The hard(ware) history of 137-139 Queen Street, Charlottetown
KNOWN BY generations of Islanders as the Rogers Hardware Building, this imposing structure has been the centerpiece of one of Charlottetown’s busiest intersections— Queen and Grafton—since 1867. Its brick construction, round and arched windows and Italianate architecture, meanwhile, have earned recognition from Canada’s Historic Places.
The original owners were Thomas W. Dodd and Benjamin Rogers. Dodd and Rogers had opened a general store in another part of the city in 1859, but by the time Confederation happened eight years later, they were looking for larger premises. In addition to the 28 feet of street frontage the building sits on, they also purchased an adjacent lot on 70 Grafton Street where they constructed a brick warehouse that is still standing and now houses a restaurant.
During the first five years, Dodd and Rogers occupied part of the building while the rest of the structure was rented out to a number of businesses. By 1871, Doctor Simon Dodd (Thomas Dodd’s brother) had opened a pharmacy there called the Medical Hall. It was later taken over by J.G. Jamieson.
Benjamin Rogers bought out his partner in 1904 and changed the name to Rogers Hardware. By 1921, his hardware store occupied the entire building and they continued to be a fixture on the Queen Street landscape until 1988. After Rogers Hardware relocated to their former Grafton Street warehouse, the building was renovated to house a branch of the Canada Trust Company. Its current occupants, MRSB Chartered Accountants, took over the building in 2004.
LEFT: Thomas W. Dodd sold his interest in the company to his partner in 1905. Like Rogers, Dodd was active in the political arena, serving as president of the Legislative Council and Provincial Secretary. In 1900, he left a bequest of $5,000.00 for the establishment of a public library. (Government of P.E.I.)
Special thanks to Natalie Munn, a heritage researcher with the City of Charlottetown, for helping in compiling the pictures and information.
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