George A. Bringloe operated his furniture and home furnishing business at two historic Pitt Street addresses. 21 Pitt Street was considered to be part of the Windsor Hotel block, later known as the Lloyd George Hotel block. There he launched Bringloe Furniture in 1936, succeeding Gilett’s Furniture Store, owned by Aug. Gillet, Sr. An expansion was made to the rear of the building at 21 Pitt. In 1956, the location was known as Bringloe Trade-in Annex, giving way to Woodhouse Trade-in Annex in 1952-53. In 1954 it reverted to Bringloe’s Trade-in Annex, at times advertising under the names Bringloe Furniture Company and Bringloe Home Furnishings Ltd until closing in 1959. Subsequent occupants of 21 Pitt included Butler Furniture Co., George Small Furniture as well as the Family Workshop, later known as the Family Service Shop. Between 1970 and 1977, occupants came and went, such as the Second Hand Boutique, Raider Snowmobile Sales & Service, Cornwall Carpets, Heritage House Furniture, Marlborough Wholesale Ltd and SDG Chemicals & Papers Reg’d.
Bringloe was co-owner of the adjacent Lloyd George Hotel, named for owners Lloyd Gallinger and George Bringloe. The hotel was an amalgamation of three adjacent hotels that merged over time, with a main address of 15 Pitt Street. Those buildings were demolished, giving way to today’s Cornwall Square shopping centre, which opened in 1979.
From 1946 until 1952, Bringloe operated a large home furnishing store at 211 Pitt Street. Jackson’s Furniture Store operated at that address previously. Hebert G. Jackson ran the store from 1922 until his passing in 1933, at which time his wife, Mary, carried on until a devastating fire in 1939. For a time, Simpsons integrated their order office and displays into Jackson’s store. After the 1939 fire, the property sat idle during the wartime rationing of building materials.
Woodhouse ran the home furnishing business there between 1952 and 1991. Bringloe and Woodhouse both developed a loyal following by offering financing and by accepting trade-ins. Similar to the 21 Pitt Street location, in later years 211 Pitt witnessed a number of short-lived business ventures; some operated in a portion of the building. The structure was demolished and absorbed into the residential/commercial building on the former King George Hotel site at the northeast corner of Pitt and Second streets.
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