Home / Accueil

House

528 Wellington Street North, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H, Canada

Formally Recognized: 1993/02/18

Front elevation of the House, showing the shed-roofed dormer and steeply pitched gable roof, 2003.; Parks Canada Agency / Agence Parcs Canada, B. Morin, 2003.
Façade
Corner view of the House, showing the brick-veneer exterior walls and trim treatment, 1984.; Parks Canada Agency / Agence Parcs Canada, 1984.
Corner View
General view of the rear facade of the House showing the vernacular interpretation of Gothic Revival influenced design, 1982.; Parks Canada Agency / Agence Parcs Canada, F. Cattroll, 1982.
General view

Other Name(s)

House
Woodside
Woodside

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1952/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2008/08/19

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

The House, part of the Woodside National Historic Site of Canada, is set in wooded, park-like grounds within the town of Kitchener. The structure’s appearance is based on a Gothic Revival style farmhouse. The one-and-one-half storey, brick-faced building features a steeply pitched gable roof with a shed-roofed dormer, gables, and a porch, which is located in the corner of the ‘L’-shaped plan. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

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

Historical Value:
The House is associated with the development in Canada of the commemoration of important people and places, and the growing interest in social history in the post-war period. Communities undertook to commemorate their past through the establishment of house museums in restored or reconstructed buildings. The House was constructed by a local committee, the Woodside Trust, as a replication of the childhood home of former Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King. Declared a national historic site of Canada in 1952, the building has become a significant draw for tourists and is a very good example of a 1950s house museum. The House is associated with L.O. Breithaupt, a member of the Woodside Trust, Member of Parliament for the federal riding, and Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1952-1957.

Architectural Value:
The House is valued for its good aesthetics. Its form, plan, massing and some details are loosely based on the vernacular interpretation of Gothic Revival of the farmhouse that preceded it on the site. The steeply pitched roof, centre gable on the west elevation and the porch, located in the corner of its ‘L’-shape, are characteristic of the type. Purpose built as a house museum, the House is of conventional 1950s construction and reflects building practices of that period. The brick veneer exterior walls, the shed-roofed dormer, and the trim treatment show good craftsmanship and materials.

Environmental Value:
The House reinforces the picturesque character of its park-like setting at the National Historic Site of Canada. The structure is familiar to visitors and is also a regional landmark.

Sources: Shannon Ricketts, Woodside (House) National Historic Site, Woodside National Historic Site, Kitchener, Ontario, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Report 91-028; Woodside House, Woodside National Historic Site, Kitchener, Ontario, Heritage Character Statement 91-028.

Character-Defining Elements

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

Its vernacular Gothic Revival style with 1950s influences, very good functional design and very good quality materials and craftsmanship, for example:
- the low, ‘L’-shaped, one-and-a-half-storey massing;
- the vernacular interpretation of Gothic Revival influenced design, the steeply pitched gable roof, the gables, and the porch located in the corner of the structure’s ‘L’-shape;
- the conventional 1950s construction that includes the brick-veneer exterior walls supported by a wood frame construction, the shed-roofed dormer, and the trim treatment.

The manner in which the House reinforces the picturesque character of its park-like setting and acts as a regional landmark as evidenced by:
- the picturesque qualities of its vernacular interpretation of Gothic design and form that complement the park-like environment;
- the structure’s high profile as a replication of the childhood home of former Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King and its familiarity to residents.

Recognition

Jurisdiction

Federal

Recognition Authority

Government of Canada

Recognition Statute

Treasury Board Heritage Buildings Policy

Recognition Type

Recognized Federal Heritage Building

Recognition Date

1993/02/18

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Function - Category and Type

Current

Leisure
Museum

Historic

Architect / Designer

Jenkins and Wright

Builder

n/a

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

National Historic Sites Directorate, Documentation Centre, 5th Floor, Room 89, 25 Eddy Street, Gatineau, Quebec

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

5008

Status

Published

Related Places

General view

Woodside National Historic Site of Canada

Woodside National Historic Site of Canada is a picturesque, wooded estate, set in the midst of a modern suburb in the north-east part of the city of Kitchener. It includes a…

SEARCH THE CANADIAN REGISTER

Advanced SearchAdvanced Search
Find Nearby PlacesFIND NEARBY PLACES PrintPRINT
Nearby Places