Introduction to Architecture in Stratford

IntroductiontoArchitectureinStratfordByCarolynnBartRiedstra,ArchivistStratfordPerthArchives

Stratfords history began in 1832when the Canada Company surveyed the area known as theHuron Road and included asettlementnamedafterStratfordonAvon,England. Aswithanynewlyestablishedsettlement,agristmill,watersourceandgeneral storewere required to encourage a healthy beginning to a new community. Perth County settled relatively latecomparedtoeasternOntario. Housesandbuildingswereconstructed initiallyofwoodbecauseoftheabundanceoftreesforbuildingmaterials. When the railway boom occurred starting in 1856 itwas easier to transport bricks and other buildingmaterials toPerthCounty.By the1870swhen theGrand TrunkRailway shops located in Stratford,brickyardswere locatedthroughoutthearea.

Theearliestbrickusedwasanorangeredcolour.Thisbrickisverysoftandcanbedamagedbypaintingorsandblasting.Manyofthesehousesdatefromthe1850sandthereareseveralexamplesofthisearlybrickthroughoutthewalks.WalkNumber1features46MorningtonStreetandWalkNumber4features16NormanStreet.ManyoftheearlyredbrickhomesinStratfordareRegencyCottages. Theyare identifiedby their steeplypitchedhipped roof, centrehallplanand theuseofneoclassicalfeaturessuchassidelightwindowsanddecorativecornerbrickcalledquoins.

WhentheGrandTrunkRailwayshopslocatedin1871,Stratfordspopulationliterallydoubledovernight.Thisresultedintheuseofthebufforwhitecolouredbrick,whichwasmadelocally,andinPerthCounty.ItwasduringthisperiodthatGothichouses,beginningwiththeOntarioCottageandtheOntarioHouse,becomeprominent. Gothicstructuresare typically identifiedby theuseofgableswithdecorativewood trimorbargeboardon theroofline.Spearlikewoodenfinialsprojectabovetherooflineandcreatetheimpressionthattheelementofgothicarchitecturedealwithfeaturesthatpointupwards.Gothicisusuallyidentifiedwithchurchesbutisalsocommonforresidentialbuildings. DuringthenexttwentyyearstheGothicstyleevolvedandincludedlateradditionssuchastriplegabledhouses,Ontariohousesturnedsidewaysandothervariations.Gothichousefloorplansbeginwiththebalancedcentrehallplanformatandbytheirdecline,thebuildingswereasymmetrical.Thebargeboardordecorativewoodtrimremainsanimportantidentifyingfeature. Stratfordseconomyunderwentanotherboomwhenthefurniturefactoriesbegan inthe1880sunderthe impetusofGeorgeMcLagan.Withthisincreasedproductivitycameanotherneedtoaccommodatepeopleassoonaspossible.ThebuffcolouredbrickwasusedintheearlyItalianatephasesandadeepredbrickwasintroducedduringtheearly1890s.EarlyItalianatehomeplanswereasymmetricalorLshapeddesignsfollowedby21/2

storeystructuresandothervariations. Key identifyingfeaturesofthisstyleapartfromtheshapearetheuseandprominenceofbracketsundertheeaveslineandtheintroductionofbaywindows,whichcanbelocatedononeortwostoreys.Thebracketsareusuallyreplicatedonthebaywindows.

QueenAnneRevivalStylehousesbecamepopularbeginninginthelate1880sandlasteduntilabout1900.Thesehousesfeatureddifferentarchitecturalappointmentsfromdifferentstylesso itwasnotuncommontoseegablesand bargeboard together. More importantlywas the use of fish scale shingle,which decorated the ashapedpediments on the veranda or gable details. Again,Queen Anne Revival houses had an evolution as the yearsprogress.LateVictorianbuildingssuchasthePerthCountyPerthCountyCourtHouseortheStratfordCityhallarebothexcellentexamplesof laterQueenAnneRevivalHousesshowingthecontrastofmaterials,textures,colours,architectural features and the prominence of decorative chimneys some ofwhich are functional.QueenAnnebuildingsalsohavemanywindowsusuallydifferentshaped. FollowingtheQueenAnneRevivalstylewereEdwardianhouses,constructedduringtheearly1900stoabout1914.With these houses came large,majestic buildings and the use of neoclassical details such as triangularshaped

pediments,columnsandother features. About1905aneoclassical revivalmovementoccurredand the introductionof roundarchedRomanesquewindowsbeganaswellastheadditionoflargeverandascompletewitharoundedgazebolikesection.EdwardianClassicismwasalsoastylethatwasimportantaroundthistimeperiod.Thehousesaretwoandahalfstoreysinheightwiththetopgablebeinganashapedpedimentcompletewithfishscale.Thispedimentextendsoverthetopstorey,unliketheQueenAnneBoxwherethe21/2storeyhousehasapedimentthatisofftothesideofthebuilding,againadornedwithfishscale. QueenAnnehousesusedthe laterredbrickaswellasawhitebrick,manufactured locallybutharderthanthebuffcolouredbrickfromthe1870s.EdwardianClassicismalsousedbothcoloursandbythe1920s,therugbrickisused.Thisincludedredandblackbrick,whichwasverypopularuntilthe1930s. Copybook houses started with the Italianate buildings in the 1880s. The premise was that designs andspecificationsforhousesbegantoappearinbuildingmagazinesallowingcontractorstobuildhouseswithouttheneedforarchitects. Thisstylecontinued intothe1930sandduringthewalksyouwillseemanysimilarbuildings. Theonlydifference is the reversalof the frontdoorandstairway,whichmeans the floorplan,hasbeen reversed toallow forvariationofthedesigns.

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WelcometoStratford.Enjoyitsambience,itsarchitectureanditshistory.

ARCHITECTURALVOCABULARYThefollowingtermsareprovidedtoassistyouinmakingyourstrollsaroundStratfordmoreinterestingandenjoyable.Spacedoesnotpermitustopointoutthefeaturesofallbuildingsyoumaypassandpickingoutthedetailsonyourownwillmaketheexperiencemorecomplete.

RegencyStyleOneoftheearliestbrickhousestylesinStratfordpopularfromthelater1850stotheearly1870s.GothicRevivalStyleFeaturesincludegables,finialsandthedecorativewoodenbargeboardorornategingerbreadgabletrim,popularinStratford18711890sSecondEmpireStyleIdentifiablebyitsthirdstoreywhichisamansardroofwithdormerwindowsandItalianatebrackets.ItalianateStyleFeaturesincludeasymmetricalshape,twostoreystructure,protrudingbaywindowsandprominent,ornatebrackets.QueenAnneRevivalStyleFirststyletohaveabrokenroofline(differentheights).Emphasisisoncontrastingbuildingmaterialsandcolours,architecturalfeaturesandwindows.Aprominentfeatureisthefishscaleorwoodshinglingwhichappearsonthetopstoreyofresidentialbuildings.QueenAnneBoxStyleWorkingmanshome,postWWIuntilthelate1920s.Featuresincludeabashapedpedimentwithfishscaleandaboxlikestructure.EdwardianRevivalStyleNamedafterKingEdwardI,featuresincludeNeoClassicallines,pressedtinworkorcorniceworkadorningunderthesoffits.JacobethanStyleCombinationofJacobeanandElizabethanarchitecture.Featuresincludelargebaywindows,roundarcheddoorways,brickandstonewithwoodenwork.FoursquareStyleBasedontheworkofAmericanarchitect,FranLloydWright,squareinstructureandverysimplisticindesign,popularduringthe1920s30s

GableThetriangularportionofawall,betweentheenclosinglinesofaslopingroof.HeadingsTheareaimmediatelyoverawindowordoor.KeystoneThecentralwedgeshapedstoneofmasonryarch.LabelAdoororwindowmouldingextendingpartwaydownthesides.LintelAhorizontallengthofstone,iron,timberorreinforcedconcrete,carryingtheweightofthewallaboveawindowordoor.OrielWindowAnupperfloorbaywindowsupportedbycorbels.PalladianWindowAwindowinthreeparts,thecentresectionlargerandarchedatthehead,thesmallersectionsoneithersidehavingsquaredheads.PedimentThetriangularareaaboveaporticoorwindowordoor.PilasterArectangularfeatureintheshapeofapillarbutprojectingonlyaboutonesixthofitsbreadthfromawall.PorticoAsmallporchwithpillarssupportingaroof.QuoinsTheaccentuatedmembersofacorner,oftenformedofstone,butalsofashionedofbrick,appearingtobondthecornersofabuilding.SidelightsGlasspanelsoneithersideofadoor.TransomTherectangularmemberandsashaboveawindowordoor.VerandahAnopenportico,galleryorbalcony,usuallyroofed,alongtheoutsideofabuilding

BalusterAcarvedcolumnoruprightpostsupportingahandrail.Bargeboards(vergeboards)Theornamentalboards,oftenfretted,hangingfromtheedgeoftheprotectivegableorvergeofGothicRevivalbuildings.Oftencalledgingerbreaddetail.BattenAstripcoveringajointbetweenverticalboards,asinboardandbattenBay(a)Acompartmentordivisionofafaadeusuallyindicatedbyanopeningsuchasadoororwindow(b)Aprojection,asinabaywindow.BracketAnyoverhangingmemberprojectingfromawall,tosupportaweight,generallyformedwithscrollsorvolutes.CorbelAmasonryprojectiononthecoursesofawall,eachcourseprojectingslightlybeyondthenextbelowit.Intendedtocarrytheweightofthecornice,itisoftendecorative.CorniceHorizontalmouldedprojectionatthetopofabuilding.CoursingAcontinuoushorizontalrowofbrickorstoneinawall.CrestingOrnamentalfinishalongthetopofawallorroof.DentilSmallrectangularblock,similarineffecttoteeth,foundinthelowerpartofacornice.DichromaticbrickworkBrickworklaidintwocolours,alsocalledbichromatic.FinialOrnamentalterminatingonanapexofagable,pinnacle,spires,etc.FriezeThepartofacornicebelowthefaciaboardandsoffit,flatonwallsurface,sometimeshighlydecorated

ThecontentsofthishistoricalwalkwereoriginallydevelopedbythePerthCountyHistoricalFoundationandtheLocalArchitecturalConservationAdvisoryCommittee(HeritageStratford).TheinformationhasbeenrevisedandupdatedbytheStratfordPerthArchivesinpartnershipwithStratfordTourism.