 Today, the first two floors of the historic building remain as they have always been – racks of neatly stacked trousers, shirts, jackets, T-shirts, shoes and the ubiquitous jeans.
The basement is a large empty spac e, with a single sad old sewing machine sitting in a corner, a reminder of days gone. A lift goes up to the third floor, now housing offices and store rooms. The fourth floor is largely empty.
The fifth floor gives an impression of the workmanship that was used in the construction of the building: the walls, floors and ceiling are wood-panelled, with delicate painted leaf shapes on some of the walls. The walls are angled, with several porthole windows. There is a steep staircase up to the sixth floor, where one can walk among the wooden rafters and arched wooden windows of the building.
The iconic red metal signs of Markham, one on each side of the building, can be seen through the dusty windows. A tall, almost vertical ladder leads up to the bell tower where the four glass clock faces stare out on the city's residents, as they have done for the past 114 years.
The ladder up to the final floor, the soul of this lovely building, is a little too wobbly to inspire confidence, but the large clock faces are visible from the floor below, still in good condition.
Seffore says: "When I get bored, I go up and look at the view of the city from here."
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