651 Talbot Street is an excellent example of early 20th century Queen Anne Style architecture. Built by the Whitwam family in 1906, this marvellous two and a half storey red brick home displays the eccentric elements typical of late Queen Anne architecture. The small but elegant conical turret is a token reflection of the traditional large towers that were built in the early Queen Anne style. Of particular quality are the front set stones surrounding the front door and the stone work surrounding the three Palladian windows. The spacious veranda supported by columns, large gable, bay windows and large chimneys are also local adaptations that exemplify this style.

Along with its neighbours 653 Talbot Street and 661 Talbot Street (demolished) these houses formed an elegant trio of homes anchoring the historic character of the neighbourhood. A great illustrator of social prestige and high levels of wealth, London elites would build their homes along the banks on the river as high ground estates displayed wealth to the rest of the community. The three homes on Talbot Street exemplified this historic character as the grounds extend all the way to the high banks of the Thames River. As the original seat of London's financial district, the Talbot and Ridout Street area also became one of the city's first upper class residential neighbourhoods.

CA Whitwam was the vice president of Hobbs Hardware, one of Canada's largest hardware wholesalers located in London. In 1909 the Whitwams sold this house to Thomas P. McCormick, the chief architect and designer of the innovative and highly influential McCormick Manufacturing Plant on Dundas Street East, which was built in 1914. This plant was the result of years of study of over one hundred of the top flight manufacturing plants around the world and cost 1 million dollars to construct. The final building included 8 acres of floor space and could produce up to 75000 lbs of candy in one day. Dubbed the 'White Palace' (White Terracotta exterior, employees dressed is white and white enamel and tiled interior) this plant was not only innovative and extraordinary in its design, it provided a enormous amount of jobs and stimulated the growth of industrial development on London's East side providing close to 800 jobs.

The attention paid to employee amenities as well as production efficiency elevated the McCormick Factory to a food manufacturing industry standard. 651 Talbot Street exemplifies the historic nature of the neighbourhood, displays brilliant early 20th century architecture and was home to one of London's industrial giants.

Historical information researched and provided by Jordan Goldstein, Masters in Public History, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario.