177 Church Street South

Description

Comments (0)

Creator

Muriel Kew, Photographer

Media Type

Image

Item Type

Photographs

Description

See 0700ph_a for another view.

Photo of 177 Church Street South which today is the St. Marys Museum. It was originally built for George Tracey and his family in 1854 and had been owned by the McDougall and Weir families as well.

It has gone by various names over the years from the "Castle in the Bush" to "Cadzow Park."

Reasons for Designation:
Constructed in 1854 of smooth dressed St. Marys limestone, the museum represents the earliest large stone residence in town. The structure, built for the family of George Tracy, one of the town's earliest settlers, replaced the original log cabin on the same site. The builder and designer was a New York man, Robert Barbour, while the masonry was done by local stone masons, Frank Anderson, Andrew Knox, and John Whimster. Set in a prominent location atop the hill, the Museum served as an important residence for many years, for a time housing William Weir, the town's Mayor (1916-1917).
The large blocks of limestone used in the building compliment the sturdy Georgian proportions, while the picturesque curling bargeboards (added later) and the unusual chimney groupings, set on an angle in the roof, add to the charm and uniqueness of the structure.
It should be stressed that in this age of modern building techniques, such a fine stone structure could never be replaced. For this reason we feel that designation of the Museum is imperative.
(Schedule A, By-Law #71 of 1981)

Designated October 13, 1981.

Text of Plaque:
The Tracy House
This limestone building was constructed as the home of early pioneer, George Tracy, c. 1854, near the site of his earlier log cabin. The house, which was the first substantial dwelling in the district, was designed and built by Robert Barbour; stonework was by local masons Andrew Knox, John Whimster, and Frank Anderson; carpentry by Barbour and Falconer.

Notes

Condition: Excellent condition.

Dimensions

Width: 12.6 cm
Height: 17.7 cm

Image Dimensions

Image Width: 11.8cm
Image Height: 16.9cm

Subject(s)

Buildings
Galleries & museums
Dwellings

Local identifier

0700ph_b

Collection

St. Marys Museum photo collection

Geographic Coverage

St. Marys

Ontario, Canada

Latitude: 43.2549201333862 Longitude: -81.1408460140228

Donor

Museum Board

Copyright Statement

Copyright status unknown. Responsibility for determining the copyright status and any use rests exclusively with the user.

Recommended Citation

"177 Church Street South." St. Marys Museum, 0700ph_b.

Terms of Use

Reproduction of digital objects is restricted to fair use for personal study or research; any other use must be done with permission of copyright holder.

Reproduction Notes