Description of Historic Place

Gilmour and Hughson Limited Office, also known as the Gilmour Hughson Lumber Co., is located in the north sector of Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau, Hull sector. It is a square, two-storey building with a truncated, hipped roof and solid masonry walls. The modest exterior decoration includes stone banding, quoins, and rustic stonework around the window and door openings. Unusual decorative elements include a gargoyle above the main entrance, medallions and sculpted roses. At the rear is small addition in the form of a lean-to. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Gilmour and Hughson Limited Office is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value
Gilmour and Hughson Limited Office is closely associated with the history of logging in the Ottawa Valley between 1850 and 1925. Built by an Ottawa mason named Richard Lester, it was to serve as the administrative headquarters for the Gilmour Hughson Lumber Co. forestry company. The Gilmour and Hughson families played a major role in the lumber trade, both locally, and across North America. This industry was the driving force of Hull’s economic development.

Architectural value
Valued for its very good aesthetics, the Gilmour and Hughson Limited Office is an example of a small commercial building from the late 19th century. A utilitarian building with carefully crafted details, its very good functional design is evidenced in the use of solid masonry walls that better protect the vault with its metal door. The building’s durable materials speak to its industrial role. Good craftsmanship and materials can be seen in the stonework.

Environmental Value
The Gilmour and Hughson Limited Office is compatible with the present character of its recreational park setting, and is a local landmark.

Sources: Jocelyne Cossette, Bureau de Gilmour and Hughson Limited Office, Parc Jacques-Cartier, Gatineau, Hull sector, Quebec, Heritage Buildings Review Office, Report 91-053; The Gilmour and Hughson limited Office, Gatineau, Hull sector, Quebec, Heritage Character Statement 91-053.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Gilmour and Hughson Limited Office should be respected.

Its good aesthetic, its very good functional design and very good quality craftsmanship and materials, for example:
- the two-storey, cubic massing, and the truncated, hipped roof with chimney;
- the solid masonry walls laid in irregular courses;
- the placement of the wooden sash windows, the doors, and the metal door of the vault and its hardware, also the sills, lintels and chain bonds of rusticated stone around the openings;
- the decorations such as the stone banding, quoins, rustic stonework, the gargoyle above the main entrance, and also the medallions and the sculpted roses;
- the interior configuration, the central masonry vault, the dual-hearth fireplace and the open staircase;
- the pine floors, the tongue-and-groove wooden wall paneling, the window mouldings and openings, and the wooden ceilings;
- the small lean-to addition at the rear.

The manner in which the Gilmour and Hughson Limited Office is compatible with the present character of its recreational park setting, and is a local landmark, as evidenced by:
- its scale, massing, materials and design that harmonize with its landscaped, park surroundings;
- its location in the north sector of Jacques-Cartier park in Gatineau, Hull sector that make it a local landmark.