No examination of church architecture in Niagara-on-the-Lake would be complete without including St. Vincent de Paul, which has been identified as “the oldest surviving Catholic church still used for regular worship in the
It’s 1852 in Niagara-on-the-Lake and the second Presbyterian church in town had just opened its doors. Built a mere five-minute walk from St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, it was a very different building. The
At the heart of every community was its church. Whether your community was in a city, town, village or rural, a church was a place of faith, a centre for social interaction and spot for
It is a fact that well-constructed buildings will often outlive the purpose for which they were originally intended. Churches without congregations, factories that cannot support modern production, warehouses with ceilings too low for
During a recent conversation concerning the design details of the new entry stairway being constructed at 240 Centre St., the masonry folks questioned why the brick bond (pattern) specified was not an exact
Thinking of a home renovation, an addition, or a build? Be prepared, because the cost of your project under current market conditions is going to be significantly more than you think. And allow
Several times in the past year I have found myself in the position of having to wave a yellow caution flag in front of clients around a requirement introduced in the town’s new
As many regular readers are aware, for the past few months I’ve been consulting on the restoration of a house built for John Breakenridge in 1823 at the corner of Mississagua and Centre
Architecture is a reflection of the prevailing socio-political-economic attitudes of society. As society changes, so too should architecture if it wishes to have relevance and be supportive of contemporary lifestyles. Bluntly, there are
Prior to 1945, there were no “residential housing developers” as we know them today. Certainly there had been successful builders who would purchase a piece of land, divide it into lots, sell a
It’s the first decade of the 20th Century and you are Dr. David Duggan of St. Davids. You are planning to build a new house and have engaged with an architect to develop the drawings.
Out of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in France came an architectural style that attempted to combine functionalism liberally sprinkled with ornamental elements borrowed from the Greek, Roman and Renaissance traditions to establish a
As all my regular readers know, I believe the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake requires a comprehensive set of architectural guidelines that is both descriptive and proscriptive, in which a Heritage Conservation Plan (for the entire
A few days ago I was lucky enough to be a participant in a Zoom call with three folks who represent a wealth of personal experience in both historical and current Niagara architecture.
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Sometimes I think it’s easy for us to forget that, not so long ago, Niagara-on-the-Lake was a quiet little town surrounded by farms and orchards. Vineyards were a rarity and grapes were associated
Like many things, as taste, style and availability changed, flooring has undergone many iterations in form and type over the last couple of hundred years. These days I am continually reminded of that
There is a lot of sloppy terminology employed in the heritage field when describing architecture. While accuracy is one of my hobby-horses, it’s something I believe is central to establishing a common understanding
I regret never having the opportunity to meet the renowned Niagara architect Don Chapman. We had some tentative plans to do so in the spring, but the COVID lockdown denied that opportunity. Now,
At the risk of making an understatement, I’ve got to say that it has been quite a year. Despite all the COVID crazy, it’s actually been a landmark for NOTL heritage. As many
To achieve a seamless presentation when renovating any type of house involves equal measures of art and discipline. Unfortunately, far too often art trumps discipline, or discipline rules, or both are forgotten. In
As many who know me can attest, I have a tendency to be irked by the casual misuse of architectural terminology. It’s not that I’d stop a conversation to correct the individual speaking,
I requested quotations recently on the construction of a historic reproduction front door for a heritage house. Foolishly thinking to save myself some time, rather than do a drawing of the six-panel door itself,
I love wood. Whether it’s left natural or painted, there’s something about it that resonates in me on a very basic level. Perhaps it’s the fact that no matter how finely finished, there
For many years, one of the prevalent housing trends in Europe, particularly in the U.K. has been the conversion of old agricultural buildings into homes. Of course, over there, the barns, stables, piggeries
Most of us have been in an old building that sported cast iron radiators. Whether the plain cast utilitarian version or ornately decorated upscale models, these rads were the Victorian answer to creating
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