Classic Fireplace and Gourmet Grills owners say they will restore and preserve the heritage Luesby Memorial building on Main Street!
Thanks go out to Joseph Quigley from Newmarket Today for this great news!
Joshua Malcolm has decades of history to draw from for his family-run fireplace business.
Malcolm has taken on the family business, Classic Fireplace and Gourmet Grills, which has existed in the Durham Region for decades. Malcolm took over running the store about 20 years ago, and now has set his sights on expansion into Newmarket, purchasing a location also steeped in family-run tradition: the Luesby Memorial building at 93 Main St. South.
“Newmarket has been on my radar for years,” he said, adding the age of the community and the growth of the area are appealing. “I’m partial to things that are old and antiques, and when I saw the building, it’s classic look … It’s an amazing find.
“I’m just excited. It looks right out of a movie set,” he added.
Classic Fireplace and Gourmet Grills has stores in Whitby, Ajax, Scarborough and Toronto, with the Newmarket location expected to open its doors sometime in April.
Malcolm said they felt that Main Street would be a great place for a new location and they have come to appreciate the character of the Luesby Memorial building, which has been a fixture on Main at Queen Street for many years.
“I just really liked the look of it and thought, what a great fit for Classic Fireplace to be. In a building that’s been in that community so long,” he said.
Classic Fireplace co-owner Jay Scott said the big windows of the structure should be a great way to showcase their products at a busy corner of town. But he said they will respect what the building is.
“Our intent is to keep the history of the building intact,” he said. “We’re going to embark on some restoration work. Our intent isn’t to change the building. Our intent is to leave it as is as a landmark in the community that it has been for many years.”
Luesby Memorial has long been a place for those in the community to get custom-made monuments for loved ones, operating since 1865. However, the business has been closed since owner David Tomkinson passed away last April. With nobody set to take on the business, it went up for sale last fall. While the real estate listing suggested that someone could buy the business as well as the building, Classic Fireplace will use it for its own business operations.
NewmarketToday did not receive a reply to a request for comment from the current owners of the building, the Luesby family, before the publication deadline.
Several locals reminisced about Luesby Memorial after the sold sign was posted on the building.
“Very sad. I’m not comfortable with things changing. Bought mom’s headstone there,” one resident said on Facebook.
“It better stay the same (building-wise),” another local said. “That’s a historic building.”
The building does have historical protections, with the municipality registering it under the Ontario Heritage Act in 2006, recognizing it as one of the oldest businesses in Newmarket operating at its original location.
Although the business intends to open doors in April after coming into possession of the building March 31, Scott said they plan to do restorative work throughout the spring and summer on the structure.
“Our intent is to serve the community, and the only way for us to survive is to give great service, provide great products, and we’ll let our reputation speak for itself,” Scott said.
“We’re just super excited to come to Newmarket,” Malcolm said. “We’re just excited to have a new community of people to work with and to just share our story.”
Background Articles: One Of Newmarket’s Oldest Businesses Is Up For Sale | The History Hound Presents
