A carpenter who built furniture by hand. A steamship built on the shores of Lake Scugog. A front room once filled with the sound of piano lessons.
Long before Mason Bennett Johncox opened its doors, our offices had stories of their own.
MBJ is proud to be part of the communities we serve, and we have deliberately made our home in them. Both our Brooklin and Port Perry offices are located in properties that date back well over a century. Through the years, these buildings have been homes, workplaces and gathering places for generations of local residents.
Their uses have changed as Brooklin and Port Perry have grown around them. Today, MBJ is simply the latest chapter in their long histories.
If you have ever driven past one of our offices and wondered about the building behind the sign, here is a look at the history behind our doors.
More Than a Century on Baldwin Street
Our Baldwin Street North office has been part of Brooklin's landscape for well over 100 years.
In the late 19th century, Clark Redman worked on the property as a carpenter. In a community the size of Brooklin at the time, a local carpenter would have built furniture and other necessities for nearby residents, often taking on additional trades to meet the needs of the growing town.
The building itself continued to evolve. Its older white portion dates back to its earlier years, while the recognizable red-brick frontage was added in 1950.
The property also became home to Memorial Chapel Brooklin, whose history stretches back to the late 19th century. Over the years, several local families, including the Codys, Disneys and Robinsons, served the community through the funeral home before Rick Barnes purchased the property in 1997.
In 2009, Memorial Chapel Brooklin relocated and the historic Baldwin Street property became the new home of Mason Bennett Johncox.
Brooklin has grown and changed considerably around it, but the building remains a familiar part of Baldwin Street. We are proud to walk through its doors each day and continue serving the community that has surrounded it for generations.
From Steamships to Piano Lessons in Port Perry
Our Port Perry office has an equally fascinating history.
Hugh Chisholm lived on the property in 1850 and built the steamship Woodman, which docked in Port Perry.
In 1875, the property was sold to Stephen Allison, a prominent local businessman who operated a drug store on nearby Queen Street. He built his "dream home" at 229 Mary Street, where the Allison family would remain for more than 75 years.
In the decades that followed, the property passed through several owners and served a variety of purposes. At one point, a local piano teacher lived in the home and welcomed students into the front room for lessons.
From shipbuilding and pharmacy to family life, piano lessons and, today, legal consultations, the building has evolved alongside Port Perry for more than 175 years.
We are fortunate to have the opportunity to add another chapter to its story.
Familiar Buildings. Familiar Streets. Local History.
It is easy to pass an older building without thinking about everything that may have happened within its walls.
These two properties have watched Brooklin and Port Perry grow and change around them. Generations of local residents have walked through their doors for very different reasons, each leaving behind another small part of their history.
That connection means more to us than simply preserving a piece of the past.
When someone comes through our doors for legal advice, they are often trusting us with something important in their life, family or business. There is something fitting about doing that work in buildings that have themselves been trusted and familiar parts of their communities for generations.
For more than 30 years, MBJ has been building its own history in Durham Region. We are proud that part of our story is unfolding in places that belonged to the stories of Brooklin and Port Perry long before we arrived.
Their purposes have changed over the years.
Their connection to the community hasn't.
Neither has ours.
Do you remember either of these buildings before they became home to MBJ? We'd love to hear your stories. Share them in the comments — or stop by and tell us in person.
