Description of Historic Place

The H. Vincent Meredith Residence National Historic Site of Canada is located in Montréal, Quebec. Built in 1896 of red brick with stone trim, this fine two-and-a-half-storey Queen Anne Revival-style mansion has an asymmetrical composition. Plain wall surfaces contrast with a band of decorative brickwork at eave level. A prominent tower with a conical roof provides focus and contrasts with the mass of the steep hipped roof with its dormers and very tall chimneys. Steps lead up to the main entrance set under an open porch. Official recognition refers to the building on its legal lot.

Heritage Value

H. Vincent Meredith Residence was designated a national historic site of Canada in 1990 because it is a particularly noteworthy example of the use of the Queen Anne Revival style in domestic architecture.

The house, with its elegant styling and spacious grounds, was typical of the many mansions built by Montréal’s financial elite in the late 19th century in the area called the “Golden Square Mile”. In this case the house, with its warm red brick, eclectic stylistic references, and whimsical composition with turrets, towers and lively roofline, is an outstanding example of the then-fashionable Queen Anne Revival style. The house was built in 1897 for Andrew Allen, a partner in the Allen Line Steamship Company by Montréal architects Edward and William Maxwell. From 1906 to 1941, it was the home of Sir Vincent Meredith, president of the Bank of Montréal, and his wife Isabella Allan. Sir H. Vincent Meredith died in 1929 and in 1941 Lady Meredith willed the large private house to the Royal Victoria Hospital for use as a nurses’ residence. It was later acquired by McGill College. In 1990 the residence suffered a fire but was subsequently restored to its original appearance. It is currently used as the McGill Centre for Medecine, Ethics and Law.

Source: Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Minutes, September, 1990.

Character-Defining Elements

The key elements that contribute to the heritage character of this site include:
- the prominent location on a sloped site within the “Golden Square Mile” of downtown Montréal;
- the asymmetrical massing set under a steep hipped roof;
- the construction of rich red brick with stone trim;
- the high spiky roofline;
- the eclectic use of stylistic features such as the classically inspired Venetian window, medieval English detailing such as the tall, ribbed chimney stacks, French medieval features including the Romanesque columns at the door, lancet windows and a round tower with conical roof;
- the brick entry porch with a stepped pediment;
- the original placement, design, and materials of doors and windows;
- the remaining original interior decoration in the main rooms;
- surviving evidence of the original functional layout.