IN THE MATTER OF THE ONTARIO HERITAGE ACT, R.S.O. 1990, CHAPTER 0.18 AND IN THE MATTER OF THE LANDS AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATION IN THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO
TAKE NOTICE that the Council of the Corporation of the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake intends to designate the property at 716 KING STREET, ALEXANDER HOUSE (PLAN 86 RP 30R2061 PART 1) as a property of cultural heritage value or interest under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter 0.18.
Description of Property
The subject property is located at 716 King Street. The subject property is located on the south side of King Street near the intersection of King Street and Cottage Street. It is located within the urban boundary of Old Town. The property is known as Alexander House and was constructed in 1982.
Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest
The property known as the Alexander House at 716 King Street has cultural heritage value or interest for its design and physical values, its historical and associative values and its contextual values.
Architecturally, the house is described as a New Traditional style interpretation of an 18th Century Dutch Colonial form; its broken gambrel roof, massive central fireplace chimney, symmetrical 5 bay facade being typical of this form during the 1700’s. Despite its traditional presentation, the circa 1981 to 1982 dwelling at 716 King Street represents an arche-typical example of a construction method. Built prior to Natural Resources Canada publishing the formal R2000 guidelines in 1982, it none the less met and exceeded that standard; a standard which directly impacted the evolution of building codes across Canada and continues to do so today. The dwelling is the first R2000 house built in Niagara and based on extensive research, appears to be the first private home built to these standards in Canada. Moreover, many of the materials used in the building represent sustainable construction. “Reclaim, reuse and repurpose” was a core methodology in the dwelling’s construction. The exterior half-timbering and circa 1817 handmade brick cladding are examples of reclamation and repurposing from historic provincial sources as are the interior fir turnings and the white oak panels, flooring and cabinetry. Both artistry and craftsmanship are evidenced throughout the house design and its elements. The exterior presentation employs strategic use of half-timber framing to bracket and define the facade, the openings and the brick herringbone panels, while the introduction of three courses of fish scale shingles in the cedar shingle roofing combined with the broken gambrel roof stepdown lightens the weight of the roof. The combination of art and craft is exemplified on the interior with the use of stained-glass art, created by Erika Alexander, which is imbedded as the centre pane unit in many windows openings
Since the 1970’s, the Alexanders, as a couple, have had a fundamental impact on the preservation and evolution of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s social, cultural and built heritage. Anchored from this King Street home, they have individually and in partnership, made significant contributions to the local community, heritage education and preservation. They founded ‘The Friends of Niagara National Historic Sites, Inc.’ (The Friends of Fort George), a non-profit organization that works in partnership with Parks Canada to preserve and promote the heritage of Niagara National Historic Sites. Jim Alexander was the co-founder of Willowbank School of Restoration Arts, served as the Vice-Chair on the school’s Board of Directors and was a long serving member of the faculty. In addition, Jim Alexander has contributed to the preservation of provincially important built heritage which includes the Lennox House (Lenwil) in Toronto, the Salem Chapel (British Methodist Episcopal Church) in St. Catharines, Port Colborne’s Reformed Mennonite Meeting House, the Riverbrink Art Museum in Queenston and the circa 1832 Queenston Baptist Church (later the Women’s Institute). Further, his work in the creation of didactic display for Parks Canada across Ontario underwrote broad public education in our cultural heritage landscapes.
Contextually, the Alexander House’s building form, style, and presentation creates a visually important transition on the streetscape between the heritage designated ca. 1817 Neo-Classical Cameron-Farrell House at 708 King Street, the circa 1940 traditional farmhouse with gambrel roofed outbuilding at 725 King Street and the New Traditional 1920’s styled Colonial Revival dwelling at 720 King Street. The building’s scale, form, massing and composition are consistent with, and visually linked to, its surroundings and streetscape. Moreover, the reclaimed and traditional materials which create the building’s overall presentation establish an unequivocal historical linkage to the local neighbourhood history and the overall heritage context of Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Description of Key Heritage Attributes
Key exterior attributes that embody the heritage value of 716 King Street in Niagara-on-the-Lake include its:
Key interior attributes that embody the heritage value of 716 King Street include its:
Objections
Any objection to this designation must be filled no later than 30 days after the date of publication of the Notice of Intent to Designate. Objections should be directed to Grant Bivol, Town Clerk, 1593 Four Mile Creek Road, Niagara-on-the-Lake, L0S 1T0. The last date to file a notice of objection is December 20th 2024.
Queries
Any further queries should be directed to Sumra Zia, Heritage Planner at (905) 468-3266 ext. 327 or through email at [email protected].
Dated at the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake this 20th day of November 2024
GRANT BIVOL, CLERK
