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186 Mornington Street 1916 Photo: Vince Gratton
186 Mornington Street
186 Mornington Street
Henry William (Harry) Strudley live here in 1916.
He was born in Detroit, Mich., on Dec. 10, 1870. As of 1900, he had started the Wolverine Reed Co., which initially fared well. But stiff competition forced him to close the factory. He took all the machinery, stock and 20 employees to relocate in the former Walkerville Match Co. building in Walkerville, Ont. He renamed his new venture Imperial Rattan Company Ltd.
Hearing about the potential of Stratford as a burgeoning furniture manufacturing centre, Harry bought the Borland Carriage Co. building at the corner of Albert and King streets in 1910, and moved his factory yet again, but for the last time. He soon began purchasing nearby land and on it building houses for his employees. His acquisitions included the newly expanded King Street (now Parkview Drive) from Ontario Street to Queens Park.
Harry and his family first settled at 151 Douglas St., then moved to 118 Norman St. and eventually to this large house at 186 Mornington St., which he remodelled extensively in 1939. His remake included the addition of four large columns, which have remained as dominant feature on the front of the house which remains today.
After Harry's wife Anna died in 1941, he moved to live with his daughter Eleanor, recently widowed, at 311 Water Street. His other daughter Mary and her husband, Jay Waldo "Monte" Monteith, (see Monteith Avenue), moved into the family home at 186 Mornington. Mary had married Monteith who was then a chartered accountant in 1936. They first lived at 150 Douglas but once they moved to Mornington, they remained there while he served as Member of Parliament for Perth from 1953 to 1972, eventually serving as Minister for Health and Welfare. Harry's son Donald Strudley also lived on Mornington at 176. Sources: Stratford-Perth County Branch ACO (Architectural Conservancy of Ontario) | Historical Plaque Properties see: The Strudley Connection to Tom Patterson island and the Rustic Bridge.
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