Building Styles

Westfield Village

The logical progression in wood-based building techniques is fairly obvious. The Log House proper was followed by the house - or structure - made of planks. Following this is the development of wood framing and then balloon framing which is a variation.

This example of a Log House illustrates the basic log cabin built by the first settlers in Canada. The chimney was placed in the center of the house so that heat could radiate in all directions. A great many of these log cabins had internal dimensions of 15' by 16' which were the traditional dimensions of an English cottage. The windows are 12-pane fixed.

Westfield Village

A close look at the corners of log houses will tell you who the builders were, or at least what country they came from. This corner detail shows that the end of each piece of wood was beveled or "keyed" before it was placed. This means that a wedge shape was carved into the receiving log while a point was carved into the log that was to be placed in it. The ends were secured by a mixture of lime mortar with small bits of wood in it; a method called"chinking".

This "keying" made for a tighter fit and a less draughty corner. The method of keying corners was brought over to Canada through the United States by the Swedes, thus it is referred to as Swedish Keying. Swedish Keying was first seen in Pennsylvania in 1650. It was found in Canada shortly thereafter.

Upper Canada Village

Here is another example from the early 19th century. There is a cabin with a chimney on one end and a smaller planked building placed beside it, probably somewhat later. The placement of the chimney suggests that the smaller room was anticipated.

Note the projecting stone course at the top of the chimney that forms a cap, and the projecting course just above the roof junction. The latter would have been to deflect rain from the roof joint, much like modern flashing. These are indicative of New England building methods not usually found in Ontario.

Upper Canada Village

Here is another early example using squared logs rather than rounded ones. The corners are dovetailed as opposed to being keyed. Notice how they don't extend past the end of the wall as they do in the detail above. A series of small rectangles over the doors and windows are the ends of the ceiling beams coming through the wall and tying the whole structure together.

The windows are six-over-six sash. The window shapes and design are similar to the Georgian buildings erected in England at the time because the small glass panes would have been imported from there. European building methods were used to construct the cabin, but the detailing and windows came from Britain.

Upper Canada Village

These corners are dove tailed.

Upper Canada Village

By the 1850s, log houses were being built with two storeys. The most popular style was that found in this example. Across Ontario you will see literally thousands of houses with the same basic shape and proportions found in this example. The window in the front gable is not generally as large as this one, and can take a variety of shapes. The style became known as the Gothic Revival Cottage.

If the family's log house was in good shape when they came into some money, it was not unusual to have it covered with a veneer; the use of stone, brick, or dichromatic designs would indicate local tastes.

Prince Edward County

Currently in Westfield Village, this was the Boot and Harness Store of Albrecht Seip, built in 1859 in Waterloo County. It is a good example of board and batten wood construction (see next entry).

Because this was a building used primarily in the daytime, the window coverage is larger than it would be in a residence. This façade would most probably have been south facing to maximize light and heatfrom the sun. The front façade has twelve-over-eight sash windows within a fairly ornate frame.

Prince Edward County

Currently in Westfield Village, this was the Boot and Harness Store of Albrecht Seip, built in 1859 in Waterloo County. It is a good example of board and batten wood construction (see next entry).

Because this was a building used primarily in the daytime, the window coverage is larger than it would be in a residence.

Waterloo County

Currently in Westfield Village, this was the Boot and Harness Store of Albrecht Seip, built in 1859 in Waterloo County. It is a good example of board and batten wood construction (see next entry).

Because this was a building used primarily in the daytime, the window coverage is larger than it would be in a residence. This façade would most probably have been south facing to maximize light and heatfrom the sun. The front façade has twelve-over-eight sash windows within a fairly ornate frame. The upper sash is fixed. The side window is deeply recessed and much smaller.

Waterloo County

Board and Batten

Planks were placed vertically side by side along a simple frame, then much smaller "battens" were attached over the butt joints to help secure the planks and to minimize draughts.

Fort William

Fort William was the outpost of the North West Company situated on the north west shore of Lake Superior as early as 1784. Currently the fort is a well-maintained tourist attraction with 42 buildings reconstructed in the original manner and furnished with period furniture and accessories.

This long building was the fort's hospital. It is made from rectangular planks in the French "colombage " method: upright logs were notched at the corners to receive the ends of the horizontal logs, thus making a clean corner. This method is not generally found in English Ontario; the North West Company was based in Montreal and many of their carpenters would have been brought in from Quebec.

Fort William

Here in the interior of the hospital you can see the ceiling beams that extend the full width of the building. The ends of the beams can be seen on the exterior in the previous image.

Unlike the previous buildings, the windows in this room are casement - opening like doors, or more particularly, French doors. The interior would have been painted a flat white using a mixture of water and lime. The interior walls are smooth here which suggests that they were "chinked" or "plaistered" as well using a thick lime mixture.

Westfield Village

The schoolhouse shown here has a chimney about 6 feet from the back wall. This is at the front of the room where the teacher would be, an extra encouragement for students in the winter months. The roof also holds the school bell.

The windows are eight-over- twelve sash; the upper sash would have been fixed while the lower would be movable.

The corners of the building have been dovetailed, and the planks are enormous. Before the 1850s, a great deal of the Niagara Escarpment was covered with giant brown and white oak trees up to 100 feet high. These were all cut down to make houses, schools, and even fencing.

Westfield Village

Another building type not found for 100 years or so is the Ice House. Large chunks of ice would be cut from Lake Ontario during the winter months, transported to the ice house, and distributed from there throughout the spring and summer months.

This building is a thin horizontally planked structure with small, fixed windows and an unremarkable door. The corners have trim to prevent hot air entering during the warmer months. I

For obvious reasons, ice houses would have been situated in a shaded area.

Fort William

This structure is the storage unit for the North West Company. It is elevated above ground to discourage rats and other unwanted intruders. The windows are just large enough to allow a minimal amount of light to be admitted.

Because of the size and prosperity of the company, the NWC would have hired expert hewers and dovetailers of logs, thus the logs are of a standard size and quality. Sometimes military posts in Canada would have the main structural timbers shipped in from England all ready to assemble. The first prefabricated building arrived in Nova Scotia in 1605.

Innisfil Beach

Prefabricated log houses are now becoming a popular trend with people wanting to build a rustic but comfortable place in the country. This log structure is typical of the style and design used. Notice the size of the balconies and the framing of the windows. If you are in doubt about the relative age of a log house, look for chimneys.

The corners are overlapping by about two feet (70 cm). The round logs would be notched on both sides so that they fit together snugly. This corner method is called the "Double Cut Round Saddle Notch".

Kleinberg

The McMichael Gallery in Kleinberg has a collection of new and very handsome log buildings. The gallery houses the works of the Group of Seven, Canada's first internationally famous group of painters whose work reflects the Canadian countryside, particularly the lakes and forests. The gallery's buildings are set within a natural, evergreen park and they are contextual.

This one-and-a-half storey service building has lap key corners and generous chinking. The doors are a contrasting lighter wood that is highly lacquered to good effect.

Kleinberg

This image shows the back of the main building of the McMichael Gallery. It has river stone for the foundation and large, very uniform, logs for the upper floors. Again the corner is lap keyed without dovetailing or Swedish Keying. Clearly this is for a pleasing visual effect and it works quite well.

Older buildings that are actually constructed using this method generally show signs of distress at the corners and spikes can generally be seen added to the corner to try to reinforce it.

Campbellville

This lovely two storey log structure is currently used as a gift and flower shop. The roof is obviously new, but the log finish has been maintained in its original form. The windows have been slightly modified to lever open, but, again, the original small panes have been used.

The corner of the building shows that the logs have been slightly keyed at the edges and chinked so that the corners have structural integrity.