Intention to Designate 440 Victoria Avenue North, Hamilton

Description of Property

The 0.4-hectare property municipally addressed as 440 Victoria Avenue North is comprised of an industrial office building constructed circa 1929, the last remaining structure of a former industrial complex that was the location of the Otis-Fensom Elevator Company, and later the Studebaker Corporation. The property occupies the corner of Victoria Avenue North and Ferrie Street East, located in the Keith Neighbourhood in the bayfront industrial area, in the City of Hamilton.

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

The property, known as the Otis-Fensom Office Building, has design or physical value as a rare and representative example of an early-twentieth century industrial office building constructed in the Edwardian Classicism style of architecture. The three-storey brick structure demonstrates a high degree of craftsmanship, evident in the ornamental detailing that enhances the otherwise utilitarian nature of an industrial facility. These features include finely executed brickwork, dressed stone accents, a chamfered building corner, and the classical entablature over the main entrance on Victoria Avenue North. 

The property holds historical value due to its association with Hamilton’s industrial legacy, particularly through its connection with two major companies: the Otis-Fensom Elevator Company, and the Studebaker Corporation. In 1906, Otis merged with its Canadian competitor, Fensom’s Toronto Elevator Manufacturing Company, forming the Otis-Fensom Elevator Company. Due to mounting success, the company would move their Canadian headquarters to Hamilton and build the subject property as their primary office in 1929. The company would expand the industrial complex during the Second World War creating a munitions plant, playing a critical role in Hamilton’s wartime industrial utilization. After the war, the Studebaker Company would move into the industrial complex where it manufactured the famous Studebaker car from 1946 until 1966. The property’s near-century-long industrial operation reflects Hamilton’s industrial evolution and has the potential to yield information on the socio-economic impact of industrialization, wartime production, and the labour movement. 

The property is associated with the work of the prominent architectural firm Hutton & Souter. The property was commissioned and built by the firm in 1929 as the office headquarters for the Otis-Fensom Elevator Company. This prominent Hamilton architectural firm’s most notable works include the Hamilton Post Office (1936) and the Neo-Gothic Basilica of Christ the King (1933).

Contextually, this property is important to defining the historic character of Hamilton’s bayfront industrial area. As one of the few remaining office buildings associated with a major industrial complex, it serves as a visual and cultural marker of the Hamilton’s industrial achievements. The property, with its distinctive large three-storey massing and prominent corner setting at Victoria Avenue North and Ferrie Street East, is considered a local landmark for its architectural style and its dominance at the intersection.

Key attributes that embody the cultural heritage value of the property as a rare and representative example of an early-twentieth century industrial office building constructed in the Edwardian Classicism style, which demonstrates a high degree of craftsmanship, and its historical associations with the Otis-Fensom Elevator Company and the Studebaker Corporation include:

• The front (west) and side (south) elevations and roofline of the three-storey 1929 building, including its:
  • Brick façades laid in Flemish bond;
  • Brick parapet with decorative moulded stone cornice below;
  • Chamfered building corner where the west and south elevations meet;
  • Flat-headed window openings in the second and third storeys;
  • Segmentally-arched window and door openings in the first storey;
  • Decorative brick and stone detailing throughout, including:
    • A continuous stone cornice above the first storey;
    • Raised brick panels separating the second and third storeys;
    • Brick pilasters separating the upper window bays with stone capitals;
    • Brick voussoirs and stone keystones;
    • Moulded stone lintels and sills; and,
    • Rusticated brick detailing in the first storey;
  • Front (west) central entrance with its classical stone entablature; and, 
  • Stone foundation with trim. 

Key attributes that embody the contextual value of the property as a defining feature of the historical character of Hamilton’s bayfront industrial area and as a local landmark include its:

• Location fronting onto the corner of Victoria Avenue North and Ferrie Street East.