Description of Historic Place

The Chapel is one of four outbuildings located at the 12 hectare (30 acre) Wilson Estate. The Queen Anne Revival style structure is a one-and-a-half-storey, gable roofed structure with overhanging eaves supported by large brackets and a wooden cross stand at the crest of the gable. Its walls are clad in pressed metal stamped to replicate masonry. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Chapel is a Classified Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value
The Chapel, as an outbuilding at the Willson Estate, is directly associated with one of the grand rustic summer estates popular in the late 19th and 20th centuries. It is directly associated with an early stage in the development of the Gatineau Hills for recreational purposes. The estate was the summer home of the prominent inventor and industrialist, Thomas Leopold Willson, who played a prominent role in scientific research and development in Canada. At the summer home, the Willson family entertained the famous and influential, including the English poet, Rupert Brooke, and the Canadian poet, Duncan Scott.

Architectural Value
The Chapel is valued for its very good aesthetic and good functional design. The careful massing, materials and detailing of the building, suggests a restrained and relatively symmetrical version of the Queen Anne Revival Style, in harmony with the main house at the estate and its rustic setting. The level of detailing and craftsmanship is high.

Environmental Value
The Chapel establishes the rustic character of its estate setting and is a familiar building at the estate.

Sources: Robert Hunter, The Willson Estate, Meech Lake, Gatineau Park, Québec, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Building Report, 84-008; Willson House Complex, Meech Lake, Gatineau Park, Québec, Heritage Character Statement, 84-008.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Chapel should be respected.

Its very good aesthetic and functional design and very good craftsmanship and materials, for example:
- the one-and-a-half-storey massing with a gable roof with overhanging eaves supported by large brackets;
- the wood-frame construction clad in pressed metal stamped to replicate masonry;
- the simply shaped bargeboard in the gable ends and the simple wooden cross that stands at the crest of the gable;
- the rectangular openings and the one round-headed window in the front façade’s gable end;
- the openings on the side façades;
- the small hatch doors.

The manner in which the Chapel establishes the rustic character of its estate setting and is a familiar building in the area, as evidenced by:
- its overall scale, design and materials, which harmonize with its adjacent buildings, and landscaped surroundings and contribute to the overall rustic character of the estate;
- its location, close to the main house, which makes it a familiar building at the estate.