The DAVENPORT ESTATE was located at the south end of Davenport
Road, in Sydney,Nova Scotia. A brick/steel GATED ENTRANCE WAS
LOCATED AT THE northern end of Davenport Road, where it met
PRINCE STREET.

         The estate was destroyed at the end of the 19th century,
with only the foundation remaining for many years.

         The ROSS FAMILY purchased a portion of the estate in 1886,
and resold it to ALFRED HAGELL in 1901.... at the height of the
steel boom beginning in SYDNEY. On this property he erected
apartment,rental properties.... on the property now owned by
FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH

         LAVINIA POSTLETHWAITE,the GRANDAUGHTER OF ALFRED,lived in
an apartment from 1912 to 1926 and is the source of much of this
information. The writer of this piece,who lived across the street
from the HAGELL BLOCK for 25 years, has also contributed about
the BLOCK and the folks who lived there.

 LAVINIA,now in her mid 80's, has clear remembrances  of living here 
 in her younger years.The tenants in the larger building #1 were the
George Anderson, the Lauchie Mac Donald and the Floyd families.

   The 3 smaller buildings were rented to the Beverley family,a 
Mac Donald family, with LAVINIA and her parents living in the other.

     A large apartment to the north of the HAGELL BLOCK was known
as the UNION HOUSE, and Henry MORLEY,his wife and daughter Margaret
were tenants. MARGARET later married Cliff Le Couter, a prominent
Sydney personality and newspaper man.

      LAVINIA remembers well that her father,PERCY HAGELL built the 
 first radio in SYDNEY, long before SYDNEY had its own CJCB. She
recollects listening to KDKA in the USA.

      There was NO indoor plumbing in the apartments...outdoor
outhouses did the trick....altho she tells us,"mighty cold in winter".
  
   The GRANDFATHER moved to HALIFAX and his son PERCY and his wife 
(nee CANN from FORCHU) took over maintainance and rental collections.
Up to this time the property was well maintained by the HAGELLS.

     The apartments were sold to a Mr. Mac Lean in 1928, he being a
druggist from ORANGEDALE,Cape Breton.ABSENTEE OWNERSHIP began the
downfall of the  block, and for the next 30 years the property 
began its downward trend to self destruction.



              THE BOYS OF HAGELL BLOCK
                   PICTURE BELOW

  Art REDQUEST    Tom HODGSON     Mack PARISH
   ?  REDMOND     Joe SUTHERLAND
  Bill (Bull( HODGSON       Luke HODGSON  




         P I C T U R E D    B E L O W

A WATERCOLOR BY LOUISE MAC LENNAN  c1905 titled 'ASHBY"'

    This is the DAVENPORT ESTATE on Davenport Road and is probably the
     only known picture that exists...The HAGELL BLOCK was
     constructed on this site.


  
  

  
  
  

  

  

  

  
Do you like this site?
  Tell a friend!

  
  

  
Name
Email
  

  
You:
  

  

  
  

  
Your Friend:
  

  

  
  

  

  Here's how
  to get a referral system like this on your own site, for free.
  
  

  

GREAT CAPE BRETON WEB SITES