The Brock House Hotel – 82 River St
The present three-storey brick building was constructed in 1910 under the supervision and financing of Dr. James McDermott, a prominent Sunderland physician and businessman. Located where the main road entered the village, the Brock House Hotel became an important stopping place for travellers, commercial salesmen and vacationers, as well as a popular place for local residents to enjoy a meal.
Operating a hotel in Sunderland did present one significant limitation. The community was dry, and after 1904 the sale of alcoholic beverages was prohibited—something that inevitably affected the hotel business.
The Brock House passed through a number of owners and operators. Among them was Jim Thompson, who was also associated with the commercial building at River and Church streets. Sam Ainsworth purchased the hotel from the Township of Brock in 1935, and George Shier operated it from 1944 until 1965.
The hotel also served as a community gathering place. In 1945, a special banquet was held here to honour local veterans of the First and Second World Wars.
Four years later, the Brock House narrowly escaped Sunderland’s Great Fire of 1949. The McDermott Block directly across the road was consumed by flames, but a northwest wind carried much of the fire away from the hotel. Even so, burning embers threatened the roof. George Shier climbed on top of the building while a bucket brigade supplied water to extinguish the embers before they could ignite the hotel.
A completely new chapter began in 1966 when the Government of Ontario purchased the former hotel and converted it into the Sunnydale Home for Children. The facility accommodated as many as 77 children and employed up to 60 staff, making it an important local institution and employer.
Sunnydale operated for approximately 23 years. As government policy shifted toward community-based care, the facility closed and its residents were moved into group homes.
The former hotel was subsequently renovated as a retirement residence, giving the 1910 building yet another purpose after decades of serving travellers, diners, children and seniors.
From a log building in Jones Corners to a grand village hotel and later a care facility, this site reflects more than 180 years of change in Sunderland.
2. Saint Andrews United Church – 10 Church St N
3. Sunderland Town Hall – 120 River St
4. Dr. Joseph Henry Oliver Home – 128 River St
5. St. Mary’s Anglican Church – 134 River St
6. Dr. James McDermott Home – 160 River St
7. The Fogg House – 198 River St
8. The Blacksmith Shop – 135 River St
9. The Nipissing House Hotel – 123 River St
10. Stop 4 Variety – 111 River St
11. The Old Drug Store – 108 River St
12. The Gigantic Hand Saw, Guardian Pharmacy – 103 River St
13. Fresh Mart – 97 River St
14. The Beall Block – 93 River St
15. The Harness Shop – 89 River St
16. Taylor’s Store – 85 River St
17. The William Doble Home – 32 Albert St
18. The Sunderland Presbyterian Church – 5 Albert St
19. Doyle’s General Store – 3 Albert St
20. The McDermott Block – 1 Albert Street S
21. The Sunderland Telephone Company. – 63 River St
22. James Doble Home – 3 Cedar St S
23. William Nassau Doble Home – 12 River St
24. Thomas Welsh Home – 20 River St
25. Robert Doble Home – 48 River St
26. The Bank – River Street (CIBC) – 74 River St
27. The Brock House Hotel – 82 River St
28. The Hardware Store – 92 River St
29. The Early Undertaker – 96 River St
30. The Printing Shop – 98 River St
31. The Magic Door – 100 River St
32. The Sunderland Legion – 104 River St
33. 108 River Street – 108 River Street
34. “Old” Fire Hall – 5 Church St N
35. The Sunderland Memorial Arena – 20 Park St