by Sylene Argent
When Essex resident Brian Krabbenbos began using his years of home renovation experience to create birdhouses five-years-ago, he did not know his creative talents would allow him to pay homage to local history by recreating miniature local landmarks.
Currently, Krabbenbos thought it would be neat to share the miniature replicas that he created out on his front lawn on Laird Avenue. So far, his handcrafted creations have garnered a lot of attention.
“I needed something to do and started making little birdhouses,” he said, noting that led to him creating wooden games, as well.
He thought because he was making birdhouses for people who wanted them to resemble their home, that he would recreate some of Essex’s historic buildings; some of which are still around and others are only found in old photos.
This venture began with recreating the former John Milne House that was built in 1891. It was located at the corner of Talbot Street and Fairview Avenue. It was a big home, and took him quite a while to create.
Seeing the work, friends and relatives encouraged him to continue creating historic replicas. He then recreated the 1899 Oddfellows Temple that was once located where the Dollarama now stands, which served as the Essex Municipal Office for 70-years.
He remembers going there as a kid to get Christmas candy.
Another replica depicts the former Essex Post Office, which was built on the corner of Fox Street in 1913, and later demolished in 1967. Krabbenbos remembers visiting this facility in his youth, as well.
Photos submitted by Kirk Hayes
The other replicas include the historic Essex Railway Station, where he used decorative beach stone to recreate the exterior wall look of the facility that was originally built in 1887 and was damaged in the 1907 rail cart explosion. It also includes the big, yellow historic Talbot Street house belonging to Luanne and Kirk Hayes, which recently burned in a fire.
A replica was made for Essex United Church, which was built on its current site in 1908, after the former facility located at the current Post Office site was damaged during the Essex rail cart explosion the year prior.
One replica is not of a building, but an electric street cart. The Windsor system expanded to include a line for Leamington to Kingsville to Essex in the 1920s. The system was dismantled in 1937, after going out of business three-years prior.
All of the mini replicas were built so they could become birdhouses.
Krabbenbos said he utilized the resources at the Essex & Community Historical Research Society (ECHRS) and the expertise of its President, Laurie Kowtiuk, to get pictures of the former buildings and gather information about them to share along side his creations. He also used online resources to fill in additional details.
He plans to continue making other replicas, and has enjoyed sharing his talents, and a little local history, with the community.