Inside the building at 215 King St. E. in Oshawa, you can see the original hardwood floors, fireplaces and stairways. The crown mouldings and original doorways have been restored, and replica tin ceilings add shine and authenticity to the first floor. This is a far cry from just a few years ago, when the historic building was unused and had fallen into disrepair.
It was built in 1922 as the home of the Cutler family, prominent members of Oshawa’s gentry in the roaring 20s. A.E. Cutler was a one-time treasurer of General Motors, while his wife, Bertha, served as the City’s chief librarian. Around 1928, Cutler formed a partnership with R.D. Preston as Cutler and Preston, offering real estate services, insurance, loans and mortgages.
By the 1970s, ownership of the property had changed and for many years, DePaul’s dress shop was situated in the building. However, a general decline in downtown Oshawa’s fortunes meant that by the turn of the millennium, the property had fallen into disuse.
Then almost 100 years after it was built, the Cutler house was completely renovated to house two new family businesses, The Spa on King, opened by Gillian da Silva in 2004, and Victory Cigars, opened by her husband, Julian Luke, and his brother-in-law Kevin Newell in 2009. In 2012 The Spa on King was named one of the Top Fifty Spas in Canada by spAwards, an industry group. Clients enjoy coming to The Spa on King for owner Gillian’s signature Blissed Out Back Treatment. And Victory Cigars features Durham Region’s only walk-in humidor, with cigars from Cuba, Nicaragua and other countries, plus gift lines such as shaving supplies, Lampe Berger products, humidors, pipes and walking canes.
For more information, visit
www.thespaonking.com and www.victorycigars.ca.
