Elora, Ont.
over the
Years
Maps Over Time
The Fire Insurance Map of 1904 is a great reference in order to show the original buildings and shops that the town still possesses. A few of Elora's most well known buildings are hightlighted to help better compare with the present day town.
In order to better gain a better understanding of how Elora has transitioned and progressed over the years, a comparison of past and present day maps must first be obtained. The first map used is a Fire Insurance Map conducted in 1904 taken from the website Library and Archives Canada. The second map is a swoop image that was saved from Maplandia of current day Elora (2015).
Iroquois Hotel
Post Office
Royal Hotel
The swoop image seen here is extremely benefical in comparing how much the town has grown over the last century. It is important to keep in mind which buildings still exist and which have been added. The same three buildings have again been highlighted in this image to help establish this comparison.
Post Office
Dalby House
Elora Legion
Although these maps are over 100 years apart, it is clear that much of the town still remains the same. The layouts of the roads and foundation have not changed and a handful of buildings are still located in the their original locations. The three buildings labelled depict the growth that the town has taken on over time. In 1904 the buildings were known as the Iroquios Hotel, Royal Hotel and Post Office. Two of them have now taken on different establishments, the Iroquios now referred to as the Dalby House and the Royal Hotel is the Elora Legion. Both can still be found in the same building however the Post Office has expanded and moved more uptown since the early 20th century. To learn more about these buildings and see their images simply click the orange pin found on the maps!
Overlapping Images
Below are images created using both of the maps to overlap one another. This is to help better compare and contrast the overall transition.
Overlaying image of downtown Elora, Ont.
Close up overlaying image of the Dalby House
Close up overlaying image of Elora Legion
Close up overlaying image of Metcalf Street
The images above are not as clear as they were intended to be, however while looking closely it is apparent that the present day swoop image contains far more buildings than the 1904 Fire Insurance Map. Over the last 100 years more shops have been constructed within the downtown area of Elora and pre-existing buildings have been added onto. This can be the result of the growing economy and the fact that Elora has slowly began to become known as a tourist town. If you were to take a walk down Metcalf Street in the early 20th century the majority of what you would see would include stores suited to fit the needs of the townspeople such as butchers, barbers, general stores ect. Now a days these shops aim at pleasing the tourist population that fill the streets every weekend. Ice cream parlours, souvenir shops and antique stores are just a few of what the town has to offer today.
Chat with others about the beauty of Elora or share any inputs you may have. We would love to hear from you !
