The house that previously occupied this site was evidently built by an English couple interested in orchards and was surrounded by fruit trees. The iron lacework around the veranda, which was shipped from England, incorporated various fruits including grapes and apples. There was a cedar-lined cellar in which the fruit was stored.
Unfortunately, this house, which was in a dilapidated state, was demolished in 2025.
In the early 1900s the house was lived in by the Downing family. Thomas Frederick Downing was a railway employee.
It is understood that Linton GP, Dr J B (Blair) Donaldson Senior, lived here after his retirement in 1920, when his son, Blair Junior, took over his father’s practice and residence lower down the hill, on the corner of Grant and Sussex Sts. Dr Blair Donaldson Junior practised there until 1926, when he moved to Skipton.
The photo on your screen shows four Downing children outside the cottage in Grant St in the early 1900s.
