A Comparison of 1875 Berlin Structures to Structures Today
Introduction
This story map highlights some of the buildings from the hand-drawn 1875 Berlin (Kitchener) map and their present-day counterparts. It focuses mainly on structures that have preserved all or part of their original design, while also including those that have been rebuilt but have maintained their same purpose.
Historical Building Comparison
Central Public School
Click the arrows to view the past and present.
Now known as Suddaby Public School, Central Public school first opened its doors in 1857, and in 1882 Ontario's first kindergarten class was taught here. Initially, the building was home to the Berlin Grammar School which later became the Berlin High School, but due to overcrowding the high school was relocated.
Court House & Jail
Click the arrows to view the past and present.
Built in 1852, the courthouse and jail building is the oldest standing government building in Kitchener. It is built in the mid-Victorian Italian Villa style, featuring brick trim, a four-story tower, and a Mansard roof. It is no longer a jail; however, it still houses courtrooms.
American House Hotel
Click the arrows to view the past and present.
Now home to a Tim Hortons, the former American Hotel operated between the years 1862 - 1960. This property is known to be the oldest commercial property in the city of Kitchener.
St. Paul's Lutheran Church
Click the arrows to view the past and present.
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church was constructed in 1835, named after the first century apostle Paul. Today it is still an active congregation of the Lutheran Church of Canada.
Reinhold Lang's Tannery
Click the arrows to view the past and present.
The Lang Tannery Company was established in 1849, originally on Foundry Street (now Ontario Street) and was moved to its current location on Charles street shortly after a fire destroyed the original building. In 1954 the Tannery shut down because of competition from synthetic materials.
Commercial Hotel
Click the arrows to view the past and present.
Before the current Walper Hotel property was built in 1892, the site was occupied by John Roat's Commercial Hotel, one of Kitchener's earliest commercial structures. Unfortunately, in the same year, the property burned down. The current building was constructed in 1893.
Grand Trunk R.R. Depot
Click the arrows to view the past and present.
The Grand Trunk Railway was founded in 1852 with the goal of connecting Toronto and Montreal. It later expanded to Portland, Maine, and Sarnia, Ontario.
The Kitchener Grand Trunk station was built in 1856, and on June 18th the first train arrived in Kitchener carrying 150 passengers.
The station we see today is not the original, as it was torn down and then reconstructed in 1897 to replace the original building.
St. Jerome's College
Click the arrows to view the past and present.
St. Jerome's College was founded in 1865 and began operating out of a log cabin in St. Agatha to accommodate for the growing Roman Catholic population in Waterloo County. Two years later, the school moved to the location we see it in today, on Duke street. The building was reconstructed in 1907 to make more room for students as demand for Catholic education increased.
Today, the building is home to the Wilfrid Laurier University library and Faculty of Social Work. In 1960, St. Jerome's College relocated to the University of Waterloo Campus and was renamed St. Jerome's University in 1998. It is now home to several undergraduate programs in the faculty of Arts, and one graduate program.
Episcopal Church
Click the arrows to view the past and present.
The first St. John's Church was constructed on this site in 1862 following the founding of the parish in 1856.
The new church was constructed in 1894 to accommodate for the growing congregation.