Dr. Mathieson's house - 109 Wellington Street North

Description

Media Type

Image

Item Type

Photographs

Description

Photo of Dr. Mathieson's former residence (located at 109 Wellington Street North). In this photo we can see a bit of the verandah and a bit of the Italianate architecture - a tree does limit our view though.

Reasons for Designation (1989)
This house was built in 1874 for Dr. John Hugh Mathieson and his wife, Mary Harrison, daughter of the prominent pioneer settlers Milner Harrison and Catherine Howard. Mathieson was an example of a man who was outstanding in his profession but also gave vision and leadership to the community: he was primarily responsible for the St. Marys Town Hall and his words of exhortation bear repeating both as a tribute to him but also as a partial explanation for many of the fine structure which St. Marys possesses today.
"We should not adopt a florid style of ornamentation, but yet we should not erect a perfectly plain building simply because it is cheaper. The ornamentation should be lasting and permanent character. We are not building a hall or a market for now, but for years or generations to come."
Mathieson's house, neither florid nor perfectly plain, is a handsome example of mid-Victorian building in the Italian style. It was built by Robert Barbour and in the arrangement of rooms and detailing of door and window surrounds is similar to Mount Pascoe which Barbour designed and built a few years earlier. Internal features such as original fireplaces and woodwork as well as decorative plasterwork are also designated. A portrait of Nora Clench in stained glass as well as other originally stained and etched glass and original fenestration is included in this designation.
An outstanding feature of this house is the Italianate verandah which through constant care has survived for over a century. This verandah which wraps around the west (street) façade and the south (garden) façade between two projecting bays of the house is also designated. A turn of the century photograph, here included illustrates how well preserved this verandah and its storm porch is.

Notes

Condition: Copy is very good.

Dimensions

Width: 25.3 cm
Height: 20.3 cm

Image Dimensions

Image Width: 23.3cm
Image Height: 18.2cm

Subject(s)

Dwellings
Trees
Landscapes

Local identifier

1933ph

Collection

St. Marys Museum photo collection

Language of Item

English

Geographic Coverage

St. Marys

Ontario, Canada

Latitude: 43.262317 Longitude: -81.142728

Donor

LACAC, 1993

Copyright Statement

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

Recommended Citation

"Dr. Mathieson's house - 109 Wellington Street North." St. Marys Museum, 1933ph.

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