Intention to Designate 460 Concession Street, Hamilton

Description of Property

The 1.8-hectare lot municipally addressed as 460 Concession Street is comprised of a three-storey institutional building originally constructed in 1929, known as George L. Armstrong School. The property underwent two additions: the first in 1953, which introduced two-storey wings on the east and west, and the second in 1987, which extended the east wing southward. The property has a deep setback fronting onto Concession Street and is bound by East 19^th Street and East 18^th Street to the east and west, respectively. The property is located in the Inch Park Neighbourhood on the Hamilton Mountain, formerly part of Barton Township, in the City of Hamilton.

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

The three-storey brick clad building located at 460 Concession Street, known as the George L. Armstrong School, was constructed in 1929. The property has design and physical value as a representative example of the Collegiate Gothic style and displays a high degree of artisanry through the decorative stone elements of the original 1929 school building.

The historical value of the property lies in its association with the development of Hamilton’s Mountain community following the First and Second World Wars and with its association with George Loftus Armstrong (1864–1936), the school trustee for whom the school was named. The property is also associated with prominent Hamilton architect Walter Grayson Brown (1879–1960), prominent local building company W.H. Cooper Construction Company (now Cooper Construction), and the local supplier Hamilton Ritchie Cut Stone Company Limited.

Contextually, this property is important in defining the character of Hamilton’s Mountain community and the Inch Park Neighbourhood. It is historically and visually linked to the surrounding area. Sited on its original location, this structure has a deep set back from Concession Street, with a landscaped lawn and trees. The property is historically connected to the now demolished Inverness Elementary School, with the two schools having been treated as a single entity from 1929-1954. Its large and distinctive massing, accompanied by a sizable front lawn makes it a prominent feature of Concession Street, and is considered a local landmark. rial 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 physical value of the property as being a representative example of a Collegiate Gothic institutional building, in demonstrating a high degree of craftsmanship, and historical value for its association with the development of Hamilton’s Mountain community, George L. Armstrong, architect Walter Grayson Brown, local builder W.H. Cooper Construction Company and supplier Hamilton Ritchie Cut Stone Company Limited, include:

• All exterior elevations of the original three-storey 1929 building, including its:
  • Symmetrical plan and front facade;
  • Flemish bond brick facades with stone accents;
  • Horizontal stone banding;
  • Grouped windows with stone window surrounds;
  • Crenelated brick parapet with stone details including the:
    • Stone panel depicting St. George slaying a dragon;
    • Large stone panel with the raised inscription reading “George L. Armstrong School;”;
    • Stone relief panel with elaborative floral motif bearing the inscription “A.D. 1930”; and,
    • Stone relief panels decorated with a floral motif incorporating maple leaves and featuring crests showing the Lamp of Knowledge and an open book;
  • Main entrance on the front (north) elevation including its:
    • Stone pointed Gothic arch over the entryway;
    • Stone panel above the arch that bears the inscription “Per Ardua ad Astra”, flanked by images of medieval children in relief;
    • Elaborate stone spandrels featuring a leaf motif and Tudor roses;
    • Stone pilasters with Corinthian capitals; and,
    • Pair of three-dimensional stone faces of a student and teacher;
  • Rear entrance on the south elevation including its:
    • Stone archway; and,
    • Stone spandrels with floral motifs.

The two later additions - the first in 1953 which introduced two-storey wings on the east and west, and the second in 1987 which extended the east wing southward - are considered to be of cultural heritage value or interest but are not included in the list of Heritage Attributes forming part of this designation by-law.

Key attributes that embody the contextual value of the property as a defining feature of the character of the Mountain community and Inch Park Neighbourhood, and being a local landmark, include its:

• Deep setback from Concession Street with landscaped lawn with its central walkway to the front entrance.