Intention to Designate Properties in Hamilton

Description of Property

The 0.09-hectare lot municipally addressed as 6 Main Street East, Hamilton is comprised of a brick building, originally constructed in the 1840’s with substantial additions in the late-nineteenth, early-twentieth, and mid-twentieth centuries. The property is located at the southeast corner of Main Street East and James Street South, in Hamilton’s downtown core and commercial district in the historic Corktown Neighbourhood in the City of Hamilton. 

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

The brick building, known as The Hamilton Club, was constructed in the 1840’s and converted into an institutional club house in 1874. The late-nineteenth century portion of the building holds design and physical value as a unique example of a vernacular brick building influenced by the Classical Revival style of architecture that was converted for institutional use through a series of renovations and additions. The east wing, renovated in 1907, has physical value as a rare and representative example of a building in Hamilton influenced by the Art Nouveau style of architecture, also displaying a high degree of craftsmanship.

The historical value of the property lies in its association with significant Hamiltonians, including Dr. Edwin Henwood (1819- 1882) and Charles Magill (1816-1898), and its long-standing use as the headquarters of the Hamilton Club from 1873 until present day. The Hamilton Club, a social gentlemen’s club, was officially established in January 1873 through the efforts of Isaac Buchanan (1810-1883). The Hamilton Club yields information on Hamilton’s elite and business community with the construction of the 1959 ladies’ annex marking a key shift toward inclusivity as women were formally admitted. The property has a long and complex architectural history and holds associations with many of Hamilton’s prominent architects, including William Leith (1835-1880), Alfred Peene (1869-1940), Charles W. Mulligan (1845-1908), William Munro (1973-1929), Robert Mead (1868-1938), Lester B. Husband (1893-1972), and Arthur W. Wallace (1903-1978)

Contextually, this property is important in defining the character of Hamilton’s downtown and commercial district. The property is visually, historically, and physically linked to its surroundings as part of the surviving mid-nineteenth to early-twentieth century Main Street streetscape. The property is considered to be a landmark and is a component of a set of landmark buildings located at the prominent downtown Hamilton intersection of Main and James Streets.

Description of Heritage Attributes

 Key attributes that embody the physical value of the property as being a unique example of a vernacular brick building influenced by the Classical Revival and the Art Nouveau styles of architecture that was converted for institutional, in demonstrating a high degree of craftsmanship, and historical value for its association with Dr. Edwin Henwood, Charles Magill, The Hamilton Club and architects William Leith, Alfred Peene, Charles W. Mulligan and William Munro, include its:

• North, west and south exterior elevations and roofline of the northwestern brick portion of the building constructed between 1874 and 1897, including its:
  • Two-and-one-half storey massing;
  • Hip roof with projecting gables with returning eaves;
  • Brick chimneys;
  • Moulded frieze with dentils;
  • Semi-circular windows below the gables;
  • Red brick construction;
  • Decorative brickwork including brick quoins, banding, and raised window surrounds with brick keystones;
  • Segmentally-arched window openings with hung wood windows with wooden storms and stone lug sills;
  • Projecting rounded bay in the first storey of the north elevation with its:
    • Flat roof;
    • Moulded cornice with dentilated frieze;
    • Three rounded, flat-headed hung wood windows; and,
    • Continuous stone lintel and sill;
  • Cut-stone foundation with an even-course rock-faced finish and stone lintels above the basement window openings.
• North and west exterior elevations and roofline of the three-storey circa 1907 eastern wing, including its:
  • Buff-brick three-bay front façade;
  • Stepped brick parapet capped with stone;
  • Broken moulded cornice with decorated frieze with an egg-and-dart pattern;
  • Third storey with its:
    • Central window with a half-round transom, which is framed by round and banded stone columns with Doric capitals;
    • Moulded stone cornice;
    • Two flanking flat-headed hung wood windows with stylized curved horizontal muntins, alternating brick voussoirs and keystones; and,
    • Stone course between third and second storeys;
  • Second storey with its:
    • Three flat hung wood windows with stylized curved horizontal muntins, semi-circular transoms in arcaded bays, with stone slip sills and brick voussoirs;
  • First storey with its:
    • Moulded stone cornice between the first and second storeys;
    • Banding with smoothed even-course finish;
    • Two flat-headed hung wood windows with stylized curved horizontal muntins and stone sills;
    • Western entrance with transom with stylized curved horizontal muntins, double wood doors with decorative shape, and even-course stone surrounds with quoining;
  • Even course cut-stone foundation.

Key attributes that embody the historical value of the property for its association with The Hamilton Club, in reflecting the significant shift in Hamilton’s elite and business community to be more inclusive and welcome women members to the Hamilton Club, and in reflecting the work of prominent Hamilton architects Robert Mead, Lester B. Husband, and Arthur W. Wallace, include its:

• West elevations of the one and two storey 1959 Annex buildings, including its:
  • Flat rooflines;
  • First-storey projecting oriel bay window with flat roof and moulded cornice;
  • Flat-headed, six-over-six hung wood windows with wooden storms, alternating brick voussoirs, keystones, and stone lug sills;
  • Continuous stone sill between the first and second storeys;
  • Central entrance in the two-storey portion with its:
    • Moulded stone surrounds;
    • Entablature; and,
    • Decorated transom and sidelights.

Key attributes that embody the contextual value of the property as a defining feature of the character of Hamilton’s downtown core and commercial district, and being a local landmark, include its:

• Location fronting onto the corner of Main Street East and James Street South.

Description of Property

The 0.32-hectare property municipally addressed as 1401 King Street East, Hamilton is comprised of an ecclesiastical building originally constructed between 1923 and 1925, with a sympathetic addition on the north elevation completed in 1955 and a contemporary 1968 addition on the west elevation. The property is located on the triangular lot bound by King Street East, Grosvenor Avenue and Maple Avenue, in the historic Delta Neighbourhood, in the City of Hamilton.

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

The ecclesiastical building located at 1401 King Street East has design value as a representative example of a place of worship influenced by Neo-Gothic style of architecture. The property also displays a high degree of craftsmanship through its the pointed arched window openings with tracery and limestone surrounds, its interior fan vault plaster ceiling and its fifteen stained glass windows.

The historical value of the church property lies in its association with the historic Grace Anglican Church, which has had a presence in Hamilton since 1919 and with the congregation’s expression of commemoration in the form of the artistic stained glass windows, the most significant being the 1945 Second World War memorial window. The property is also associated with prominent local architect George Thomas Evans (1889-1968), whose practice focused primarily on ecclesiastical and school buildings, known for his ideology that churches need not only to be beautiful but should function in the community by including a community space. The property is also associated with local architect firm W.R. Souter and Associates, local construction company Hill Brothers Contracting and to nationally successful glass company Hobbs Glass Ltd.

Contextually, this property is important in defining the historic character of the historic Delta Neighbourhood of east Hamilton. As one of the first institutional buildings constructed for the community, it supported the development of the emerging Delta Neighbourhood in the early-twentieth century. It is historically and visually linked to its surroundings, in its original setting fronting onto the historic King Street East corridor and surrounded by historic early-twentieth century residential architecture. As a large and highly visible structure with a distinctive architectural style and set on a unique shaped triangular lot, this property is considered a local landmark.

Description of Heritage Attributes

Key attributes that embody the physical value of the property as a representative example of an ecclesiastical building influenced by the Neo Gothic style of architecture displaying a high degree of craftsmanship, and its associations with the Grace Anglican Church and prominent local architect George Evans and architectural firm W.R Souter and Associates, prominent local builders Hill Brothers Contracting and the nationally-recognized glass manufacturers Hobbs Glass Ltd., include:

• All elevations and the roofline of the 1925 nave, including its:
  • Rectangular plan;
  • Front gabled roof clad in slate shingles with step parapet and stone caps;
  • Buff brick façades;
  • Symmetrical front (east) elevation with its:
    • Projecting vestibule with decorative limestone quoining and surround, and stone steps up to the raised pointed-arched entrance with double wood doors;
    • Flat-headed windows with tracery and limestone lintels and sills;
    • Cornerstone inscribed with the year 1925;
    • Large pointed-arch window below the front gable;
  • Two projecting gabled bays in the west elevation creating the church transept;
  • Fourteen stained-glass windows with tracery and limestone surrounds;
  • Five-bay side (east and west) elevations with corbelled cornices and decorative step buttresses with limestone caps separating the bays;
  • Continuous limestone course between the basement and first storey;
  • Flat-headed eight-over-eight hung wood basement windows.

Key attributes that embody the physical value of the property as a representative example of an ecclesiastical building influenced by the Neo Gothic style of architecture displaying a high degree of craftsmanship, and its associations with the Grace Anglican Church and prominent local architectural firm W.R Souter and Associates, and prominent local builders Hill Brothers Contracting, include:

• All elevations and roofline of the 1955 chancel addition, including its:
  • Buff brick facades;
  • Gable roof with step parapet and stone caps;
  • Large pointed-arch stained glass window below the rear gable with tracery and limestone lintel, quoining and sill;
  • Flat-headed window and door openings with limestone lintels, quoining and sills;
  • Continuous limestone course between the basement and first storey;
  • Interior features including its fan vaulted plaster ceiling, with half-round columns.

The 1968 office and Sunday School building are not considered to be of cultural heritage value or interest. 

Key attributes that embody the contextual value of the property as a defining element in the character of the Delta Neighbourhood and as a local landmark include its:

• Location fronting onto King Street and bound by Maple Avenue and Grosvenor Avenue South;
• The unique angled siting on the lot.