ Of Local History,” Sackville Tribune-Post, 14 February 2001, page 5.

Fleming, Kym, “Ford Block’s Heritage Value Recognized: Piece of Local History Unveiled,” Sackville Tribune-Post, 21 February 2001.

See also Jackson, K. and C.Scobie, Sackville Then and Now: New Brunswick’s Oldest Town in Photographs (Sackville, N.B.: Tantramar Heritage Trust, 2013), p.22.
GEORGE E. FORD MEMORABILIA
George E. Ford (1846-1928) took over the family store on the death of his father in 1871. Under his direction the business prospered, and in 1894 moved into the newly constructed “Lion House,” known locally as “The Ford Block.” The following illustrations come from the 1880s and 1890s.

Original exterior of
Ford Block
GEO.E.FORD
masthead
Invoice
dated Apr.3, 1884
Receipt for $1.85
dated June 5th 1884
Illustrations courtesy of Al Smith; photo scans by Leslie Van Patter.

 
Old photographs of the Ford Block show that the building originally had a “grotesque” in the form of a stylised lion’s head, about one foot square, in the centre of the facade just below the half-moon window. This was removed a number of years ago when the structure was undergoing renovations. On 1 November 2001 an exact replica, cast by Enterprise Fawcett Foundry, was placed in the original location. See Scobie, Charlie, “Lion Returns to ‘Lion House’ “,Sackville Tribune-Post, 7 November 2001, pp.1,10.
Original Lion
“grotesque”

Tantramar Heritage Trust | Historic Sites