A building from 1875 is getting a facelift in Mississauga

A historic building is getting a makeover in Mississauga.

The building at 271 Queen St. S., a former Odd Fellows’ Hall dating back to 1875 in Streetsville, is undergoing restoration work. Two Rivers Restoration Ltd., a heritage masonry restoration company, was recently working on the building. The company completed two custom chimneys for the building last fall, they said in a post on Instagram.

The property was up for sale back in 2010, according to online real estate listings. Possible uses for the building included office space, residential units, a bar, pub but current plans for the building are unclear.

In 2016, the owner wanted to convert the property into a pharmacy and medical offices, according to a report to the Heritage Advisory Committee. In 2020, the city issued a heritage permit for general restorative work. 

Streetsville BIA confirmed work is being done on the building but attempts to contact the current owner were unsuccessful.

A historic photo shows how the building originally looked.

The building started out as an Odd Fellows’ Hall in 1875 and continued in that use until 1956, according to a City of Mississauga heritage report. The Odd Fellows order is a non-political, non-sectarian international fraternal order dating back to the 1700s in England.

The Streetsville hall was one the earliest Odd Fellow lodges in Ontario and one of the earliest fraternal societies founded in Streetsville.

The brick building contained “a large public assembly hall on the main floor and a lavish meeting room for the Odd Fellows’ on the upper floor.” Another large room on the upper floor was used by the Farmers’ and Mechanics’ Institute as a library and reading room.

There are no traces of a stage once used for community plays and events.

There was a stage at the back of the ground floor used for community plays and events. It has been removed and no traces remain.

One of the main goals of the Odd Fellows was public education. The public hall on the main floor served as a social, educational and cultural centre for the community for many years, the report said.

The Odd Fellows sold the hall in 1972. Subsequent owners converted it into a commercial property, including a glass and paint store, and removed many original features. It was designated as a heritage property in 1983.

Restoration work on the building is underway.

The building has been vacant for more than 20 years and was in rough shape back in 2016. It’s hoped restoration will revive the landmark building.

“The proposed development represents an opportunity to restore the historic façade and rehabilitate the interior space to modern standards,” the 2016 report stated.

Lead photo of the Odd Fellows’ Hall in 2012: Utcursch