My Top 10 Favourite London, Ontario Buildings

There are many interesting buildings in London but these are my favourites:

1. The Old Courthouse

At the top of my list is the Old Courthouse, the oldest, most historic building in Middlesex County. The building has, of course, changed a great deal since being completed about 1831. The jail was added in 1844 and major additions were added to the main building in 1878 and 1911. Despite the various additions and renovations, no other building in London - or the county, for that matter - has so much history. Prisoners were kept in the basement "dungeon" before the jail was built, there were numerous hangings here (the earliest in public), and the famous Donnelly trial took place in the upstairs council chamber. London's "castle," based on Malahide Castle near Dublin, is the historic heart of London-Middlesex. 

Update, November 2019: The building now belongs to York Developments. The developer has promised to protect the heritage value when designing a "mixed use" project. But should a National Historic Site of Canada be in private hands? 

2. Aeolian Hall

Built in 1883-84, the building at Dundas and Rectory began life as London East Town Hall. The following year, 1885, London East was annexed by the City of London, making the building redundant. An excellent example of adaptive reuse, it has served many purposes over the years including a grocery store, cigar factory, pool room, the City Welfare Department, and London's first branch library. It is now refurbished as a concert hall, providing excellent acoustics - and a great deal more atmosphere for concert goers than Centennial Hall.

3. Eldon House

London's oldest surviving house was built in 1834 by John Harris, treasurer of the London District. For many years Eldon House was the centre of London high society as young officers from the garrison courted the five Harris daughters and Col. Thomas Talbot dropped in from time to time. Three descendants of Harris - George, Robin and Lucy - donated the house, its contents and grounds to the City of London in 1960 to be used as a museum. It's still a great place to tour or attend a lecture about local history. Be sure to go one of their occasional Behind the Ropes Tours in which visitors get to see parts of the house not usually open to the public, including the rather creepy basement which may have belonged to an even earlier house.

4. Fugitive Slave Chapel
Unlike some other buildings on my list, this one's not (yet) beautiful. The African Methodist Episcopal Church, or "Fugitive Slave Chapel," was built by London's fugitive slave community about 1848. Besides being a church, it was a centre of abolitionist activities, and John Brown may have addressed a meeting here to solicit support for the movement that led to the raid on Harper's Ferry in 1859. Eventually, the congregation built a new church at 430 Grey Street and the old building became a home. After it was threatened by demolition, the folks in the Fugitive Slave Chapel Preservation Project moved the building to its present site beside its daughter church on Grey Street.

Update, March 2021: This is what the Fugitive Slave Chapel looks like now. Not exactly progress, is it? Wrapped in plastic, the building is vulnerable to the elements and further deterioration. There are a lot of reasons for this, including church financial issues and - dare I say it? - a personality clash on the restoration committee. The current pastor insists the project is back on track. No sign of it. 

 

Update, 2022: Current word is that the Chapel will be moved to Fanshawe Pioneer Village. That, of course, will require more funding.

5. St. Paul’s Cathedral

The first frame St. Paul's opened in 1834 but was destroyed in a fire ten years later. The new building, now London’s oldest church, opened for worship in 1846. Toronto architect William Thomas, who also designed Brock's Monument at Queenston, created the new structure in the Gothic Revival style with a large tower at the west end and lots of pinnacles. A great many of us enjoy the gargoyles and other faces. Inside,  visitors can find beautiful stained glass windows, including two signed by Tiffany. And when there's no service or concert taking place, the atmosphere is that of an old English country church - peaceful and timeless.

6. Dominion Public Building
A completely different world right across from St. Paul's. London's tallest building when it was erected in 1936, the Dominion Public Building was built during the Depression to help provide employment for London workers. It's often considered one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in Canada.  

7. Normal School
The imposing High Victorian building on Elmwood Avenue in Wortley Village was completed in 1900 as a normal school or teacher's college, the third such institution in Ontario. Dominating the structure is a fabulous open bell tower with arches. Currently being renovated to become the YMCA Youth Centre of Excellence, the building promises to be an educational centre for many years to come.

8. Wright Lithographing

The company called Wright Lithographing was established in 1905 by John and George wright, originally on the east side of Wellington north of York. John, an engraver, and George, a lithographer, printed such diverse items as milk tickets, cigar bands, and limited edition lithograph prints. The building that today bears their name was built as a creamery but was purchased by London Life in 1906 to become the insurance company's new head office. It was London Life that added the third floor. The Wrights purchased the building in 1927 when London Life built its current headquarters. Interesting details on the building include this classical porch, unfortunately beginning to crumble. 

Update, March 2021: Now vacant for over a decade, the Farhi-owned building is in poor condition, the clock over the door removed for "repair" and its lower windows boarded up to prevent illegal entry. 

Update, November 2021: The clock has been replaced, along with the letters. But still no plans for reuse.

9. Ridout Street Restoration
I'm cheating here, because this is more than one building. At far left there's the two-storey white brick constructed to house a branch of the Bank of Upper Canada in 1836. It's said to be London's second brick building, the first being the Old Courthouse. Then there's the three-storey white brick terrace built in 1847, which, in its early years, also housed banks such as the Gore Bank. The carriageway is now enclosed by a door. The buildings look firm and solid, as banks should be. Next is Dr. Alexander Anderson's "Walmington House" which he used as an office and residence. Altogether, this row gives us an idea of what an Upper Canadian streetscape would have looked like. Except, of course, for the Farhi signs.

Update: The southernmost of the buildings burned in September 2018. Its restoration - if there is one - proceeds at a snail's pace under the ownership of Farhi Holdings. Now, in June 2021, London City Council has voted to rezone this property so Farhi can build a 40-storey skyscraper on site. See here to learn why that's a bad idea.

10. Covent Garden

I add this in case readers think I never like new buildings. Not so. I like stylish modern buildings that fit nicely into their location and are an improvement over whatever was demolished to build them. Since the earlier Covent Garden was looking rather tired, the new one, which opened in 1999, was sorely needed. Not only is it reminiscent of the building Paul Peel painted in 1883, but the space out front is suggestive of the open-air market founded in 1835. This is still one of downtown London's most appealing attractions.

Another Sign of the Times

The plaque dedicated to William Saunders has been stolen from Campbell Park on Dundas Street. Saunders (1836-1914) was a local botanist and agriculturalist. He bought a farm east of London in 1869, planted fruit trees and began experiments in hybridization. He also found time to help establish the Canadian Pharmaceutical Society, be a director of Huron and Erie Savings and Loan, and teach in Western's medical school. Saunders Secondary School is named after him. If you want to see what his plaque looked like, see here.

This isn't the only sign stolen recently. Missing from Gibbons Park are the Historic Sites & Monuments Board plaque to the IJC (International Joint Commission), the dedication plaque on the foot bridge, and numerous family memorials on benches or near trees. Meanwhile, at Eldon House, a cast iron garden cherub has apparently flown away.

The thieves are hoping to sell these items as scrap metal but it's apparent not every metal recycler will take them without evidence of ownership. Once the thefts make the news, it's even more difficult to sell "hot" metal. Notice that the thieves who stole the bell from Brick Street School found it too difficult to dispose of and eventually returned it. But it's too much to hope that many of these bits and pieces will be brought back.

If you see anyone trying to steal some of our remaining plaques and monuments - from parks, museum grounds, or cemeteries - call the police. London's memories are not scrap.

Update, July 21 - Well, at least the Eldon House cherub has returned, as mysteriously as it disappeared.

Update, September - Now a baseball-themed birdhouse designed by Gordon Harrison has been stolen from Labatt Park. The birdhouse wasn't historic but it's been a nifty addition to the ball park since it was donated in 2013. 

Update, October - The birdhouse has just been found nearby on Wilson Avenue, undamaged and complete. It will soon be back at Labatt Park.



Opportunity on King

Southside Group wants to demolish 183 King Street, built 1892. Not for any particular reason, mind you. According to Paul Hubert, Chair of London's Planning Committee, Southside has no stated plans for a replacement structure. And although empty, the Second Empire style building isn't falling down, isn't an eyesore, and just happens to be in the Downtown London Heritage Conservation District.

So here's an opportunity. An opportunity to create attractive offices, charming condos or apartments. An opportunity for a restaurant or night club to open on the ground floor. An opportunity for new residents, employees or visitors to drive through the old carriageway to park behind. An opportunity to inject some more life into this section of King Street. An opportunity for adaptive reuse, which is what a creative city does with its historic buildings.

I'd like to suggest a new heritage organization for London. One that attempts to connect buyers or tennants with appropriate heritage buildings so that the structures are used, not empty and deteriorating. An opportunity like this just shouldn't be missed.

Update, June 16: Southside, through their lawyer, is now suggesting a compromise in which the developer preserves "some heritage aspects" of the building while making room for a highrise. In other words, preserving the façade. Perhaps the carriageway could be the entrance to the underground parking garage? Or maybe they could paste some bricks on the outside of the new tower, making it reminiscent of the Talbot Block/Budweiser Centre?

Update, January 15, 2016: Developer Vito Frijia states 179-181 and 183 King constitute a "fire trap" that's "beyond repair." Sounds like he's been practicing demolition by neglect already. Since the city has told Frijia at least the façade should be preserved, he intends to take his case to the Ontario Municipal Board. The city wants additional heritage protection for the buildings, but that means a) saving the front 30% only, and b) if they're destroyed, they have to be "rebuilt." Rebuilt? Like Adam Beck's home? A "rebuilt" structure is no longer a heritage building. Why can't the developer just build in the parking lot next door?

South Street Heritage

At a City Hall Planning and Environment Committee meeting on Monday, March 8th, City Planner John Fleming recommended saving two of the former Victoria Hospital buildings on South Street, the Colborne building and the original part of the War Memorial Children’s Hospital, built 1922. There are other older buildings on the site, namely the Medical Services Building, Gartshore Nurses’ Residence, and a row of 1950s buildings on Hill Street.

War Memorial Children's Hospital

Time constraints usually prevent me from attending city planning meetings but I made it to this one. There was an awesome moment when Ward 4 Councillor Jesse Helmer made a motion to save all four buildings on South Street – awesome because it isn’t often we hear a city politician make an impassioned plea to save a heritage streetscape. Unfortunately, his motion didn’t get a seconder. In the end, the committee voted to keep the Medical Services Building, the original 1922 section of the War Memorial building, and the Colborne building across the street. Imagine, London councillors actually voting to save more than what was recommended.

For the most part I’m pleased. Tearing down the War Memorial Children’s Hospital would have been a poor way to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the First World War. The oldest section was built in 1922 with funds raised by the IODE. The top is graced with four urns, symbols of mourning, with three carved wreaths below. The boarded-up Colborne building across the street, built 1899, is now the oldest remaining hospital building on the site.

Colborne Building

There are large costs involved in saving these buildings, including security, abatement (the removal of hazardous materials), and carrying costs of about $1 million a year until the buildings are sold. Abatement shouldn’t be an important issue, though, because hazardous materials have to be removed whether the buildings are saved or demolished. But then, if the city is going to spend the money to save three buildings, why not spend a bit more and save all four?

The problem is that the nurses’ residence was built as a dormitory and therefore had very small rooms. It simply didn’t lend itself to much in the way of adaptive reuse. It would have been nice to have at least saved its façade, though. I’m not generally in favour of what’s been called facadism, but saving the façade might look less peculiar than plunking an entire modern building onto an early twentieth-century street.

Gartshore Nurses' Residence

As for the mid-century modern buildings on Hill Street, I’ll stick with my unpopular opinion  that mid-twentieth century is when architecture ended and unsightliness began. No doubt Growing Concern Day Care centre, currently housed in the former Crippled Children’s Treatment Centre, would like to stay where it is, but the building is about to become a victim of progress. One hopes the replacement buildings will look better, not worse.

Speaking of those new buildings, we have no idea what they’ll be. Imagine a city tearing down almost an entire complex of buildings without having the faintest idea what they’re going to replace them with. Will the space be filled with condos? Offices? A commercial centre for a newly-revitalized SoHo? Perhaps the site of the old Victoria Hospital is where we’ll build our performing arts centre?

Update, September 2015: Next month the City of London intends to send out a request to developers for proposals. I hope whatever is built on this site will fit in with the neighbourhood's heritage and history. But developers, of course, will build whatever they think will earn them the most money and that's rarely sympathetic infill.

Update, September 2017: The Colborne Building has been given a heritage designation by Planning & Environment Committee. 

Update, April 2018: At last the city has begun the design process to redevelop the old Victoria Hospital lands. A contract has been awarded by council to Dillon Consulting, to be completed over the next two years. Construction could start as early as 2020 on two apartment towers and other projects. Let's hope the remaining buildings can be incorporated into the overall design. 

What do we want at the Forks of the Thames?

The County of Middlesex has applied to redevelop the site of the Middlesex County Health Unit, possibly into a 30-storey highrise with 200 residential units and 4,500 sq. ft. of commercial space. The location at 50 King Street overlooks the Forks of the Thames and the Middlesex County building shown at right.

Anyone opposed to the plan has been portrayed by the media, including the London Free Press, as an elitist NIMBY living in a Renaissance penthouse, disturbed by the thought of another tower ruining his view. The heritage perspective has been overlooked, not surprisingly.

This is the historic heart of London. It was at about this spot in March 1793 that Lt.-Gov. Simcoe and his party first arrived at what he called New London. At the southwest corner of King and Ridout, Peter McGregor built his log shanty, becoming the first resident and tavernkeeper on the surveyed town plot. (The Peter McGregor tower is on that site today.) It was here that the London District Jail and Court House was completed in late December 1829. In altered form, the Middlesex County Building, or Old Courthouse as it's generally known, still stands today.

The castle-like Gothic appearance of the Old Courthouse was designed by Toronto architect John Ewart who also designed Osgoode Hall. It is believed to have been modelled after Malahide Castle in Ireland, birthplace of Col. Thomas Talbot. Situated on a hill overlooking the Thames, the Courthouse quickly became a landmark and gathering point, due to its central position in the rapidly developing settlement. The property was used for markets and fairs - and public hangings also drew large crowds from all over. In this building the Donnelly trials took place. Historically, it's the oldest and most important building in Middlesex County.

Ridout Street was London's original north-south thoroughfare. Just to the north across Dundas is the Ridout or Labatt Restoration, a group of commercial buildings once known as "Banker's Row." North of that is Eldon House, the best remaining example of the riverside mansions built for wealthy Londoners, the city's first "suburbia."

A modern highrise on the site of the health unit will dwarf the older buildings, making our heritage appear trivial and insignificant. The Thames may not be the Seine, Mississippi, or even the other Thames in the other London, but surely both the river and surrounding neighbourhood deserve more respect than this. What we need at the Forks are parks, gardens, restaurants, walkways, and historical plaques, not highrises.

Update, November 2015: Here it is. See what you think of the latest design for the proposed tower. The reporter says it's "sure to impress."

Update, April 2017: Having overcome an OMB hurdle, this development is likely to happen, pending a transportation impact analysis. 

Update, November 2019: The County of Middlesex has sold the Old Courthouse and nearby health building to York Developments. The company promises to maintain the heritage aspects of the site. Stay tuned. 

Update, June 2023: York Developments has proposed twin towers of 53 and 43 floors each for right beside the Old Courthouse. Let the wrangling begin. Here's the story.

Doors Open Middlesex 2014

St. Andrew's Presbyterian, Napier

In 2014, Doors Open London and Doors Open Middlesex fall on different weekends, allowing adventurous Londoners to explore the wilds of Middlesex County and still view London attractions later in the month. Being restricted to one day of sight-seeing only, I couldn't even fit all the Middlesex locations into my schedule. But the fact that the locations were restricted to the western part of the county, mostly in the Strathroy area, made getting about a little easier.

I chose to drive all the way out to Napier and work my way back towards London. Napier is an idyllic "ghost town," filled with hustle and bustle in the nineteenth century but now a quiet reminder of the Ontario of yesteryear. In an out-of-the-way location on unpaved Napier Road, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church and surrounding hamlet might be a little hard to find, perhaps explaining why I was the only visitor at the church when I arrived about 1:00. It's disconcerting when there are more volunteers than guests so I hope there were other callers at this quaint 1887 brick building. The inside is plain and simple, not surprising for a structure built by a late-1800s rural congregation, and the sense of peace and calm is palpable. Not that St. Andrew's is a closed church; a small congregation of about 30 is using it for Sunday services. The congregation was founded in 1863 in an earlier church building, making last year a 150th anniversary.

Making my way back to Strathroy, I stopped at the former Strathroy Flour Mills on Albert Street, now home to the Strathroy Brewing Co. I was a little late to join a large tour, so contented myself with a generous sample of 1812 Independence Pale Ale, named to commemorate the fighting spirit that maintained Canada's independence from the United States during the War of 1812. There were considerably more visitors at the brewery than at my first stop, suggesting either that breweries are more popular than churches in general or that Strathroy locations are easier to find than those in Napier. (I suspect both ideas might be right.)

While in town, I also stopped at Strathroy Antiques Mall, not a Doors Open location, but if you like this kind of thing, than it's the kind of thing you'll like, so I thought it was worth a visit. It's very similar to London's Memory Lane with numerous antique vendors packed under one roof. It's wonderful and convenient to have so much material culture assembled in one location but, after a while, everything turns into a nostalgic blur. I managed to escape with only a few items to add to my home's clutter of "artifacts."

Finally, I made my way to Delaware to check out the new Middlesex Centre Archives. After campaigning in Middlesex County for years to create a general Middlesex County archives, a committee of heritage-minded citizens finally decided to go ahead on a more local level in 2013. The archives acquires and preserves historical records pertaining to Middlesex Centre, the former London, Lobo, and Delaware townships. Staffed by volunteers, the archives is still operated on professional standards, and well on its way to becoming the nucleus for a future county archives.

London Buildings: Ontario Cottage

One of the most common home styles in London is the Ontario cottage, popular from the early days of settlement right through to the early 20th century. Usually a single storey with a square plan, the Ontario cottage has one or two windows symmetrically placed on either side of a central doorway. A hipped roof slopes from a central point to all four sides. Although small, there's often an extension at the back. And while some are very simple, such as 23 Cathcart Street, shown at right, others have more ornate doorways and decorated gables, like 12 Cathcart Street below.

Some would call "Ontario cottage" a misnomer. The cottage is actually found in many parts of the world and isn't native to Ontario. The style probably received its name because it's prevalent in Ontario and not seen so much in adjoining provinces or states. The style was influenced by Regency architecture, but, in fact, the Regency cottage can be traced back to a style of home brought to England by soldiers who had served in India. Once it became popular, it was naturally transferred to other parts of the Empire.

 

After a few years in Ontario, the cottage changed a little. The pitch of Ontario roofs is usually steeper than English ones, probably to provide for more insulation against winter weather and to let the accumulation of snow slide off. The pitch was so steep that sometimes a half storey would be added under the roof and a Gothic window added to light the upstairs as in the ornate 47 Bruce Street shown below.

Hundreds of Ontario cottages are scattered throughout London's older neighbourhoods. Often constructed for tradesmen, labourers, and clerks, the Ontario cottage must have been deemed the most practical and affordable home the average person could build. Cottages are still practical as starter homes or for singles and couples not requiring a mansion.

A variation is the side hall plan with the front door on one side. A cute example, shown below, is 1 Dundas Street near the Forks of the Thames, now the First Hussars Museum.

The oldest cottage in the city isn't found in the downtown core, however. Flint Cottage in Springbank Park, below, likely predates any other cottage in our area. Fisherman-turned-builder Robert Flint built the cobblestone buildings well known in the Byron area, including this family homestead, built 1837. The cottage remained in the possession of the Flint family until 1891 when it was bought by the London Board of Commissioners. It became a stop and shelter for the London Street Railway.

Whether downtown, in Old North , Old South, Old East, Soho, Blackfriars, or beyond, there are enough cottage examples in the city to fill several posts.  International and yet home-grown, quaint but somehow stately, the Ontario Cottage has become an integral and charming part of London, Ontario's architectural tradition.