177 Queen Street

Queen Street, in picturesque Port Perry, has seen a great amount of enterprise, endurance, and reinvention. 177 Queen Street celebrates its 150thanniversary this year. It began in 1875, when local jeweller John Diesfeld built the Diamond Hall, a name reflecting both his trade and his aspirations. The hall quickly became a recognizable fixture on Queen Street, but like so many of Port Perry’s early landmarks, it fell victim to the devastating fire of 1883. Undeterred, Diesfeld replaced the structure with the sturdy two-storey red-brick building that still stands today. By December 1884, he and his family were settled upstairs, and the Diamond Hall reopened for business below.

For twenty-five years, Diesfeld and his daughter Olga, operated their jewellery and gift store, serving generations of residents who came to them for watches, keepsakes, and repairs. In March 1909, the Diesfelds sold to the Greenberg Brothers, though the newcomers chose to relocate their own jewellery business next door. During the 1890s, part of the ground floor had been rented to Madison Williams, a spirited businessman who ran a liquor store on the east side of the premises. Williams later sold the business to his clerk, W. S. Short, and turned his attention to the Paxton and Tait Foundry across town.

Short, an English immigrant who had once farmed in Clarke Township, carried on the liquor trade until 1910, when he purchased the entire building and expanded operations. In time, he moved across the street to Lot 59, making room for the next round of entrepreneurs. By 1914, the property was home to Philip Polito’s fruit shop, later known as the Naples Fruit Store. The building was soon divided again, with George Hall running a small restaurant on one side, and Caruso’s Fruit Market on the other, a lively mix of scents and chatter spilling onto Queen Street.

A new chapter began in 1937, when Samuel and Ann Levinson acquired the property. They transformed it into a dry-goods business aptly named Port Perry Dry Goods, offering fabrics, linens, and practical household wares. Like the Diesfelds before them, the Levinsons lived above their shop, adding another generation of family life to the building’s walls. After more than four decades in business, they retired and sold the property in 1981. Tom and Daphne Mitchell then folded it into their growing Settlement House enterprise, opening From My Heart, a card and gift shop, a fitting continuation of the long tradition of craftsmanship and community.

The late 1990s saw another change, when Stewart and Jan Bennett opened the Wee Tartan Shop at 177 Queen Street. Selling everything Scottish, including kilts, the boutique business ran successfully until 2025, when Stewart and Jan retired, and the business was purchased by Paul and Tara Breeze.

The name was changed to Beyond Tartan, and expanded to include products from across the British Isles. A great deal has happened in the 150 years of enterprise at 177 Queen Street, and no doubt it will continue to serve the residents and visitors of Port Perry for years to come.