Friends of the Rideau - The Architectural Heritage of the Rideau Corridor - DB-MR105

The following is the Abstract and Table of Contents from The Architectural Heritage of the Rideau Corridor, Manuscript Report 105 by Barbara A. Humphreys, Parks Canada, 1973. Republished by Friends of the Rideau as digital book DB-MR105, 2012:

Abstract
In 1969, an architectural survey was made of all pre-1880 buildings in the Rideau Corridor, an area extending from Ottawa to Kingston (though not including these two cities) along the Rideau Canal. Of the 1,800 buildings recorded, 1,677 were considered to be within the relevant time period. This report describes, analyzes and illustrates a representative collection of these structures as well as some of their architectural details.

A survey was undertaken in 1969 by the National Historic Sites Service of the National and Historic Parks Branch for the Canada-Ontario-Rideau-Trent-Severn (CORTS) Study Committee. This survey was designed to record all pre - 1880 habitable structures in the Rideau Corridor, and also to serve as a pilot project for the Canadian Inventory of Historic Building commenced the following year. The boundaries of the Rideau Corridor were established by the CORTS Study Committee and students were employed by the National Historic Sites Service to drive all roads within the given area to map, photograph and record all pre - 1880 buildings which could be located. Approximately 1,800 buildings were recorded of which 1,677 were considered to be within the relevant time period. The information obtained on these buildings was coded for transferral to IBM cards and a preliminary report on the findings was compiled in 1970.

The preliminary report was primarily a statistical summary indicating the number, location, condition, type and estimated date of construction of the buildings recorded in the corridor. It was supplemented by maps, coded to show where clusters of the more interesting structures might be found, and a brief commentary on some 45 selected examples. This present report provides a more comprehensive description and analysis of the pre - 1880 architecture recorded in the survey.

The boundaries of the Rideau Corridor determined by the CORTS Study Committee were followed as closely as possible, using for practical reasons the roads nearest the boundaries as demarkation lines. The cut-off date of 1880 was chosen because after this time the economic and architectural development of the area became more diversified and thus less representative of this particular environment. Selection of the buildings recorded in the survey was based on architectural style, the history of the area and, where available, the history of the building itself. Early maps and assessment rolls, locally written histories, family records and folklore were also utilized to assist in dating. However, because of the difficulties encountered in accurately dating the buildings, it is possible that some built prior to 1880 have been omitted and conversely, that some post-1880 structures have been inadvertently included. Nonetheless it is believed that the survey, both in coverage and accuracy, provides more than an adequate amount of information on which to base a comprehensive analysis of the architectural heritage of the area.

Neither the survey nor this report could have been completed without the cooperation and assistance so freely given by the owners or occupants of the buildings surveyed. Their interest is very much appreciated since it not only enabled the recording of the architectural heritage but, more importantly, is essential to its future preservation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
12 Abstract
13 The Heritage
15 Settlement
16 Builders Along the Rideau
17 Houses of the Rideau
18 Exposed Log Houses
22 Stone Houses
34 Frame Houses
38 Brick Houses
44 Defensive Buildings of the Canal
48 Churches of the Rideau
56 School Buildings of the Rideau
61 The Commercial, Social and Administrative Buildings
69 Conclusions
70 Endnotes
70 Bibliography

Illustrations

14 1 Map of the Rideau Corridor.
17 2 House in North Gower.
17 3 Stone House in Heckston.
19 4 The Red House in Perth.
19 5 Log cabin in Ashton.
20 6 Log cabin in Wolford township.
20 7 Log cabin in North Gower township.
21 8 Log cabin in Montague township.
21 9 “Wilson’s Bay” post office in South Gower.
21 10 Early stone fireplace, Storrington.
21 11 Log cabin in Goulbourn.
21 12,13 Cabin in Montague township.
21 14 Log cabin in Montague township.
23 15 The Haggart-Shortt house in Perth.
23 16 Merrick house in Merrickville.
23 7 William Merrick house in Merrickville.
23 18 Harris-Radenhurst-lnderwicke house in Perth.
23 19 Stone house in Drummond township.
24 20, 21 Typical twelve-pane, slim mullioned windows.
24 22, 23 Large multi-paned sash on house near Westport.
26 24, 25 “Venetian” windows.
26 26 Gable windows. Semi-circular head.
26 27 Gable windows. Adamesque oval.
26 28 Gable windows. Classical Revival.
27 29 Gable windows. Ogee design.
27 30 Gable windows. Gothic Revival.
27 31 Gable windows. “Carpenter’s Gothic.”
27 32 Moulded trim of classical design.
27 33 Unusually elaborate cornice.
27 34 Classical mouldings and dentil trim.
28 35 The six-panel door on house in North Elmsley.
28 36 Eight-panel door in South Crosby.
28 37 Seven-panel door design in Prospect.
28 38, 39 Chester-McCabe house, Montague township.
29 40 Classical mouldingsand symmetrical trim.
29 41 Wooden louvres and paneled trim.
30 42 Graceful tracery in wood on the Harris-Radenhurst-Inderwicke house in Perth.
30 43 Rectangular transom on a stone house built in 1847.
30 44 Entrance porch and door of Stephen Merrick house.
30 45 Entrance to Cattin Hall in North Crosby.
30 46 Dentil-trimmed doorway in South Elmsley.
31 47 Ferguson house in Kemptville.
31 48 Gothic Revival detailing.
31 49 Treillage design showing Scottish thistle.
32 50 Verandah treillage on a stone house.
32 51 Gothic gingerbread and sturdy finial on St. John’s Presbytery in Perth.
32 52 Shaw house in Perth.
32 53 Phelan House, North Gower.
35 54 Benjamin Tett house in Newboro.
35 55 Board and batten finished house in Eastons Corners.
35 56, 57 Classically designed mid-19th-century house in Newboro.
35 58, 59 Fanlight of frame house in Bastard township.
36 60 House in Newboro.
36 61 House in South Crosby.
36 62 The Watts house in Eastons Corners.
36 63 Regency style frame house in Kemptville.
37 64, 65 Early styled treillage on a Brock Street house in Merrickville
37 66, 67 Mid-19th-century house in Burritts Rapids.
39 68 Burchill house in Merrickville.
39 69 House of alternating red and yellow brick in Wolford township.
39 70 Summit house on Drummond Street in Perth.
39 71, 72 McMartin house in Perth.
40 73, 74 House in Wolford township.
40 75, 76 McCrea house in Wolford township.
41 77 Samuel Starr Easton house in Wolford.
41 78 Brick house in Osgoode township.
41 79, 80 Red brick house in Oxford township.
41 81 Unusual details of house in Marlborough township.
42 82, 83 House on Van Buren Street in Kemptville.
42 84 Allan house on Isabella Street in Perth.
45 85 Blockhouse in Newboro.
45 86 Blockhouse in Merrickville.
46 87 Lockmaster’s house at Davis Lock.
46 88 Lockmaster’s house at Chaffeys Locks.
47 89, 90 Forge at Jones Falls.
49 91, 92 St. Augustine’s Anglican Church in Prospect.
49 93, 94 Wesleyan Methodist Church in Salem.
49 95, 96 St. John’s Anglican Church in Storrington.
50 97 United Church in Battersea.
50 98 Standard Presbyterian Church, North Gower township.
50 99 St. James Anglican Church in Manotick.
50 100 Limestone church in Sunbury.
51 101 Christ Church, Burritts Rapids.
51 102 Wolford Chapel United Church in Wolford.
51 103 St. Edward’s Roman Catholic Church in Westport.
51 104 St. Philips Catholic Church in Richmond.
51 105 Seeleys Bay United Church.
51 106 Knox Presbyterian Church, Merrickville.
53 107 United Church in North Gower.
53 108 First Baptist Church, Smith’s Falls.
53 109 St. John’s Catholic Church in Perth.
53 110 St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, Oxford Mills.
54 111,11 2 St. Augustine’s Anglican Church at Acton Corners.
54 113 Methodist Church in Forfar.
54 114 Methodist Church in Eastons Corners.
54 115 The scissors truss ceiling of St. John the Evangelist Church in Oxford Mills.
54 116 Hammer beam ceiling in the Holy Trinity Church in North Gower.
54 117 Tall vaulted ceiling of St. Edward’s Catholic Church in Westport.
56 118 Bell tower of Maple Wood School in Oxford.
56 119 Bell tower of Jasper School, Wolford.
57 120 Bell tower of Eastons Corners School in Wolford township.
57 121 Schoolhouse in Heckston.
57 122,123 Schoolhouse in South Gower township.
58 124 Log schoolhouse in Montague township.
58 125 River Road school, Bathurst township.
58 126 Board and batten schoolhouse in Bathurst township.
58 127 Stone schoolhouse in Freeland.
58 128 Wolford Chapel School in Wolford township.
59 129 Maple Wood School in Oxford Mills.
60 130 Two-room brick schoolhouse in Jasper.
60 131 Secondary school in Smith’s Falls.
60 132 Public school on Beckwith Street Smith’s Falls.
62 133, 134 First store and post office in Munster.
62 135 Porter garage in Prospect.
62 136 Twin carriage shops in Eastons Corners.
62 137 Rideau District Museum in Westport.
63 138 Merrick Mills in Merrickville.
63 139 Mill in Manotick.
63 140 Cheese factory in Burridge.
64 141 Rose’s Inn, Montague township.
64 142 McKeen Hotel in Kemptville.
64 143 Grenville Hotel in Merrickville.
64 144,145 Reilly’s Hotel in Richmond.
64 146 Hotel Imperial in Perth.
66 147,148 Scovil’s store in Portland.
66 149 General store, Oxford Mills.
66 150 Brook’s Block on Gore Street in Perth.
66 151 Foley house in Westport.
67 152 Business block, Beckwith Street, Smith’s Falls.
67 153 Business block on Foster Street in Perth.
67 154 Garretts Block in Smith’s Falls.
67 155 Town Hall, Montague township.
67 156 Loyal Orange Lodge in Storrington township.
67 157, 158 Temperance Hall in Wolford township.
68 159 Town Hall, North Gower.
68 160 Lanark County Court House on Drummond Street in Perth.
68 161 Lanark County Registry Office, Drummond Street, Perth.