Notice of Intention to Designate13-15 Inglewood Drive, Hamilton

In the matter of the Ontario Heritage Act and the property in the City of Hamilton known municipally as 13-15 Inglewood Drive, notice is hereby given that the City of Hamilton intends to designate this property as being a property of cultural heritage value.

Why?

The dwelling at 13-15 Inglewood Drive was constructed in the mid 19th century in the Gothic Revival architectural style. It was constructed for Archibald Kerr who became a prominent local business man that left a mark on Hamilton. The property is also associated with a number of other prominent locals such as John Stuart who was involved in the railway and William Thomas, the architect who designed the dwelling.  The Statement of Cultural Heritage Value reflects cultural heritage attributes on the exterior, interior and landscape of the property.

The Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest, Description of Heritage Attributes and supporting Cultural Heritage Assessment may be viewed in person during regular business hours at:

Office of the City Clerk
71 Main Street West,
1st Floor, Hamilton, Ontario

Written Notice of Objection

Any person may, within 30 days after the date of the publication of the Notice, serve written notice of their objections to the proposed designation, together with a statement for the objection and relevant facts.

Dated at Hamilton, this 23 day of June, 2017.

R. Caterini
City Clerk
Hamilton, Ontario

Contact:
Chelsey Tyers
Cultural Heritage Planner
Phone: 905-546-2424 ext. 1202
Email: [email protected]

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

Description of Historic Place

Inglewood is located on the south side of Inglewood Drive. The property is nestled at the foot of the Niagara Escarpment, however, it is still sufficiently elevated to capture a view of the Hamilton city center. The property was originally part of a larger, 12-acre estate and is the oldest building in the residential neighbourhood. The key resource is a large two-and-a-half storey, stone building built circa 1850 in the Gothic Revival architectural style on an irregular plan. The building has many decorative features which accentuate its Gothic Revival style. The property is accessed by a driveway located on Inglewood Drive, however, there is also an entrance to the rear of the property off James Mountain Road; the latter driveway is part of the circulation pattern of the original estate. The property is currently divided into five separate dwelling units.

Heritage Value

The large two-and-a-half storey, stone building, built circa 1850, is a representative example of Gothic Revival architecture. The structure includes many of the features associated with this style, including its steeply pitched roofs, double lancet windows, drip molding, and overall emphasized height. The building is representative of the mid-19th century architectural period when stone was the primary building material in Hamilton, making this building a surviving example from the short but important historic period of stone building construction of the mid- 19th century. This period of development is representative of a time of great transition for Hamilton from a small outpost to an urban center. This was a time when many prominent and wealthy individuals built estates along the foot of the escarpment.

The property is directly associated with Archibald Kerr who hired William Thomas to build the residence around 1850 for Kerr and his family. Kerr was a local merchant who founded A & T.C. Kerr and Company, with his brother Thomas Kerr. Archibald Kerr was also founder of the Board and Trade, an investor in Burlington Bay Dock and Shipbuilding company, and founding director of the first life insurance company in Canada, the Canadian Life Assurance Company.

The property is also associated with John Stuart. Stuart was a prominent figure in the late-19th century. Stuart began his career as a founding member of the Harvey, Stuart and Company wholesale grocers. He was Director of the Wellington, Grey & Bruce Railway line, the Hamilton Lake-Erie railroads, served as the President of the Hamilton & North Western Railway and was involved in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Stuart held other prestigious positions, most notably as one of the founders of the Bank of Hamilton in 1872.

In addition, the property is associated with architect William Thomas. William Thomas is considered to have been a leader in proficiency in the Gothic Revival style. He was an influential architect in the 19th century whose prolific body of work includes highly regarded and recognizable institutional, ecclesiastical, residential, commercial and industrial buildings across southern Ontario.

Description of Heritage Attributes

The heritage attributes that are essential to the cultural heritage value of this property are: the two and a half storey stone residential building built circa 1850; the associated retaining wall fronting on Inglewood Drive which maintains the viewpoints; the mature trees and landscaping found around the property; its frontage onto Inglewood Drive; the remaining views looking north to the lower city from the northern elevation; and the building’s visibility from James Mountain Drive.

Attributes of the exterior of the dwelling include:

• The two and a half storey height and orientation of the building;
• The irregular massing of form and its overall emphasized height;
• The steeply pitched roof and varied roof line;
• The gable peak lancet windows;
• The Victorian cupola;
• The three triple stacked brick chimneys and the central grouping of four chimney stacks;
• The large, smooth, cut limestone exteriors;
• The corbelled cornice which separates the ground and first level;
• The stone buttress wall on the façade (east elevation);
• The arched door opening and large stone voussoir located on the north side of the stone buttress wall;
• The projecting triple bay window of the solarium room located on the south-east corner;
• The three bay façade (east elevation) with central gable peak with pointed arched window;
• The carved wooden door, sidelights, and pointed transom opening;
• The original door hardware including knob, mail slot and knocker;
• The projecting single storey bay window, composed of three rectangular double hung, single paned wooden windows overlaid with a simple drip moulding, decorative corbelled floral cornice;
• Intricate stone carved faces found on the north elevation;
• The decorative drip moulding surrounding the windows;
• The double lancet wood windows set in cut stone rectangular framing;
• The covered open porch on the north elevation, including the decorative wooden post, wood railings and flooring; and,
• The stone foundation made of course rubble stones.

Attributes of the interior of the dwelling include:

• Unit 1 Dining Room:
  • Decorative Plaster Ceiling.
• Unit 2 Front Entrance Vestibule Area:
  • Carved quarter cut American white oak doors and casings;
  • Stain glass transom and side lights; and,
  • Decorative plaster ceilings and details.