In 1908, the first house of the three at 191 Water Street was built that year and became home to John McCutcheon (1874-1950), his wife, and their young son. McCutcheon was an English Master until 1914 at the Normal School also built in 1908. (see Water Street). Later William B. Rothwell (1891-1980), Director of Music (1923-1950) at the Normal School, would also reside there. 

Rothwell was also one of three Stratford people that also included Margaret (Stevenson) Grant and Cora B. Ahrens (see Hibernia Street) who began the Perth-County Music Teachers Festival in 1926. In 1952, he persuaded the Kiwanis Club to take over its running.

The second house at 195 Water Street was built in the same year of 1908 and was first home to J. W Neab in 1909 and by 1910 to George E. Neeb, engineer. Shortly after William J. Hayes, who worked for the GTR, purchased the property. After WW2, Audrey Conroy (see Water Street), also a music teacher and friend of Bill Rothwell, moved in, with her son Gordon, who has been involved with this Streets of Stratford project as a gift back to his home town. The upper and lower porches seen at 191 Water Street were featured at the back of 195 Water. 

In 1953, Bruce Swerdfager, (1928-2007) (see Elizabeth Street), one of the original actors in the Stratford Festival, stayed with the Conroy family. Bruce formed a life-long friendship with the family,  made Stratford his home, and held a number of key Festival positions over the years. . He married Mary Robertson, a widow with three children, founder of Mary Swerdfager Real Estate, and in 2023, their daughter, Ann Swerdfager, still heads up publicity for the theatre. 

The third house at 201 Water Street is the largest and most impressive of the three. It was built in 1912 by Francis “Frank” Edward Colwell Mason, involved like McLagan, in the furniture business. Frank Mason was newly married at the time but had lived earlier with his parents at 157 Water Street. Frank, like his father James, was also involved with Globe-Wernicke Company. Frank and his wife, Georgia May Lindsay, and their family lived at 201 Water until shortly before his death in 1955. 

By that time, Sam Douglas and his family lived there. Douglas had purchased Farquharson-Gifford Furniture in 1951.  However, in the summer of 1954, they graciously moved out temporarily from 201 Water for the summer to allow James Mason, the noted British actor and film star, to move in with his wife and daughter so that Mason could be close to the tent theatre for the summer. James Mason starred as Angelo in Measure for Measure and played the lead in Oedipus Rex. 

These are just three of the many houses on Water Street built on the early 1900s which retain their historic character to this day. Sources: Stratford-Perth Archives, Stratford Vernon Directories; Dean Robinson, Hardly Normal: The Stratford Normal School and Stratford Teachers' College 1908-1973.