5 King Street East

The Victoria Hotel hosted the village’s gala New Year’s Eve Ball in
1869 and was one of five establishments in Millbrook catering to
travellers in the second half of the 19th century and into the 20th
century. Three of the buildings remain standing today. In 1941 the
Victoria Hotel became the home of Docon Telephones Limited which
later became Durham Telephones and then Nexicom, which remains
an independent telecommunications company.
The building located at 6 King Street West was built in 1876 by
John Gillott--a cabinetmaker and funeral director--to accommodate
three shops on the street level and apartments on the second and
third floors above. John Kells bought the building in 1914, naming
it The Waverly and making it the only temperance inn in the village.
Sayles Bakery bought the building in 1916, expanding their business
to include a very popular ice cream parlour. The style is a lively
mix of French windows with decorative fenestration and balconies
(removed), as well as segmented and square-headed windows with
prominent keystones and voussoirs.
On the southeast corner of King and Tupper/Mill streets is the former
Queen’s Hotel, built in 1875 by John Thorn. It advertised “Splendid
Rooming Accommodations,” as well as first-class meals.
Gone are the Dominion Hotel (King Street East /Hay Street) and the
Railway Hotel, also known as the Commercial, formerly located
across from the railway station, where the Medical Centre is now.