Description of Historic Place

The Lawson House, located at 37 Essex Street, is on the east side of the street, south of Lighthouse Street, in the Town of Goderich. The two storey wood clapboard residence was constructed in 1857.

The property was designated by the Town of Goderich for its historic value under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 7 of 1978).

Heritage Value

The Lawson House is a good representation of a small Georgian style residence. Typical of this style is the symmetrical three bay clapboard facade. The Lawson House is situated in a neighbourhood of residences built in the same mid-19th century period in Goderich, which together contribute to the historic character of the area.

The Lawson House is named after Walter Lawson, a surveyor who lived in the house during the 1860s. It is also associated with Sir Casimir Gzowski, a noted Canadian civil engineer and military man, who used Lawson's house as his Goderich field office during the 1860s while working for the Grand Trunk Railway on the Toronto-Guelph-Sarnia railway line. Among many other achievements, Gzowski is also known for engineering the international bridge crossing the Niagara River at Fort Erie and Buffalo between 1871 and 1873, as well as for serving as president of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers between 1889-1891.

Source: Town of Goderich By-law 7 of 1978.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements contributing to the heritage value of the Lawson House include its:
- symmetrical three bay facade
- gable roof
- clapboard siding
- wood pilasters, entablature
- sidelights around door
- second storey 6 over 6 windows
- situation on Essex Street, in close proximity to other mid-19th century residences