19th Century Southern Ontario Part 2: Gothic Revival
 

19th Century Southern Ontario

Part 1: Georgian, Neo-Classical, Regency
Part 3: Italianate
Part 4: Second Empire
Part 5: Queen Anne, Romanesque
Part 6: Late Victorian urban housing



Part 2: Gothic Revival

Gothic Revival became popular in Southern Ontario by the 1830s, reaching its height around mid century but lasting throughout the Victorian era. Many of these houses are instantly recognizable as "Victorian" by most people. Gothic Revival is characterized by verticality--usually steeply pitched front facing gables--and ideally by pointed (Gothic) windows. They often have intricate bargeboards in the gables, often called "gingerbread". This is the style of the typical Ontario farmhouse, but Gothic Revival is also found in urban areas.


The small cottage style with the centre gable (pictured below) is found extensively in Southern Ontario and is often referred to as "Ontario Gothic". There are many variations on this basic design, depending on local materials.

Brick in Oakville
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...le_2/00172.jpg

Stone in Fergus
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...rgus/00076.jpg

Wood in Stoney Creek
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...ek08/00218.jpg

as a row in Toronto
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...town/00177.jpg


The three gabled house is also common in Ontario, here is a great example in Stratford:

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...ford/00010.jpg

these ones are in Dundas
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2..._res/00056.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2..._res/00003.jpg

..and a stone one in Ancaster.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...tone/00008.jpg


This row in Cabbagetown (Toronto) takes verticality to new heights
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...town/00165.jpg


Some Gothic villas in Hamilton:

Inglewood, 1850
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...mmer/00082.jpg

Auchmar, 1852
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...brow/00046.jpg

Fearman House, 1863
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...mmer/00158.jpg

And another in London
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...lbot/00306.jpg

One with a tower in Ridgetown

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...kent/00142.jpg


St. Mary's
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...arys/00138.jpg


A tiny house in Dundas
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2..._res/00206.jpg


The next few show the basic L-shape of many farmhouses

Sarnia
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...2008/00088.jpg

Fergus
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...rgus/00074.jpg

Sombra
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...r/DSC_0130.jpg

Greensville
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...boro/00028.jpg

Hamilton
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...orth/00103.jpg

Dresden
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...t/DSC_0249.jpg


Elora
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...lora/00134.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...lora/00145.jpg


Ancaster
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...tone/00179.jpg


Waterdown
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...boro/00036.jpg


Fergus
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...rgus/00078.jpg


A few more in Dundas

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2..._res/00202.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2..._res/00216.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2..._res/00146.jpghttp://aas.ath.cx/threads/gothic.jpg

I think Edmonton has a few Gothic revival. Interesting set of photographs, thanks for the info & the tour. Your photos are always an amazement.

Nice pictures. These do look like typical Ontario, but for some reason, I don't think I've seen too much "Ontario Gothic" in the Niagara Region, specifically in the places that I am most, like Fort Erie and Port Colborne. Maybe it's there in abundance like in Fergus and Hamilton and Dundas, and I'm just missing it. I'll have to pay more attention this Summer.

I see that you got to part 6 already. That's too much Ontario at once! That's a good thing however; plenty to look at in the coming days. I can't take the time to see it all right now, so I'll check everything out later on.

Whether it is winter, spring, summer or fall that sountern Ontairio neighborhood is gorgeous. Wonderful pictures too, thanks for sharing.

The Ontario Gothic houses are often along old country roads or in small villages, there are probably thousands throughout Ontario. Apparently the plans were printed in the farmer's almanac and the design became very popular. But, the Niagara Peninsula and also the extreme southwest along the Michigan border tend to be a little different than the areas further inland. The border areas have fewer brick houses and the houses tend to be plainer overall and I'd say more American looking.
Basically this is the average fairly plain house in Niagara or in the extreme southwest:

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...olia/00144.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...burg/00285.jpg



Just take them one at a time. I wanted to post all of them together so people could look at the whole series and compare.

I must've photographed a hundred of these little cottages:

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...dall/00161.jpg_http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...dall/00214.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...dall/00223.jpg_http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...dall/00245.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...dall/00227.jpg_http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...dall/00215.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...boro/00140.jpg_http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...boro/00142.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...boro/00141.jpg_http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...boro/00122.jpg

I'll bet that's why they're known as "Ontario Cottages."

Precisely, these are the ones that were featured in the farmer's almanacs in the mid 1800s.

Loving that stream of Ontario cottages - you should do it for all 100!

these architectural tours were very informative and entertaining, flar