Architectural Conservancy of Ontario

London Region Branch Newsletter

April 2010 www.acolondon.ca

From the Executive

Thank you to our members who have supported London’s ACO Branch by renewing your membership and volunteering your talents and time. Your response to the appeal for members who would serve on the executive or on committees showed us that the work of the ACO was important to you.At the AGM at Grosvenor Lodge on Monday, March 22 following reports from committee chairs, nominations for positions on the 2010-2011 executive were called.

We are pleased to have Marlyn Loft assume the position of president following several years as vice president. Genet Hodder has joined the executive as vice president and brings with her valuable organizational skills and a commitment to heritage preservation.

Jennifer Grainger is returning to the executive as recording secretary. We are happy to welcome her back. Please read the article on Jennifer later in this newsletter.

Janice Thielenhaus has resigned from the executive after guiding us as vice president, president, past president and recording secretary. Heritage Highlights, and the London Region Branch history booklet were but two of the major projects that benefitted from her organizational skills and concern for architectural heritage. We have relied on Janice to keep us organized and on track. Thank you for your dedication, Janice.

John Therriault has agreed to continue as treasurer until we can find someone who is willing to assume that responsibility. Under John’s stewardship, the ACO London Region Branch reports a balance of $6 000 in a current bank account as well as $26 000 in GIC investments. If you would be interested in joining the executive as treasurer or can recommend a likely candidate, please contact Marlyn Loft.

UPCOMING EVENTSSunday, April 18, 2010ACO’s Joint Meeting with the Historical SocietyTour highlighting Basilica RestorationSpeaker: Hilary Bates Neary Restoration of the Basilica St. Peter’s Basilica, northeast corner of Richmond and DufferinTime: 2:00- 4:00 pm

Sunday, June 6, 2010Geranium Heritage House TourEldon ExcursionBegins at Eldon House Interpretive CentreTickets $20.00 includes refreshments1:00 to 5:00 pm

June 10-13, 20102010 ONTARIO HERITAGE CONFERENCERural Routes Rural Roots: Two Centuries of Rural ArchitectureRidgetown Campus, University of Guelph, Main Street EastRenowned keynote speakers, site visits and round-table discussions led by experts in their fields. Emphasis will be on interactive workshops with a number of excursion lectures being delivered on the way to heritage sites. For more information contact Marlee Robinson at 519 674 2753 or ACOChathamKent@arconserv.ca

July 14, 2010The Gatsby GalaElsie Perrin Williams Estate Heritage London FoundationFor more details checkwww.heritagelondonfoundation.org

Saturday, September 25, 2010Fall Bus Tour Mark your calendars for the annual fall bus tour in conjunction with the London and Middlesex Historical Society. Plans are underway for a trip to the historic Ancaster area.More details and registration forms will be included in the summer 2010 newsletter.

Preserving the Red Antiquities BuildingEila Milne was delighted to be the winner of the draw for an original oil painting of the Red Antiquities Building by Peter Karas. Thank you to Peter for his gift of art and to all of you who bought tickets to support the fundraising effort.

Progress on preserving the ‘Antiquities Shoppe’ building is very encouraging. The Save the Red Antiquities Building (SRAB) committee is still fund raising from individuals, London foundations and businesses, and has estimates for most stages for the restoration and updating of services. It has not raised the purchase price of $110,000 but Heritage London Foundation is negotiating with another non-profit organization to share the expenses involved in this ambitious project. We are confident that these negotiations will lead to the preservation of the building and look forward to providing more details in the next newsletter. Donations can be sent to: Heritage London Foundation, SRAB Fund, 101 Windermere Rd West, London N6G 2J4.

- 2 -

On the evening of Wednesday, February 17, award winners, guests, and members of the Heritage London Foundation and ACO London Branch gathered at the Elsie Perrin Williams Estate to honour those who care about heritage preservation.

Maggie Whalley was honoured for her outstanding contribution to the preservation of London’s built heritage through education, awareness and advocacy, which has resulted in a greater appreciation for historic buildiings and streetscapes in our city.

John Lutman’s work as historian, author, and archivist has provided us with a vivid record of London’s built heritage. His work has raised the awareness of our architectural history and furthered an appreciation for London’s historic buildings and streetscapes.

The London Free Press Editorial and News staff’s extensive coverage of London’s built heritage was recognized in the category of education and awareness. For 150 years the newspaper has chronicled London’s history and continues to tell the stories of our community’s significant buildings.

Isaac Kirwin was the winner of the ACO Heritage Trades Award. An outstanding student at Algonquin College in the Heritage Masonry Program, Isaac’s’ scholarship will help him complete the program. ACO appreciates the efforts of Algonquin College to train craftspeople with the skills needed to preserve architecturally significant buildings.

Denis Campeau, John Demarco, Peter Hayes, and Ann Kirby, owners of 90 Central Ave., were congratulated on the preservation and extensive renovations to the former Bishop’s Palace, Blackfriars, while adapting the structure for contemporary residential use.

Manuel and Dani Cardoso’s excellent restoration of the Burridge Building highlights the historical significance of the Talbot and King streetscapes and sets a superb example to others that our built heritage is worthy of preservation.

Susan Carlyle and David Southen, owners of 398 Piccadilly St., were recognized for the extensive restoration of their home and replacement of significant original elements such as the magnificent corner bandshell veranda and slate roof.

Gene Lamont’s and Al Stewart’s fine restoration and renovation of the Westland Paint Store, 156 Wortley Road, has retained significant original building elements and repurposed the structure for contemporary use contributing to the rich heritage of Wortley Village

The Corporation for the City of London and Fahri Holdings retention and restoration of the Capitol Theatre and Bowles Building highlight the Dundas Streetscape as an area of historic significance. They set an important example for our downtown core.

2010 Heritage Awards Night

Architectural Conservancy of Ontario

London Region Branch Newsletter

U P C O M I N G E V E N T S

September 2006

Doors OpenSaturday & Sunday, September 23 & 24

ACO Bus Tour – The North American Oil Boom in PetroliaSaturday, October 14, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. departing from Grosvenor LodgeCost of $35 includes lunch and Heritage Guide. RSVP to Janice a.s.a.p. at 519-641-0556. (Please give name and phone number if leaving a message.)

Book Launch and 40th Anniversary PartySunday, November 12, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., Elsie Perrin Wil-liams Estate Invitations will be sent to members

The winter and spring 2007 program will be announced in the December newsletter.

BACK TO NORMAL: THE 2006 GERANIUM HERITAGE HOUSE TOUR

Sunday, June 4 witnessed ACO’s return to the Old South for the fourth time in our 33 years of conducting Gera-nium Walks. Approximately 380 visitors toured the inte-riors of seven homes, two churches and a restaurant but not, unfortunately, the interior of the former Normal School on Elmwood Avenue. Nevertheless, tour organiz-ers were quite pleased with the results of the event, which generated $5000 to fund ACO’s projects over the next year. There were three main themes to this year’s walk. The first was to remind participants of the rich architectural legacy to be found on the streetscapes of Old South, an area actively exploring the possibility of creating a heri-tage conservation district. Second, we hoped to point out good examples of “adaptive reuse” – finding new uses for heritage buildings to preserve their useful life. An exam-ple is Copperfield’s Restaurant on Wortley Rd., the for-mer church opposite, now an apartment building, and the Old Fire Hall on Bruce St., also adapted for use as apart-ments.The third theme, referenced in the title, was to draw at-tention to the plight of the former Normal School on Elmwood Avenue. This wonderful Late Victorian Roman-

esque influenced landmark has no occupant and is in jeopardy. ACO wanted to draw attention to the signifi-cant architectural and historical details that make this building unique and important. The tour organizers wish to thank the many volunteers who gave up their time to staff the various buildings as well as those associated with the churches and commu-nity organizations. As well, we thank the staff at Elm-wood Ave. Presbyterian Church for allowing the tour to start in their former manse and the members of Wesley-Knox United Church for providing refreshments. We would also like to thank Ben Benedict, Janice Wallace and James Reaney for their articles in The Londoner and The London Free Press prior to the tour.ACO members unable to participate in this year’s event can purchase, for a nominal fee, copies of this year’s tour brochure by contacting Janice Thielenhaus or Don Menard.Plans are underway for next year’s event. If you have ideas about where it should be, advice as to how we may improve it or, if you would like to volunteer your assis-tance in planning it, we would like to hear from you.

H A P P Y 4 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y A . C . O . L O N D O N B R A N C H

ACO London Region Branch 1

The Burridge Building

Blackfriars/The Bishop's Palace

Westland Bros. 156 Wortley Rd398 Picadilly St.

Capitol Theatre and Bowles Buildings

John Manness and John Lutman

Marlyn Loft and Maggie Whalley

Isaac Kirwin, the winner of the ACO Heritage Trades Award.

- 3 -

MovingIf you are planning to move or have moved, please call our Membership Secretary, Ken Fitchett, at 519-474-0596, so he can ensure our records for mailing are updated. He will also

contact the provincial ACO office to update their records for ACORN

mailings

In 1974, Sue Wilson, one of ACO London’s original members, dared to dream on a large scale. Borrowing an idea from Oakville and Niagara-on –the –Lake, she gathered a team to plan the first Geranium Walk to raise funds for the then relatively new branch. It was an ambitious undertaking with a Tour A in the Eldon House area and a Tour B in the Woodfield District. Victorian Fancies was a resounding success and even was mentioned in the Globe and Mail’s society column drawing a large number of walkers from Toronto. Sue’s personal touch was evident in many facets of the early walks, especially the detailed interior and exterior descriptions of buildings. The unusual cover of the 1976 booklet was a reproduction of the wallpaper she had chosen to decorate her own heritage home.

In 2010 we continue the tradition established by Sue and her team. The 37th annual Geranium Heritage House Tour will take place on Sunday, June 6 in the neighbourhood of one of London’s oldest buildings. Eldon Excursion begins at the Eldon House Interpretive Centre, adjacent to London’s oldest residence, Eldon House, built in 1834 by John Harris. The ACO London Region Branch is joining the 175th anniversary celebration of this venerable old residence. Eldon Excursion will visit homes and businesses on the streets that were once London’s premier neighbourhood - Ridout, Talbot, John, Albert and Kent. With vistas high

above the Thames River it is easy to imagine the former grandeur of these streets lined with heritage buildings. Homeowners on our tour have restored many of these architectural gems to highlight the craftsmanship of past generations. Come spend an afternoon on an Eldon Excursion wandering through London’s past and celebrate the present and future of our architectural heritage. Better yet, tour the homes for part of the afternoon and volunteer to be a guide in one of them for the other part of the afternoon. Mark your calendars now for Sunday, June 6, 2010 from 1:00 to 5:00.

Public History Program at UWOThe graduate program at Western is Canada’s longest running Public History program, offering an intensive twelve month Master’s program that explores how history is understood by and com-municated to the public, whether at museums, archives, historical sites, national parks, in films or on the web, in historical fiction, government policy making, historical consulting, and even in academic teaching and research.

Students are offered a chance to meet and network with practicing public historians, listen to guest lectures, and participate in hands-on workshops.through the public history professional development seminars. This series is mandatory for Public History students and usually occurs during class time but others are welcome. If you are interested in attending these seminars, please contact Michelle Hamilton, Director of Public History, by emailing mhamilt3@uwo.ca.

The 2009-10 Public History students recently curated an exhibit stemming from their research on historic homes in the Talbot and Ridout streets area. The students evaluated their findings for local heritage significance based on the London Built Heritage Resource Evaluation, and presented the results to the Stewardship Committee for the London Advisory Committee on Heri-tage (LACH) this past fall. The City of London will use these reports in the creation of a heritage conservation dis-trict in the Talbot and Ridout streets area.

GERANIUM HERITAGE HOUSE TOUR

Sean Galloway, City of London Urban PlannerLondon’s Urban Planner, Sean Galloway, was the guest speaker at the Annual General Meeting. He began his presentation with a quote from William H. Whyte, author of City: Rediscovering the Center: “It is difficult to design a space that will not attract people. What is remarkable is how often this has been accomplished.” “Urban design,” Mr. Galloway said, “is about creating great spaces.” A compact, connected, green city is its focus as it strives to promote healthy neighbourhoods in the city.

Proposals for London’s future development in the next 25 to 30 years calls for neighbourhoods with a variety of housing that would meet the needs of people through the various stages of life. Moving from your neighbourhood to downsize would not be necessary in the community of the future. A variety of housing would attract a matching variety of services making the community self sufficient and reducing the need to travel across the city to access services. Transportation in this future London would include streetcar lines on major city arteries and a rapid transit system. Heritage landscapes would be a vital part of this vision as new development would occur behind or above older buildings.

For good urban design to be realized we must buy into the idea as a culture and politicians must buy in as well. Despite the concerns of “Where will the money come from?” we must realize that a more competitive city encourages economic growth. How do we keep London a thriving city? Mr. Galloway closed by quoting again from William Whyte. “What attracts people the most, it would appear, is other people.”

Sunday, June 6, 2010 Geranium Heritage House TourELDON EXCURSION

ACO Members in the NewsCongratulations to Jennifer Grainger for her inclusion in the Mayor’s Honours List for 2010. Jenny was honoured for her commitment to heritage issues as a long-standing member of both ACO London and the London and Middlesex Historical Society. She has served as newsletter editor and on many Geranium Heritage House tours as guide, house captain and a committee member.

We are happy to have her rejoin the ACO as recording secretary. Her research into our area’s past has produced the fasci-nating Vanished Villages of Middlesex and Vanished Villages of Elgin. Her cur-rent project, the indexing and editing of a chronology of significant London events, will be published shortly.

- 4 -

Architectural Conservancy of Ontario - London Region Branch c/o Grosvenor Lodge 1017 Western Road London, ON N6G 1G5Telephone: 519.645.2845 Fax: 519.645.0981 www.acolondon.ca

Marlyn Loft, President ACO London & John Manness President Heritage London Foundation

2010 Heritage Awards Night

Peter Hayes is presented award by London Heritage Planner, Don Menard

Greg Van Moorsel, News Editor and reporter, Joe Belanger, accept award on behalf of the London Free Press

ACO LONDON BRANCH COUNCIL

President Marlyn LoftVice-President Genet HodderPast President Ann RiddellTreasurer John TherriaultRecording Secretary Jennifer GraingerMembership Secretary Ken FitchettProgram Chair Arthur McClelland

Geranium Heritage House Tour Chair Sylvia ChodasGHHT Committee M. Loft, S. Lunau, E. Milne, B. Porter

Newsletter Editor/Communications Chair Sharon Lunau Mailings Don & Fran MenardNewsletter layout Marty PetersonProofreading Ken Fitchett

Web Site Marty Peterson

Representatives toUrban League Marlyn LoftLACH Anne McKillop

Members-at-Large Bob Porter John Lutman

Heritage Trades Award P. Grabowski, S. Lunau, B. Porter

ACO/ HLF Heritage Awards S. Bentley, S. Gladwell, G. Hodder, J. Hunten, M. Loft, J. Manness, A. McKillop

Restoration Grant D. Menard (chair), J. Beck, J. Therriault

Advisors on the Executive Julia Beck Janet Hunten

Shirley Gladwell Don Menard

Fall Bus Trip CommitteeA. McClelland, S. Chodas

ELDON HOUSE LECTURES AND TOURS The Architecture of Eldon HouseThursday, May 13, 2:00 to 4:00 pmAt the London Public Library, Central BranchAs part of the Spring 2010 series of Lost Stories of London, Nancy Tausky will speak on Eldon House and its Georgian architecture.

Heritage Gardens: the blending of gardens past and present.Sunday, May 16 London Fanshawe Horticultural Society master gardener Elmer Jorgensen and University of Western Ontario classical studies professor Dr. Kelly Olson present Heritage Gardens: the blending of gardens past and present.

All lectures start at 2:00 pm in the Eldon House Interpretive Centre, unless oth-erwise noted. Limited seating. Reserve your free ticket by calling 519.661-0333

The Harrises of Eldon House and John WilsonThursday, June 3, 7:00 to 9:00 pmAt the London Public Library, Central BranchLondon Room Librarian Arthur G. McClelland and Leith Peterson will provide a biographical sketch of John Wilson including his duel in Perth, Ontario (the 141st anniversary of the death of John Wilson) and Peterson will talk about Wilson’s relationship with the Harris family.

Eldon House Garden ToursSundays, June 20 to August 29 Volunteer Tour Guides from the London Fanshawe Horticultural Society will be available Sunday afternoons offering free tours of the historic gardens. Call 519.661.0333 for times.

For more programmes at Eldon House check www.eldonhouse.ca

Peter Katz presents his oil painting to SRAB draw winner, Eila Milne