Remember This? Your corner druggist

From the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library's archive:

Built at the turn of the century, this unique building was acquired by druggist, Theron T. Barnes in June 1902 and was considered to be an ideal location for his new business. 

Located at the corner of Queen and Gore Streets, he hoped the central location would attract customers from both the east and west ends of the town of Sault Ste. Marie. 

The building is well-known locally, due to the turret, a Gothic style feature, which is usually found on residential properties and is not typically found in a commercial property however the chemist’s mortar and pestle found on the top of the turret easily identifies its origin as a drugstore.  

In the early 1900s, people were often unable to afford to visit a doctor when they were ill so pharmacists fulfilled the role of apothecary — preparing drug products for medicinal use that people were able to buy directly from the pharmacist. 

The shelves around the shop were filled with ingredients to make all kinds of remedies.  

A drugstore continued to operate in this building from 1902 until 1969, although it also had many other famous tenants through the years including a dentist and lawyers including the law partnership of McFadden and McMillan.

It is interesting to note that the Barnes name was featured on another Queen Street landmark when Theron Barnes built a new commercial block in 1913 for $8,500 that became known as the Barnes-Fawcett Block

Find out more of what the Public Library has to offer at www.ssmpl.ca and look for more Remember This? columns here.