The Currie Grain Elevator

Port Perry's historic three-storey grain elevator was erected near the Lake Scugog waterfront more than 140 years ago and is the oldest, largest, and most significant wood-crib grain elevator left standing in Canada. George Currie began construction of the large grain storehouse in the spring of 1874, one year after the first train arrived in town, and it was capable of holding 60,000 bushels of grain. The grainery became one of the village's most important commercial structures and was the only building in the downtown to survive the devastating fires of 1883 and 1884. Currie sold the elevator in 1876 to Aaron Ross, after which it became known as the A. Ross Elevator. William Ross later joined the firm and, after his father's death in 1896, operated the business until 1909, when he sold it to longtime employee James Lucas. Lucas ran the elevator until 1919 before merging with grain merchants Hogg & Lytle Ltd., which purchased the entire business in 1927. Toronto Elevators Limited, operating under the name Master Feeds, bought the elevator in 1949, and during that ownership six large grain bins were added north of the building. In 1961 Toronto Elevators merged with Maple Leaf Mills, which operated the site until it ceased operation in 1979. James Burghgraef purchased the vacated building in 1980, and when it went up for sale in 2009 Scugog Township purchased the historic lakefront property.

Ontario · Canada