Wonderful Whimsy

You never know what you'll find in London & Southwestern Ontario, especially when you're not even looking for it. It's just a matter of keeping one's eyes open ...

 

Do NOT step onto this London balcony.

The middle of nowhere.

London's best architecture.

One of many stone monkeys climbs Oxford County Courthouse. Satire on local politicians?

Where else but St. Marys would you find Ye Olde Limestone Drinking Fountain?

Next time you have a rough day, remember Mr. Shea.

These guys, Hensall.

Decorative eyebrow window or Attic Alcatraz? London.

Memorial to a War of 1812 veteran, Elgin County.

A bandshell porch in Old North London, a lovely place on a summer day.

In Seaforth, even the garbage bins have civic pride.

Abandoned railway lines are everywhere.

Stone pineapple, London. A sign of wealth, likely because of their rarity and the difficulty of obtaining them. Also a sign of hospitality and friendship throughout the Western world.

Duh!

Ring in curb on Prospect Avenue, London, once used for hitching horses.

A sorting hat, straight from Hogwarts.

Preserved wooden grave marker, Birr Cemetery.

Folding seat in choir, St. John's, Arva.

Photos of the old days on St. Marys shop front.

Staircase to the underground Vansittart family mausoleum, Old St. Paul's, Woodstock.

Ghost sign for Green Valley Motel, Elginfield. Motel torn down years ago.

Gatepost on a wealthy family's home, Mitchell. Clustered grapes symbolize abundance, wealth and good fortune. They also represent fertility, possibly in the sense of production and growth.

Mural commemorating local veterans, Melbourne Legion Hall.

When you're investigating a rural cemetery and the neighbours come to help.

Apparently this hamlet is dangerous.

Damaged grave photo, Elgin County.

Axe marks on an old timber, Arva Flour Mill.

Another visitor at the Arva Mill, not welcome inside, waddled in a huff to Medway Creek.

These old general stores, once found everywhere, are now a rarity. If you find one, don't pass by.
Drop in and BUY SOMETHING.

Old wooden windows are becoming rare too.

Souvenir hunters still chip pieces off the Donnelly monument in Lucan.

Carving on London's Old Central Library, Queens Avenue.

@#%&* metal thieves. Monument at Burwell's Corners, Elgin County.

Gravestone in German Gothic script. No, not Kitchener area. Churchville, Elgin County.

"Dogs" guard a home in London.

Magnificent entrance porch, Thornton Avenue, London.

And you thought false fronts were only in the Wild West. Nope. Alvinston.

Nature gradually takes over the former No. 4 Bomber and Gunnery School, Fingal.

Preserved mill stone, Napier.

When carriageways led to stables in the rear. London.

Clock on the empty store at Morpeth's main intersection. Still right twice a day. 

London Architecture: Queen Anne

Often, when you see a fabulous Victorian mansion, you're looking at a style called "Queen Anne." Why is it called Queen Anne when Victoria was on the throne? Well, because the style incorporated some motifs that were in style during the reign of England's Queen Anne (1712-14), which were in turn based on earlier Elizabethan and Jacobean forms. Created in Britain by architect Richard N. Shaw, the Queen Anne style spread to Canada via American architectural magazines. 

Possibly a reaction against the symmetrical Georgian style fashionable before it, the typical North American Queen Anne home has an irregular outline, turrets or towers, broad gables or pediments, projecting two-storey bays, multi-sloped roofs, and tall decorated chimneys. Often there were Palladian windows in the gables and eclectic wall surfaces. Rambling verandahs connected the home with surrounding gardens.  

Below is 536 Queens Avenue, one of the city's most imposing Queen Anne mansions. It was designed by architect George F. Durand in 1881 for Charles Murray, manager of the Federal Bank of Canada. Doesn't this home just cry out "banker?" It has two towers, one round, one square, the latter now missing its finial. Most interesting is the cross-bracing of the front gable.  The two-storey verandah and entrance porch were likely added later but don't look too out of place. 

Another fabulous mansion is at 496 Waterloo, now converted into offices. I took this photo before a 2023 fire in its attic, but the building has been repaired since. This 1893 home has updated windows but still has its arched windows, lovely corner verandah, cute balcony in the attic storey on the left, and, of course, the required tower. 

Some of the city's most spectacular mansions were built along Grand Avenue in what was then a southern suburb of London. Below is "Waverley" at 10 Grand Avenue, now a retirement home. Architect George Durand built this extravaganza from a plan by Captain Hamilton Tovey. Lawyer Charles Goodhue's dream home was built in 1882-3 on 5.5 acres on what was then called Queen Street. Durand's design called for a "light and festive look"* and I recall one London historian jokingly referring to it as Queen Anne On Steroids.** The home was further enlarged by Thomas Smallman who bought "Waverley" in 1893.

Here one sees the varied roof line, massive corbelled chimneys, gables, dormers, and towers that say "Queen Anne." The name "Waverley," taken from Goodhue's father's home on Bathurst Street, is carved above the porte cochere. Stained glass abounds and attractive woodwork decorates the eaves. Unusual for a mansion turned into an institution, the building is well preserved. 

Those of us who have been inside know that it's equally spectacular there, with carved woodwork, the Smallman family crest in a window on the stair landing, and at least one marble fireplace. The residents take their meals in the former ballroom added by Smallman.

Just to the east is "Idlewyld" at 36 Grand Ave., now a luxurious inn with fine dining. Built in 1879 by tanner Charles Smith Hyman, it's not quite as palatial as its near neighbour. But it was even simpler before Hyman hired the firm of Tracy and Durand to design an addition and alterations that cost more than the original house. The picturesque roof line and ornamented gables are part of the original Queen Anne design.

But not every Queen Anne is a mansion. 101 Cheapside Street, built about 1886, is a one-and-a-half-storey house that continues the Queen Anne theme with a broad one-storey tower on its northwest corner. The gable is shingled in a fish-scale design and the siding is of tongue-and-groove planks. High corbelled chimneys are typically Queen Anne. A former verandah at front has been enclosed. 

336 Piccadilly Street was built in 1907 for Charles Somerville. Note its substantial round central tower, large wraparound porch with Ionic columns (meaning the capital is decorated with spiral scrolls), half timbering in the gables, and Palladian window in the gable. In fact, Palladian windows became more common in the Edwardian era, even as homes became simpler.

Edwardian, or late Queen Anne, homes were usually built 1900-1915, almost always of red brick. These buildings are almost always plainer, with a simplified roofline, and sometimes symmetrical. But they usually have a prominent entrance, verandah, and classical details. Below are 410, 408 and 400 Queens, a nice Edwardian streetscape designed by local architect John Moore in early 20th century. No. 400, at the far left, was built in 1909 for Arthur McClary. Note the Palladian window in the gable and modillions, or small brackets, below the eaves of the roof and verandah. 

There's also such a thing as a Queen Anne cottage. Queen Anne cottages are similar to larger Queen Anne houses except that the style was adapted to a smaller one-storey home with an attic. This 1896 cutie on Tecumseh Avenue East has an asymmetrical design, irregular roofline, ornamented gable, decorative black string coursing, semicircular bricks over the front window, and bricks surrounding the keyhole window.

*Brackets & Bargeboards: Walks in London.  ACO London, 1989, p. 173.

** John Lutman, personal communication, probably on an ACO Geranium Heritage House Tour.

A Talbot Tour

Yes, it's that wonderful time of year again, when it's warm enough to walk through London's older neighbourhoods and soak up traditional architecture. Of course, it's the wrong time of year for photography because there's too much foliage in the way. Long walks are best in early spring and late fall when the weather's not too hot or too cold and the trees are bare, allowing a view of what's behind them.

But when you're enjoying a staycation and it's not raining, it's tempting to take an early morning walk in one of London's 'hoods, even in a summer heat wave. I toured Talbot and Ridout since it's one of London's oldest areas and offers ample food for architectural thought. Once home to many of our most prosperous citizens, it's now a mixture of older homes and apartment buildings. Many of the homes have been subdivided into apartments or converted to office space. Some look good and others not so good.

First, I noted the double houses in the area. 593-595 Talbot, an Italianate built in the 1880s, clearly had a verandah across it at one point. Note the bargeboard in those pointy gables.

Farther north is 651 Talbot, built in 1905 for C. A. Whitwam, V.P. of Hobbs Hardware, but sold soon afterwards to the McCormick family of biscuit fame. I 'm fond of the cute dormer with curved glass and cone-shaped roof. The typical Edwardian Palladian window to its right is surrounded by shingle bargeboard. Note the grand arched front entrance matching the trio of lower-floor windows at right. Also the lovely verandah with balcony above, tall chimneys on either side, and modillions (small brackets) under the roofline. This is a home that says "We're successful and proud of it." Remained in the family until about 1970. Love it.

Next door at 653 Talbot is a home of equal size and quality but built only a few years later in a very different style.  One could be forgiven for thinking it was much more recent than 1908. But this 2.5 storey red brick Georgian Revival was indeed built that year for Thomas W. Baker, lumber merchant and president of London Box Company. According to recent realtor ads, it was "gutted to the studs" and converted to a triplex in 2018. Pity about that ugly cement wall but the house still looks great. The garage is later, of course. 

Below is an example of why it's the wrong time of year to take photos. Sorry. This is a nice 2.5 storey  ca. 1868 home covered with stucco. Note the elaborate enclosed entranceway behind the trees. Not to mention the string course separating the first and second storeys. This was once the home of Josiah Blackburn's daughters, Grace and Susan, both well-known writers. Grace wrote under the name "Fanfan." Susan was the first woman to graduate from Western.**  

Besides grand mansions, I notice there are Ontario cottages in the area, some delightfully preserved. This one has a graceful curved porch and still has its (original?) finial and pendule in the gable. Built in the 1870s, it was for many years the residence and studio of  Albert Templar who often painted scenes of London. 

No. 601, next door to the above, was built in about 1873 and first occupied by David Bruce, a fire department engineer. Cute bull's-eye window in the gable. Fieldstone entrance porch likely later, ca. 1920s, replacing an earlier. Who's that peeking over the roof?

Other cottages are in good condition, but require some work:

This apartment building stands where Talbot Street School used to be. I know we need highrises and this one isn't particularly ugly but the Gothic schoolhouse with belfry built in 1892 must have been adorable. Unfortunately, it was demolished in 1981 so I never saw it.

An Italianate with the typical double brackets appears at no. 611 ...

... and it has a nice solid London Doorway. According to London Doorways by Julia Beck, published by ACO London, this home was built in 1868. The top arch, here slightly hidden by a light, touches the frame of the doorway above. The smaller matching arches over the sidelights extend to the height of the door. This style is mainly found here in London and in a few surrounding communities.

This is where Locust Mount (demolished in 2008 after a fire) used to be. There's a lot I could say about this, but most of it has already been said, ad nauseum, by others. A typical London heritage disaster.

Just along the street, though, at no. 585, is this well-preserved stately home which is not unlike L.M. It has the same symmetry, slightly projecting central portion and triangular pediment. According to an early ACO London booklet, this house was built in 1869 by Joshua Dalton, possibly from a design by William Joanes.* I have to admit this is one of my favourite buildings in the area, if not in London. An Italianate, it has the typical double brackets under its deep overhanging eaves. The windows have heavy stone semi-circular headings with ornamental keystones and stone lintels. It looks like it might have its original panelled door with sidelights and transom.  

Across the street is another example of a projecting entrance and pediment. Not quite as grand or well preserved but simple and neat. 

I also walked by First Christian Reform Church, built as Talbot Baptist Church in 1881. Constructed in the Gothic style popular at the time, it has gorgeous buff brick, red brick trim, and ten years ago had matching red doors. I couldn't get a decent picture of it today (too much sun reflecting off the glass), so I've substituted a picture I took back in 2015. It looks virtually the same as it did then anyway, except they've painted the doors black (which is OK but not as stunning). And yes, I really do like that glass addition. It totally works. 

Another lovely, simple building is 76 Albert Street, built in the Georgian style for London Free Press publisher Josiah Blackburn. Note the historic plaque. Part of the London Squash & Fitness Club property, it's well maintained by them. This is another house, by the way, that once had a verandah, now removed. While many would call the building plain, its simplicity is stately and attractive. 

According to London's Heritage Register, 618 Talbot is a Neo-Classical building from 1881. I would have thought it was much earlier, one of the earliest buildings in the area, in fact. I'm going by the oval window up in the gable which typically appears in earlier buildings. It reminds me of the doctor's house at Upper Canada Village as well as a picture you'll see if you scroll down on this page. I know they're on the other side of the province but the shape is similar. 

Over on Ridout Street, I paused at no. 565. Built in 1910 for Judge Talbot Macbeth, it has many Georgian Revival features, such as symmetry, small-paned windows and a brick string course between the first and second storeys. Unfortunately, it's now a frat house, and nobody can wreck a building like students. Windows currently boarded.

Another attractive Queen Anne residence is at no. 530 Ridout North. Built in 1903, probably for wholesale milliner John C. Green, it's almost a mirror image of the McCormick house at no. 651 Talbot. The arches on the lower windows and doors are a nod to the Romanesque Revival style. In early 20th century, this house had other mansions on either side; together, they would have made an impressive streetscape and their residents would have had a pleasant view of the Thames River. Now there's an apartment building on one side, a parking lot on the other, and the view is mainly obstructed. 

The trim in the gable of no. 472 caught my eye. At first I thought it might have been added later but now I think it's similar to the trim on the gable of the Charles Sommerville mansion shown here.

I've captured some of the best of this neighbourhood but much of it is run down and in need of sympathetic refurbishment. I say "sympathetic" because there's lots that isn't:

A close-up of the trim in the house above. Our society either does not have the materials and craftsmanship necessary to preserve an older building, can no longer afford them, or we no longer care. I suspect a combination of all three.

Then there's the fake heritage. Like when developers build a highrise with a nod to the neighbourhood's history at street level. Apparently having the lower floors in red brick is supposed to make it fit in. 

Thank goodness there's still Eldon House. I don't expect every property to be a museum, but I think we could do much better with the older homes we have left.

* The Talbot Tour. Geranium Walk IV. Sunday, June 5, 1977. ACO London.

** Brackets & Bargeboards: Walks in London. ACO London, 1989, p. 13.