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Welcome to the Ontario Architecture Website

This is a non-profit educational website developed to help you appreciate architecture both in Ontario and the rest of the world. The website is in two parts:

Building Styles

is an explanation of some of the architectural styles that you will find in Ontario Canada. Find these on the left of the Glossary page or on the Building Styles page. The Building Styles page takes longer to load because there are a great many pictures.

To describe the buildings it is necessary to use architectural terms. For those not familiar with these terms, there are links in both the text and the image. Move your cursor over the picture and you will can find links to pages describing these architectural terms. Don't forget about the Back button.

This website was made to help people of all ages appreciate the architecture in their own town or city. Architecture is the most accessible of all the art forms, and once you start looking at buildings, you will never stop.

By looking at the different styles of architecture and understanding the terms and where they came from, you may find that buildings that you have known for years become more interesting.

The architectural styles described are all from Ontario Canada, but the "vocabulary" of the buildings is often hundreds or thousands of years old. For further reading, there is a bibliography on the page "About this Site".

 

Building Terms

is an explanation of some architectural terms. These are found on the right side of the Glossary page and on the Building Terms pages. Because there are so many pictures, the Building Terms pages take much more time to load than the Glossary, but if you are looking for a particular architectural feature and can't remember the name, you may find it in these pages.

The Building Terms section was set up for many reasons. Almost all building styles in Canada originated somewhere else. Some Terms pages will give you a historical perspective. For example,

Ionic columns originated in Greece before 500 B.C. These columns can be found in Classical Revival and Neo-Classical architecture in Canada, the United States and Europe. Pages on Greek Architecture , the Ionic order, Columns, Architraves, Cornices, Volutes etc. will illustrate some of the origins of these building terms.

Drip molds and Label stops, along with Finials, Scalloping, Bargeboarding, Cantilevering, Molding and other detailing are indicative of Gothic or medieval building styles. These can be found in Gothic Revival, Neo-Gothic and Period Revival styles in Canada, the United States, and Europe.

Many other terms are included simply for interest and inspiration.

 
 

All text and photographs on this site were done by Shannon Kyles of Mohawk College and all are subject to copyright laws. The website was created for the purpose of educating both future students and the general public. The web site was started with the help of Hamilton-Halton Construction Association and a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

The Webmistress - shannon.kyles@mohawkcollege.ca

This site was conceived and created by Shannon Kyles for Mohawk College working in conjunction with the Hamilton-Halton Construction Association. A generous grant from the Trillium Foundation in 2002 made the original images of buildings in Ontario possible. Shannon spent 12 months travelling across Ontario collecting pictures and constructing this website.

Since 2002 images have been added to those collected in Europe, Africa, Australia, and the Middle East to provide a wide range of architectural terms for comparison. Sixty two countries are represented in the "Terms" pages.

All text and photographs are by Shannon Kyles.

Shannon Kyles would like to thank the following people for their help and support:

Chris Blackwood and Cheryl Jensen of Mohawk College for making the leave possible,

Brian Gould of Mohawk College and Bob Edmonds of Electra for help with design and concept,

Ron Bruch and Andrew Connery for their help, encouragement, and technical support.

Wendy Moore-Spors of HHCA for encouragement and help,

This website was originally made possible through a generous grant from The Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Shannon would also like to thank:

Helen Pickering and James Owen for limitless generosity and kindness, not to mention travel advice in London, England,

Judith Chapman and Nadine Bornor in Fordingbridge, England,

Susan Schneider in Streatham, England,

The Wavre family in Geneva Switzerland,

La famille Germain in the Loire Valley,

La famille Boudrika in Morocco,

Jennifer and Murat, Sandy, Pierre and Françoise in Turkey,

Betsy Sheffield and family in Nova Scotia,

Kent Nickerson for travel help in Italy, and

Patrice Smythe in Canada.

Special thanks to Susan Hardy for hours spent copy editing and proof reading.

 

While every attempt has been made to make this site as accurate as possible, the providers take no responsibility for any errors and omissions. We would be very happy to receive your feedback, both negative and positive at

Contact Us

Please find below an Annotated Bibliography followed by some relevant web links.

Annotated Bibliography

Angu, Margaret.The Old Stones of Kingston. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1966.

Ashenburg, Katherine. Going to Town: Architectural Walking Tours in Southern Ontario. Toronto: Macfarlane, Walter and Ross, 1996.

Atkinson, Dan. ed.A Decade of Sundays, Quinte Walking Tours. Belleville: volume 1, Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, 1994.

Blake, Verschoyle, and Ralph Greenhill. Rural Ontario. Toronto: University of Toronto Press,1969.

Blumenson, John. Ontario Architecture A Guide to Styles and Terms. 1978

Those who are interested in Styles and Terms of Ontario Architecture should definitely avail themselves of this book. It is the most comprehensive overall guide to Ontario Architecture, but is sadly out of print. The book can be found in most Ontario libraries and in some good remainder stores. Many of the buildings on the "styles" pages of this website can be found in this book, and it is interesting to note the changes that 30 years have seen on the upkeep, colours and landscaping of the buildings.

Cathcart, Ruth. How Firm a Foundation: Historic Houses of Grey County. Wiarton: Red House Press, 1996.

Clerk, Nathanial. Palladian Style in Canadian Architecture, Ottawa: Parks Canada, 1984.

Cruickshank, Tom, and John de Visser. Old Ontario Houses. Toronto: Firefly Books, 2000.

Residents of Ontario are not taught an appreciation of local architecture in school, and thus, while many people are interested, they don't always know where to start to look. This beautifully produced picture book offers a look at Ontario architecture by region, with stunning photography and insightful prose to introduce the various regions and architectural styles. For those who have not discovered the beauty of Ontario and its architecture, this is a very good place to start.

Cruickshank, Tom, and John de Visser. Old Toronto Houses. Toronto: Firefly Books, 2003.

Like the above, this coffee table sized book is deceptive in that it is so handsome it is easy to overlook the quality of the prose. Like any master of his craft, Cruikshank's style makes writing and researching seem a lot easier than it is. There is a wealth of information presented in a most accessible and agreeable way. De Visser's photographs, taken in all seasons and at all times of day, bring out the beauty of the subjects, many of which will be seen, no doubt, "for the first time" by people who pass them every day.

Cruickshank, Tom, and John de Visser. Port Hope: A Treasury of Early Homes. Port Hope: Bluestone House, 1987.

Cruickshank, Tom, Peter John Stokes and John de Visser. The Settler's Dream: A Pictorial History of the Older Buildings of Prince Edward County. Picton: County of Prince Edward, 1984.

Fox, William Sherwood. The Bruce Beckons: The Story of Lake Huron's Great Peninsula. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1952.

Greenhill, Ralph, Ken Macpherson and Douglas Richardson. Ontario Towns. Ottawa: Oberon, 1972.

Ingolfsrund, Elizabeth. Triumph in Design, Toronto Regional Architectural Conservancy. Toronto: Kingsway Park, 1994.

LACAC. Cobourg: A Guide to the History and Architectural Heritage of the Town of Cobourg. December 2002.

This is a terrifically useful little guide to introduce visitors to the architecture of Cobourg by means of walking tours. The prose is easy to read, the streets are easy to follow, and the buildings are wonderful. This pamphlet is an excellent idea very well produced.

Leaning, John, and Lyette Fortin. Our Architectural Ancestry. Ottawa:Haig and Haig Publishing, 1981.

Lownsborough, John. The Privileged Few: The Grange and Its People in Nineteenth-Century Toronto. Toronto: Art Gallery of Ontario, 1980.

MacRae, Marion, and Anthony Adamson. The Ancestral Roof: Domestic Architecture of Upper Canada. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin, 1963.

This is the standard book on Ontario architecture; it is the one that all others are measured by. The photography and production are 30 years old, and the results are not in the same league as the much later books, but the in depth research, the witty prose style, and the humourous but caring attitude of authors makes it a book that can be read many times. Sadly, this is now out of print, but second hand books shops often have a copy, and it can also be obtained "on-line".

Maitland, Leslie. Neoclassical Architecture in Canada. Ottawa: Parks Canada, 1984.

Maitland, Leslie. The Queen Anne Revival Style in Canadian Architecture. Ottawa: National Historic Parks and Sites, 1990.

For an introduction to the Queen Anne Revival style, and a wide look at the various manifestations of the style found in England and across Canada, this paperback-sized book can't be beat. There are examples of all types of buildings in all different sizes, repesenting a thorough yet readable and interesting overview.

Marshall, John E. Fifty Years of Rural Life in Dufferin County. printed by Maurice Cline, 1977.

For a small book with no pretensions, this is a book ( or booklet) that you simply can't put down. After reading it, you wish more people would take the time to write some memoirs of their county for future generations. Mr. Marshall describes a time when my own grandfather and uncle lived in the same county. We all remember bits of the stories that they used to tell, but none of us were bright enough to write them down.

McBurney, Margaret, and Mary Byers. The Governor's Road: Early Buildings and Families from Mississauga to London. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1982.

McBurney, Margaret, and Mary Byers. Homesteads: Early Buildings and Families from Kingston to Toronto. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1979.

McIlwraith, Thomas F. Looking for Old Ontario. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1997.

Otto, Stephen A., and Richard M. Dumbrille. Maitland: A Very Neat Village Indeed. Erin: Boston Mills Press, 1985.

Powell, Jane. Bungalow Kitchens, New York: Gibbs Smith, 1920.

Raftery, Anna-Marie. Passport to the Past Heritage Tours. City of Mississauga, On. 1996.

Another rather small pamphlet type of book that does an excellent job introducing the reader to the various towns that became Mississauga, and the builders and buildings that made the towns what they were. If you think you can drive around and visit all of the buildings in one or two days, you are mistaken. But once you have started visiting them, you can't stop; there are some real gems.

Rempel, John I. Building with Wood. Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1967

This is a book written by a teacher who has an obvious love of his subject, not to mention an impressive knowledge of it. For primary building techniques it is thorough and enlightening, giving an insight into both the building methods and the reasons for them. Rempels chapters on polygonal houses are unequaled in anything else I have seen and focus attention onto a very distinct and yet rare Ontario building phenomena.

Shiels, Judy, and Mary Appleby. Sidelights of History: A Guide to Etobicoke's Century Buildings. Etobicoke: Etobicoke Historical Board, 1975.

Stokes, Peter. Old Niagara-on-the-Lake, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1971.

Stokes, Peter, Tom Cruickshank and Robert Heaslip. Rogue's Hollow: The Story of the Village of Newburgh. Ontario, Through Its Buildings. Toronto: Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, 1983.

Tausky, Nancy Z., and Lynne D. DiStefano. Victorian Architecture in London and Southwestern Ontario. Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1986.

Wilson, L.W., and L.R. Pfaff. Early St. Mary's: A History in Old Photographs from Its Founding to 1914. Erin: Boston Mills Press, 1981.

Wright, Janet. Architecture of the Picturesque in Canada. Parks Canada, Ottawa: 1984.

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Thank-you.

 

Finial Hood or Drip Mold Gingerbread, bargeboard Scalloping Sash Window Architrave Transom Columns Scalloping Hood or Drip Mold Sash Window Chimney