This Old House

Heritage Cochrane Street house built
in 1881 by James Dryden

James Dryden purchased this large piece of land towards the north end of Cochrane St. in 1869, from his friend and neighbour Joseph Bigelow. Mr. Dryden, was a resident of Brooklin, and it wasn’t until the spring of 1881 that he began work on constructing this magnificent home.

The design of his house was similar to Mr. Bigelow’s elaborate Italianate residence, although not quite as large. Like the Bigelow house, Mr. Dryden’s new yellow brick home featured a three-storey tower in front, a porch trimmed with elaborate gingerbread and dozens of large arched windows.

The original verandah was much smaller and far more decorative. The absence of railings on the original verandah gave emphasis to the attractive gingerbread trim at the top of the pillars. The substantial new verandah now extends around the corner of the south wall and beyond it.

But Mr. Dryden never did get to enjoy the fruits of his labour. Before the home was completed, James Dryden passed away at the residence of his son John, at Maple Shade Farm, Whitby, on July 31, 1881.

Following his death, his estate completed the construction and in 1884 it was purchased from the family by his brother George for $3,500. But he didn’t stay long, selling to his brother’s son John three years later.

When John Dryden took over ownership of the house in 1887, he was serving as the M.P.P. for North Ontario County, a position he held until 1909, when he died at 69 years of age. John Dryden stayed in his father’s home for almost 15 years before disposing of it in 1902.

The next owners of the house were William L. and Nell Parrish. The Parrish family lived in the beautiful residence for 53 years, and to this day it is still often referred to as the "Parrish House."

Mr. Parrish operated one of the largest and best equipped hardware stores in Ontario County. This was in the Parrish Block on Queen Street, built by his father William T. Parrish following the fire of 1884. The building consisted of two store fronts. It is currently occupied by Lukes Country Store.

In addition to his business interests, Mr. Parrish was a member of the School Board, the Public Library Board, served on town council for a number of years, occupied the chair of Reeve for three years, and was honoured by being elected Warden of Ontario County in 1908.

Following his death, the house was sold in 1955 to Mildred L. Smith, who only lived in the house for four years before selling. The next owner would make the stately home his residence for a much longer time.

When Matthew B. Dymond and his wife Jeanne arrived in Port Perry, the enthusiastic young doctor from Scotland fell in love with the house and purchased it from Mrs. Smith in 1959. They spent the next 32 years of their life in the home, before selling it and moving into a smaller home on Ella Street.

Dr. Dymond was a family practitioner and served the community for his entire life in Port Perry. The popular doctor also became very interested in public life and was elected an M.P.P. a number of times, and served as Minister of Health during the 1960s. He was as popular in his political life as his medical life and earned the respect and admiration of both his colleagues and his patients. While Dr. Dymond owned the home, he added a study and solarium on the north side.

The present owners of the "Dryden” house are Brian and Joanne Callery, who purchased it from the Dymond family in 1991. The Callerys have completely remodelled the north side addition in keeping with the original architectural form of the house. The Callerys continue to nurture this 130-year-old structure and it remains one of the most impressive homes on Cochrane Street.

From the book
Historic Homes & Heritage Buildings
By Paul Arculus and J. Peter Hvidsten