Description of Historic Place

The St. Marys Museum, located at 177 Church Street South, is on the east side of Church Street in Cadzow Park in the Town of St. Marys.

The two-and-a-half-storey limestone residence was constructed in 1854. The property was designated by the Town of St. Marys in 1981 for its heritage value under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 71-1981).

Heritage Value

The St. Marys Museum is associated with George Tracy and the Weir family. Tracy had the house built by craftsman local Robert Barbour in 1854 to replace his original log cabin home nearby. Tracy was an early settler of St. Marys and owned several hundred acres of land that were eventually sold for building lots in the south ward of the Town.

Arguably, the most notable residents were the Weir family, who owned the property from 1878 to 1926. The last private owners named the property Cadzow Park, after an estate near their ancestral home in Scotland. The Weir family put significant effort into beautifying the grounds. This work sparked the interest of John G. Lind, a founder of the St. Marys Cement Company who had an interest in municipal parks, and saw the property's potential for community recreation purposes. Lind, with the Rotary Club of St. Marys, purchased the property in 1926 and presented it to the town on the condition that it would always be used for recreational and cultural purposes.

The St. Marys Museum is an outstanding example of early, large, limestone residences in St. Marys. Constructed by local builder Robert Barbour, it displays a high degree of craftsmanship in its sturdy and simple lines. Gothic influences are evident, including the pitched gables and the curling bargeboards. The property also has hints of Georgian influences which are seen in its proportions. The smooth faced limestone structure features four six-over-six symmetrical front windows separated by a double front verandah. Also of note are the interesting arrangements of the gables on the side elevations and the unique chimney groupings set at an angle to the roof at each gabled end.

The prominence of the property in St. Marys history is enhanced by its location on a hilltop overlooking Cadzow Park. This location illustrates the importance of the house to St. Marys history and the distinction of its owners.

Source: Town of St. Marys, By-Law 71-81.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the St. Marys Museum include its:
- prominent hilltop location overlooking Cadzow Park
- opulence of the home, indicating its former owners' wealth and prominence in the community
- two-storey, smooth-faced limestone construction
- double front veranda
- gable roof
- front gables
- chimney configuration
- four symmetrically placed six-over-six windows on the facade
- symmetrical double sash windows on side elevations
- semi-circular windows on facade gables
- stone lintels and sills
- curling bargeboard