Building Styles

Royal Pavilion, Brighton

Henry Holland designed the first Royal Pavilion in Brighton in the 1780s.

During 1812 and 1821, John Nash remodeled the pavilion in a more exotic style. The classical symmetry of the façade was covered with Moorish multifoil arches, minarets, and ornamented copper domes. Cast iron was used to great advantage, particularly in the palm tree columns in the kitchen area.

RoyalPavilionBrighton

Brighton Palace

A flair for the exotic can be seen in all parts of the building. This gate is no exception.

Odessa

This typical Regency cottage in Odessa has a stunning verandah, a regular rectangular floor plan, and large French windows with a unremarkable entrance door. There is iron cresting on the roof cap, and possibly a room or two on the second floor.

Like most Regency cottages, it is beautifully situated beside a stream and with a splendid view out the back. Unfortunately, today, the main highway runs directly past the front yard of the cottage, but this would not have been the case when it was built in the 1830s.

Dundas

This Regency cottage is made of local limestone with an ashlar finish: all stones are carefully finished to provide a smooth surface. It has the low pitched roof and expansive rectangular floor plan typical of Regency design.

Instead of a large covered verandah, there is a wide terrace that surrounds the building. The French doors are prominent, but the entrance door is more ornate than in the Odessa example with Ionic pilasters, a transom, and side lights in the Neo-Classical tradition.

Bowmanville

Like the Odessa example, this Regency cottage has a very low hip roof over a rectangular one-storey floor plan with an impressive, ornate verandah. This house is brick with wooden detailing on the verandah and the door surround.

Symmetry is essential for the Regency design. You can see from the placement of the chimney that the interior of the house is placed around a central fireplace. The house is currently in the center of a large suburb, but it would originally have had a splendid view.

Simcoe

This small Regency Cottage has most of the original adornments and is beautifully kept. The low hip roof is augmented on all sides by porches, bay windows, and verandahs that are softened by clever plantings of hydrangeas and other hedges. This cottage maintains the feeling of the original Regency attitude: unpretentious, well proportioned, and wonderfully detailed.

Simcoe

Another variation within the same area is this cottage with a small gable over the front door and a barrel vault to protect the front entrance, possibly added later. An addition has been added to the back which maintains the same proportions but is made of hardier brick. Like most Regency homes, it is beautifully placed on a generous lot.

The Chantry 1850

Sophiasburgh

Philip Roblin Jr. built this house in 1850. The stones, brought over by barge from Kingston, were cut by the prisoners in the penitentiary.

The Roblins had been United Empire Loyalists who built a log house in Adolphustown before settling in Sophiasburgh. The style of this house follows the Regency style with its long line of windows, low hip roof and ashlar finish.

Erindale

The Robinson-Adamson House, also known as the Grange, was built as a summer house for John Beverly Robinson in 1833.

There is almost more glass than wall on the front façade with the large windows and their ornate fenestration. The side lights, transom, and windows all have decorative Neo-Classical moulding There is also a Neoclassical frieze under the quite large cornice. The roof is a low cedar shingle hip with two dormers.

Waterdown

This Regency cottage was built by one of the founding families of the town of Waterdown. The shape of the cottage and the roof are distinctly Regency even though the chimneys have been removed over time. The windows flanking the front door are sadly not original and thus they have large panes of glass. At one time there was probably a verandah along the front of the building.

What is missing in the verandah is more than compensated for by the beautiful front garden.

Oakville

The Melancthon Simpson House of 1839 is the first Regency design in Oakville, a city with a great many well- preserved older buildings. The tent-shaped verandah roof flanked by two shuttered French windows identifies the style. The verandah once bordered the house on three sides, but has since been reduced, allowing us to see the architraves on the casement windows. The low hip roof extends into a modern addition to the house which has the same weatherboard finish. The owners have meticulously maintained the proportions and detailing of the original building with their extensions.

Paris

Paris Ontario is one of those towns where the citizens have united to keep the historical buildings intact. This Regency residence is one of the 20 or so buildings finished with cobblestone, a finish unique to this area and attributable to a single craftsman.

Like many Regency Cottages, the verandah extends around the house and along the front. The dormer for the second floor is unique as well.

Consecon

This lovely little Regency was taken over by a 'couple in Real Estate' a few years ago and refurbished. They restored the building and added a metal roof. They then sold it to the current owners who are taking excellent care of it and refurbishing it further.

Consecon

The mouldings on the doors are unique. The choice of walls colour is wonderful.

Consecon

The ceiling is covered in the original tin. The whole thing is magnificent.

Woodstock

A brilliant example of a Regency Cottage is Captain Drew's Cottage, now called Rathbourn, in Woodstock. The house was constructed in the 1830s with wood salvaged from the ship that brought Captain Drew and his crew to British North America. Nearby Saint Paul's church was constructed at the same time, along with 500 foot underground tunnel that was used for the next thirty years as part of the Underground Railway.

Woodstock

Slaves would arrive at the church then disappear down to the basement of Captain Drew's house from whence they would be placed in local farms for a month or so until paperwork could be supplied that granted them freedom from their new ‘owners'.

The house was slightly bedraggled until the current owners purchased it and completely renewed it saving the original structure and refreshing the wall finishes, bad paint jobs and the odd structural tick that needed attention.

The terrace on this Regency extends around most of the perimeter. It provides a beautiful walkway around the house as well as lovely lighting within the rooms.

Woodstock

The distance between Woodstock and Ancaster is about 50 miles, or 80 kilometers. A horse can travel about 15 miles in a day, which is why most small towns in Ontario are about 7 miles apart. The horse can get in to market, then get home. No further.

This house was about four day's journey from Ancaster. Notice how the front doorway, the front hallway, and the mantel below are almost exactly the same as the detailing in the Ancaster house below.

Historians are now discussing why this was. The house in Ancaster was also made with what appear to be ship's timbers. This house definitely was.

I think there is a good story here.

Woodstock

Notice how both the mantel and the background colour are the same as those in Ancaster - below.

Ancaster 1820s

The façade of St. Margaret's Cottage in Ancaster is typical of the Regency period. It is long and low with a low hip roof. The windows are balanced in a five bay design. Lamb's tongues adorn the large eaves. The door has an elegant fan light.

Ancaster

The front hallway has an elegant entrance hallway with two fanlights and side lights. .

Ancaster

This fireplace is original. It is a Rumford design; the brick backing of the fireplace is curved out so that the heat from the fire is forced into the room while the smoke heads up the chimney.

Notice how this is exactly the same as the mantel in Woodstock.

Ancaster

This detail from the fireplace shows the wood rosette block. It is 8 inches in length, very large for a corner block. The fluted casing is also eight inches wide. The cross section of the rosette block is the same as the casing.

Rosette blocks and casing by the end of the 19th century had become much smaller, around 3-4 inches.

Ancaster

In the same room there is a six panel door with plain trim as you would find in the 1840s. Notice that the corners are not beveled either on the head of the casing or on the head of the door. Often the head of the casing extends across the full length. Here the vertical members are long so that the endcross grain of the top member is not exposed.

The lock and handle on this door are up side down. These locks would have been imported from England during the first half of the 19th century. If you received the wrong one, you simply installed it upside down.

Ancaster

Pine floors in the salon, once the bedroom area, show that not all of the house was fully finished.

Ancaster

The fireplace casing in the main room was replaced during the 1930s. Notice how the rosette block and casing are not fluted but molded leaving a large convex saucer in the rosette.

Ancaster

The beauty of the Regency period was that the rooms were always flooded with light. There were large regular windows cut very low into the walls on all four sides of the house.

This window also shows the original dado under the window.

Ancaster

The door in the same room is just as lovely. The trim around the door and the transom panel are original, from the 1830s.

Note the plaster work along the rim of the roof. This is all original as well. It was made with concrete covered with plaster.

Taking it Apart

The Regency Cottage shown above was dismantled during the month of March this year. It was overtaken by creeping suburbs, the roof was compromised by successive additions and the crawl space was full of dry rot.

I have taken this house and am planning to rebuild it somewhere in Ontario. I would like to thank the following people for their help.

Dan Freeborn is a man who can mix incredible strength with meticulous attention to detail. Dan moves antiques and dismantels people homes for a living with his company Mindful Movers. You could not hope to find a person who has more respect for your valuable antiques and collectibles than Dan.

Ancaster

The frame of the building could well have been built with timber taken from a ship that transported the officers and crew of the Royal Navy to their allotted land grants in British North America (see Woodstock).

What was most interesting while deconstructing this building, was that the huge, 45 by 35 foot building was built with virtually no nails. The pieces were cut out and inserted into one another and held in place with wooden dowels. All the pieces were hand hewn.

Ancaster

Ty Robertson, John Deelstra, Spencer Smith, Greg Vickers and Scott Bishop worked tirelessly for four days dismantling the major portion of this house.

The Instructor

The intrepid instructor Brad MacDonald made frequent visits to offer suggestions and help with things we couldn't figure out.

Ancaster

Ty Robertson, James Harris, Spencer Smith, John Deelstra and Min-Hsiang Chiu after they have dismantled the door and are ready to transfer it outside.

Ancaster

Dan Freeborn, John Deelstra, Greg Vickers, Scott Bishop and Ty Robertson lean it against the bulldozer.

Ancaster

John Deelstra and Greg Vickers support Spencer Smith as he attaches bracing.

Ancaster

James Harris illustrates an uncommon use for a Fubar as Dan Freeborn looks on.

Ancaster

Not to be outdone, John Deelstra illustrates an uncommon use for a Cat's Claw.

These gentlemen from Mohawk College's Building Renovation program took the house apart piece by piece and laid it on the grass waiting for storage.

Ancaster

The Architectural Technician students from Mohawk College had measured the building and drawn up plans for it during the fall semester. Several of them were very generous in volunteering to move the pieces of lumber, some up to 45 feet in length, to storage facilities.

Here Ryan Degraaf, Steven Roy, Finn Melvaer, Dave Snoddy ( in a management capacity) Alen Costovic and Mat Corcoran load the first long pieces.

Ancaster

John Farr volunteered to help as well, and Ivan Hribljan was invaluable in organising the whole crew.

Ancaster

Mat Corcoran, Alen Costovic, John Farr and Ryan Degraff position themselves to take another piece.

Ancaster

For the next one, Alen and Mat figure they can do it on their own.

Not only great guys, Alen Costovic and Mat Corcoran are two of the best AutoCAD students I have had in 20 years.

Ancaster

Not to be outdone, Ryan Degraaf attempts to move the entire 45 foot long piece of wood by himself. And he is successful!

I would also like to thank Jeff Moule who helped in transferring but was not photographed. Rob Walker who was a big help in taking off floor boards and taking apart fireplaces. Bob Edmonds who took apart the blue room. Peter Lloyd who finished off the blue room. Deb Harmer who helped to remove and store trim. Scott Stevenson who helped dismantle the bathrooms and Phil Delvecchio who helped to document the whole experience. Finally Clay and Alistair for their help in transporting all the stuff, and last but not least Helen Vanner who allowed me to take apart her beautiful home with the intention of rebuilding it somewhere soon.

Consecon

Not to be outdone,

Consecon

The Architectural Technician students from Mohawk College had measured the building and drawn up plans for it during the fall semester. Several of them were very generous in volunteering to move the pieces of lumber, some up to 45 feet in length, to storage facilities.

Here Ryan Degraaf, Steven Roy, Finn Melvaer, Dave Snoddy ( in a management capacity) Alen Costovic and Mat Corcoran load the first long pieces.

Consecon

John Farr

Ancaster

Mat Corcoran, Alen Costovic, John Farr and Ryan Degraff position themselves to take another piece.

Ancaster

For the next one, Alen and Mat figure they can do it on their own.

Not only great guys, Alen Costovic and Mat Corcoran are two of the best AutoCAD students I have had in 20 years.

Consecon

John Farr

Ancaster

Mat Corcoran, Alen Costovic, John Farr and Ryan Degraff position themselves to take another piece.

Ancaster

For the next one, Alen and Mat figure they can do it on their own.

Not only great guys, Alen Costovic and Mat Corcoran are two of the best AutoCAD students I have had in 20 years.

Ancaster

Not to be outdone, Ryan Degraaf attempts to move the entire 45 foot long piece of wood by himself. And he is successful!

I would also like to thank Jeff Moule who helped in transferring but was not photographed. Rob Walker who was a big help in taking off floor boards and taking apart fireplaces. Bob Edmonds who took apart the blue room. Peter Lloyd who finished off the blue room. Deb Harmer who helped to remove and store trim. Scott Stevenson who helped dismantle the bathrooms and Phil Delvecchio who helped to document the whole experience. Finally Clay and Alistair for their help in transporting all the stuff, and last but not least Helen Vanner who allowed me to take apart her beautiful home with the intention of rebuilding it somewhere soon.

Hamilton

Dundurn Castle was built by Sir Allan MacNab in 1835. Dundurn, the title of one of the chieftainships of the Clan MacNab means "Fort on Water", and this fabulous structure has been situated with a grand view of Burlington Bay.

MacNab followed henry Holland's practice of building with brick and covering that with stucco. All façades are bisected horizontally with string courses that terminate in entablatures in the front and verandah parapets in the back.

Hamilton

Half-cylinders and quarter cylinders are characteristic Regency devices. Here the half-cylinder is used to create a lighted area off the drawing room.

The top of the detail has a parapet with a slight pediment. On the other side there is a balustrade. Under this is a cornice with curved dentil blocks. The windows are tall and slender casements that are similar to a French door design. The bow window has a simple cornice, horizontal banding, and very understated engaged pilasters. The platform or plinth of the bow window could be similar to a Greek stylobate. The entire detail, like most of the rest of the design, is quiet simplicity and calm grandure.

In addition to the main building, Dundurn also has the original chapel and dovecote as well as other lovely outbuildings.

Cobourg

This is not the best photo of the Woodlawn, there are better ones on their site. It does, however, give a good idea as to the proportions of the building.

This Regency high style building was once a residence!!! It has been completely restored and is now one of the finest inns in Ontario. Along with many others across the province, this inn is an example of how our built heritage can be a useful and, indeed, wonderful part of our heritage. The rooms are lovely and the food is great as well.

Cobourg

One of the best door-surrounds in the country, this beautifully restored Regency doorway has all the elements of a classic 'aedicule'. There are paired Ionic columns, and entablature, dentils, a cornice, and a fabulous six panel door.

Cobourg

During the time when he was Regent, George IV was commonly known as The Prince of Pleasure. His life was dedicated to the pursuit of all things delightful, much to the chagrin of his ill-used subjects. The buildings that reflect this style are comfortable, elegant and befitting a prince. This porch is no exception. I can imagine the prince sitting here sipping Baume de Venise and nibbling at Lavender Creme Brulee.

This is an excellent example of how older materials have a beauty that is, quite simply, not apparent in the new ones. This is elegant and sophisticated without being overdone and ostentatious.

Cobourg

The only phrase to describe this valance is Over The Top. The whole house is filled with such gems.

Cobourg

The Regency villa is not as easy to find as the cottage. This one in Cobourg has the usual low hip roof and French doors, but it has many more Classical features than the cottages above. Two bow windows accentuate the symmetrical layout. The front door has a portico with Ionic columns around a door with a transom and sidelights.

The foundation of the building is local field stone and the exterior finish is stucco. Like most historic buildings in Cobourg this villa is very well maintained.

Cobourg

Stucco was the preferred material of the Regency period. It looks lovely here with the understated columns and six panel door.