The land was owned by surveyor James Martin Lillow. He apparently owned the whole block on Perth Street and built the same structure on each lot valued at $375. By September of 1905, W.J. James (listed in the assessment records, all other documentation he is referred to as John William), built the home and moved his family in.  The value of the building on the lot increased to $800. 

John William is listed in the 1871 Census as living in the Avon Ward in Stratford with his father Charles James, mother Agnus Reid (Neilson), his sisters Mary Agnus (1858), Agnus (1864) and brothers Charles F. (1862), Thomas M (1867) and Fredrick Neilson (1870) as well as servant, Rachel Arbrombie.   Charles was born on March 6, 1826 in Ireland. He sailed to New York by himself on the ship Eudocia in 1851.  Agnus Reid Neilson was born on February 23, 1833 and arrived in New York City on September 13.1847, with her family, on the ship Colloony London.

The assessment records for 1905 and the city directory shows J. W. James as the owner of the house and living there with his family of six.  By 1907, there is no listing for John in Stratford and Allan Hall is living in the house. 

Allan was born in Shorditch, London Borough of Hackney, and Greater London, England on June 14, 1849.  His wife, Jane Mary (Jarvis), was also born In England. They immigrated to Canada in 1905 along with their children William Allan (1880), Clara May (1882), Elizabeth Louise (1884), Albert Fredrick (1886), and Walter Jarvis (1892). The Hall family continued to live in the house until 1914.