In 2021, I went on a couple of walks through Woodfield. Some of my pictures are here but recently I unearthed some more photos. I hope others enjoy these pictures of buildings in the historic neighbourhood as much as I do. If they prove anything, it's that London still has a wide variety of attractive Victorian and Edwardian housing, despite neglect.
Below is 559 Waterloo, built for William J. Legg in 1908. The house was converted into offices for the Norwich Insurance Co. in the 1970s and now houses a dental clinic, as you can see from the sign. So what was once a residence has been tastefully converted into offices without sacrificing its warm homey look. Note that the house is well designed for its corner lot, with the tower at an angle and a wraparound porch providing views of two streets, Waterloo and Wolfe.
Around the corner at 317 Wolfe Street is a somewhat similar house, also having arched windows, columned verandah, and angled tower. This was an earlier house built for William J. Legg, likely around 1900, possibly using the same builder or architect.
297 Wolfe Street, over near Wellington, has a distinctive two-storey verandah on its east side. Note the cute round window on the first floor, allowing a view from the front hall.
Nearby Princess Avenue has one of London's most priceless and irreplaceable streetscapes, filled with what I'd consider architectural treasures. Unfortunately, most of them have not been well looked after. I've discussed the two westernmost houses, scheduled for renovation, here, but below are my pics from 2017, before they were boarded up.
First, no. 300, an eclectic blend of Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival:
And no. 306, with a lovely Palladian window in its third-floor gable and attractive wraparound verandah:
Other pics of Princess Avenue west of Waterloo:
Three dormers capped by finials peek out of this mansion's roof. There's a spectacular rounded balcony on the second floor and a large first floor entrance verandah. Note classical details like laurel wreaths, torches, swags, dentils and brackets. Also the blue heritage designation plaque to the right of the front steps.
Lovely wood ornamentation in the gables of this white brick house, built 1896. Notice the stained glass over the main downstairs window at right.
A massive double house on the northwest corner of Princess and Waterloo:
Across Waterloo Street is the double house below, built 1874. I could also describe it as Italianate. Many Italianate features are present: low-pitched roof with wide overhang, deep cornice with ornamentation; scrolled brackets cut on an angle in keeping with the slope. The window headings are a pedimental form similar to the broken pediment on the roof line. The centre portion, jutting out a bit, has quoins on the outer edges matching the ones on the corners of the building. The cute little arched window on the third floor matches the two arched windows below with curved mullions in the arch.
I've mentioned Princess Terrace under Terrace Housing. At its east end is an older apartment house:
Behind this is an intriguing glimpse of what appears to be an earlier building:
Notice the detail in the gables of 371 and 375 Princess Avenue. A 19th-century craftsman really went to town on both:
Cute cottage at 537 Colborne built by marble cutter Charles Teale in 1872. The other white cottage next door to it was built by his business partner, John Screaton, in the same year. Both buildings have had alterations and additions and have been used for multiple purposes, with Teale's having been a kindergarten in the 1900s. Nice bay windows and shutters.
No. 535, Screaton's cottage. It also has a bay window, just not on the front. Porch is newer.
Just to the north on Colborne is this stately Victorian terrace with four-windowed bays, two and a half storeys in height, the end one at an angle. Pity it's looking run down, although the decay isn't too obvious in the photo below.
Around the corner on Hope Street is a smaller, earlier terrace, also looking a bit rough:
Some wood trim on the above:
412 Dufferin, not far from Colborne, is an attractive designated building from 1907. Its roof line is broken by two attic gables (the top one hidden by foliage) and a charming tower-style dormer. The foundation stone was also used in the sills and lintels. I love the adorable oval window at the centre of the second floor.
The house at 414 Dufferin was built for Samuel N. Sterling in 1904. It's now divided into apartments which is typical for the mansions of yesterday. While most windows have been replaced there are still some unchanged details: dentils under the eaves and verandah roof; Doric columns; a verandah pediment with bas-relief infill; Palladian windows on the second and third floors.
The east side retains some ornamentation in the gable and a small verandah has its own fretwork.
The Italianate at 500 Dufferin was owned by James Duff Smith. It's hard to photograph in mid-summer due to the tall trees on the property but all you really need to see is the well-preserved cornice with lots of mouldings, brackets and pendules. And the cute critter on the verandah of the cottage next door.
Some interesting houses on nearby William Street. The Italianate at no. 481 has updated windows but note the detail in its gable and the paired brackets under the eaves connected by string moulding.
No. 479 has a Palladian window in its front gable and a cute pedimented window above its side entrance.
No. 474 has an interesting roof line, unusual gable infill, and a very imposing chimney.
At the northeast corner of William and Queens is one of the city's most imposing old mansions. It was designed by George F. Durand in 1881 for Charles Murray, manager of the Federal Bank of Canada. In most homes, one tower was enough but here there are two - one round, one taller and squarer. The latter is missing its finial. The two-storey verandah and entrance porch were probably added later. Most interesting is the cross-bracing of the front gable.
Those are the pictures I took that sunny day in 2021. My tour was totally random, not methodical, so much has been left out. There's lots more and I'll be walking through Woodfield again. You should too.
*Nick's Pics:
Just received from Londoner Nick Corrie:
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| Mac Duncan and his wife Margaret at 466 Dufferin ca. 1900. Mac and his brother Archie ran a grocery store and pharmacy inside this building in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. |
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| Interior of 466 Dufferin where Mac and Archie are ready to serve customers. |
For more info on Woodfield buildings, see:
Beck, Julia & Spicer, Elizabeth, eds. Brackets & Bargeboards: Architectural Walks in London Ontario. ACO London Region Branch, 1989.
Desbarats, Peter, et al. Residential to the Core: The Woodfield Community Association. Segue Communications, 2007.
