The Shefford
300 Cooper Street
Written by Bytown Museum
on
03/Dec/2009
In 1912, Lumber King J.R. Booth built the Shefford apartment building for his daughter, Lila Seybold. At the time, a growing middle class made apartment living fashionable for those who could not afford to purchase a house.
The Shefford was named for Booth's birthplace, a small Quebec town. He spared no expense in its construction, giving it spacious rooms, large windows and oak floors.
In more recent decades the Shefford became a victim of neglect, and in 1990 the building was put up for sale. Thanks to a group of concerned tenants and the assistance of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Eastern Ontario, the Shefford Heritage Housing Co-operative was formed, and continues to care for the heritage building.
Over the years, the 36-unit building has been the home of a number of notable residents, including Arthur Lismer, Timothy Findley, and Joe Clark and Maureen McTeer.
