The 18th Annual London Heritage Awards

On April 9, London's Heritage Awards were held at Museum London again. Sponsored by ACO London and Heritage London Foundation, the awards honour individuals and organizations who have contributed to the preservation of London's history and built heritage. As usual, I was in attendance and was especially impressed by the following:

At left is 839 Queens Avenue, built ca. 1881 in what's now called Old East Village. Owner Barb Penner received a Restoration Project Award for her work on this heritage-designated stunner. Note the intricate woodwork with stencil-cut semicircular arches surrounding the double window and the brackets on the space above the bay window below. The double-leaf front doors have carved panels. The porch handrail, spindles and flooring have been restored. And Ms. Penner even had wooden storm windows custom made to fit. Bravo!

I'm really picky when it comes to heritage restorations but, believe it or not, I wouldn't change a thing here. The result makes me feel like I've stepped back in time. The house is currently for sale, so I hope the next owner preserves it. 

I've been driving past 538 Colborne Street (right) on my way to work for years and was concerned about its dilapidated look. But thanks to Ken Madlener, this 1909 Dutch Colonial home is looking good again and has also won a Restoration Project Award. Once a family home, it's now a triplex. Many building owners wouldn't have concerned themselves with exterior restoration - but not Ken. He restored the covered front porch, rebuilt the wooden pillars and their stone bases, and restored the Juliet balcony above. Even the original leaded glass and stained-glass windows were carefully restored and reused. Once again, this building looks good from the street. 

The building at left must be one of London's greatest homes. 527 Princess Avenue, located in East Woodfield, is a gorgeous late Victorian Queen Anne mansion, built in 1899-1900 for well-known London photographer Frank Cooper. Note the imposing capped tower on one side (because what's a Queen Anne without a tower?) and the elaborate window in the front gable. There's also a second-floor balcony and beautiful detail in the gable over the front entry. A special touch is the lovely wraparound verandah, perfect for relaxing on a summer evening, sipping a cold bevie, and watching the world go by. The Small-Scale Restoration Project Award is for replacing the fish-scale pattern slate roof, copper trim and tower finial. Because details matter.

Elmwood Lawn Bowling Club, on last year's Geranium Heritage House Tour, isn't a place you'd think would receive a heritage award. But the club, founded in 1911, has received a Cultural Landscape Award, meaning the whole place is of importance, not just a building. At first a men's-only club, designed for a variety of sports, Elmwood now welcomes women (duh!) and, well, everyone plays lawn bowling. Not being coordinated enough for any sport, I'd never been here before last year's GHHT and never knew where the club was. Turns out it's tucked in behind Edward, Elmwood, Bruce, and Brighton streets in Old South. There's even a 1916 clubhouse on the lot, extensively renovated. Such a genteel oasis. 

Other awards went to individuals for their contributions to London history. A Local History Award went to artist Cheryl Radford for her illustrations of streetscapes and local architecture. Her art has appeared in personal collections, local galleries, greeting cards, and books she has co-authored about London's history. Here's one from my collection: 

ChKs Publishing, 2015

Another Local History Award went to Lorraine Tinsley for her well-researched history of London's Oxford Park neighbourhood. Which, of course, I've also got:

Oxford Park Community Association, 2024

There were other awards, recognitions, and commendations, of course, including one for Banting House, which recently underwent numerous repairs, window refurbishment, porch restoration, etc. A "Compatible Design" award went to the owners of a new house in Old South which doesn't fit too badly into the historic streetscape. Recognition also went to a renovation on Elmwood Avenue East that was on last year's Geranium Heritage House Tour. The multiplex was a definite eyesore, so the owners should be commended for removing a coating of grey stucco and repointing and cleaning the brick underneath. However, the building has been completely gutted, the former nine units turned into seven, and there are few historical vibes whatsoever. 

I'm a bit unsure about giving a heritage award to the builders of a new house, just because it looks a bit old. I'm also not thrilled about giving an award for a place with few remaining heritage features. I know why these awards were given, of course. Drive through any older neighbourhood and you'll see numerous examples of how NOT to renovate an older building. So the Awards organizers need to award any effort to preserve anything. If even the slightest consideration has been given to heritage, bless the owners' hearts. Give them an award.

Redevelopment Fit For a Princess

 

Domus Developments would like to renovate 300 and 306 Princess Avenue, above, into nine-unit apartment buildings. Each old home would be divided into six one-bedroom apartments while proposed rear additions would contain three more two-bedroom units. Since rezoning would be necessary for the rear units to be built, the proposal will go before London City Council's Planning Department in March. 

Being part of the West Woodfield Heritage Conservation District, these houses are designated under part of the Ontario Heritage Act. A heritage alteration permit will be necessary before a building permit is issued. From this article, it sounds like city staff are supportive and the project will likely go ahead.

300, on the left, is a stately Queen Anne with Romanesque stone arches over the doors and windows and a wonderful central tower that's reminiscent of Italianate. In other words, its style is eclectic. It was built ca. 1893 for James R. Shuttleworth, a prominent fruit wholesale merchant. Shuttleworth was president of the Children's Aid Society of London in the 1890s. 

 Bottle from J. Tune & Son          

306 is less spectacular but has decorative wood trim and a lovely wrap-around porch. It was built in 1906 for Charles Henry Tune of J. Tune & Sons Soda Water Works, a London company established about 1882 on Clarence St. north of York. A couple of years later the company moved to the south side of York between Richmond and Talbot. It employed about eight hands and shipped soda water as far west as Windsor and as far east as the Ingersoll and Woodstock area. The J. in the company title was Charles' father, James. Eventually the Tunes became London Soda Water Works. At left is a bottle from my personal collection, dating to the J. Tune & Son days. 

As someone who used to live nearby, I've long been concerned about the deteriorating state of these architectural and historic gems. According to the linked article, Domus President Michael Mescia loves these buildings and wants to preserve them as they are. I'm glad to hear that.

I'm a little concerned, though, when I look at the artist renderings. Scroll down through the article and have a look. I know they're only drawings but I think I'm seeing replacement single-pane windows which wouldn't have existed at the time the homes were built. And 300 looks like a new grey excrescence will supplant the current  second-storey woodwork. What will the end result look like?

I admit I have a bee in my bonnet about windows. So many otherwise wonderful heritage renovations have replacement windows that look entirely inappropriate. I know it's difficult to add modern innovations while maintaining historic charm. And those moving into the future apartments will demand "mod cons." But there are so many older buildings in London with startlingly unsuitable windows. I find myself groaning inwardly as I stroll the city streets. 

So I'm happy to learn about this project but not without reservations. I hope the end result will look like something the Shuttleworths and Tunes would approve of. Or at least recognize. 

Dwelling on the Positive

Since most heritage commentary dwells on the negative - that is, yet another neglected building in danger of demolition - it's refreshing to occasionally point out a heritage preservation success story. One of these is the so-called Kenross House at the northeast corner of Waterloo and Piccadilly. The Queen Anne style mansion was built about 1908 for Charles J. Somerville, mayor of London in 1918-19. Architectural highlights include half-timbering, a round tower, wide verandah, and the Dutch gable pictured at left. Owners Timothy and Natalie Tattersall won an ACO-HLF Heritage Award in 2009 for restoring this building. An especially nice touch is the small garden on the corner with a plaque dedicated to Jean Ann Hills, a former owner who passed away in 2007.