Hamilton's architecture: Lost and forgotten.

Dr Awesomesauce · #1 Posted **Jun 9, 2013, 3:53 AM**

OK, so the Most influential Hamiltonian thread didn't inspire much interest. That's OK. How about architecture? I'll post a picture of a long-since-demolished Hamilton building, and we'll see who can name it or at least provide some insight into it. It might be fun and will introduce to many the architectural beauty Hamilton's lost. Depressing? Sure but educational as well.

Dr Awesomesauce · #2 Posted **Jun 9, 2013, 3:55 AM**

http://pinterest.com/pin/170855379584650861/

CaptainKirk · #3 Posted **Jun 9, 2013, 11:52 AM**

Birk's?

Looking southeast with Gore Park on the left, and James on the right.

Blanchard's pre-confed buildings visible?

Pearlstreet · #4 Posted **Jun 9, 2013, 12:03 PM**

I love the horse tie ups. I have seen some around before used in peoples yards. Cool collectable.

Dr Awesomesauce · #5 Posted **Jun 9, 2013, 12:18 PM**

^Bingo.

Actually, at the time this photograph was taken (late 1880s perhaps) this building (1883-1972) was serving as the Hamilton headquarters for the Canada Life and Assurance Company.

Birk's purchased the building in the 1920s (I think). In the process of renovating it, a fire broke out in the attic. Unfortunately, that wonderful clock tower you see in the photo had to be replaced. That's when Birk's purchased - or commissioned the building of - the clock that now graces the market.

When word of its impending demolition started to circulate in 1972, people came out in huge numbers protesting this heinous act. People, quite literally, chained themselves to the building. Can't stop progress, right?

Dr Awesomesauce · #6 Posted **Jun 9, 2013, 12:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pearlstreet

I love the horse tie ups. I have seen some around before used in peoples yards. Cool collectable.

Yeah, those hitching posts are amaze-balls. It's a shame they had to go. I don't suppose they had to really but I'm sure people found them antiquated and wanted them gone like so many other beautiful things.

Dr Awesomesauce · #7 Posted **Jun 9, 2013, 12:24 PM**

More challenging? I think so.

http://pinterest.com/pin/170855379584650605/

Half points for the approximate location.

CaptainKirk · #8 Posted **Jun 9, 2013, 1:13 PM**

My best guess is King St., south side of Gore Park ( on the right of photo.)

Hughson or John maybe? I dunno.

Dr Awesomesauce · #9 Posted **Jun 9, 2013, 2:30 PM**

^Yep. South-east corner of King and Hughson. Unfortunately, the picture doesn't offer much in the way of context but you figured it out.

Might give it a few hours to see if anybody has an answer.

thomax · #10 Posted **Jun 9, 2013, 2:44 PM**

No. 2 is the Hamilton Provident and Loan Building, 1881-1960. Now it's this:

Source

Couple more pictures of it:

Source

(On the right in the image below)

Source

Pearlstreet · #11 Posted **Jun 9, 2013, 3:59 PM**

Look at the people precariously sitting at the roof and window ledge! How would replacing this building ever be considered? It must have been in shambles. I would love to see a brave builder try to recreate it.

Beedok · #12 Posted **Jun 9, 2013, 4:18 PM**

I have nothing against replacing a building when there is a need, however they replaced it with a smaller building. That's just annoying.

Dr Awesomesauce · #13 Posted **Jun 10, 2013, 12:55 AM**

^After years of banks splurging on wonderful buildings, they decided they could no longer be bothered to maintain these glorious structures. That and people now fully trusted banks with their money, so it was unnecessary to advertise solidity, trustworthiness and beauty through their architecture. One of our big banks (can't remember which one) purchased the Hamilton Loan and Provident building but wasn't interested in the upkeep. Down she came and up went that sh*t box.

Aside from cost, the sentiment at the time was that old was bad. Beauty, adornment, embellishment, ornamentation, at least in terms of architecture, was also frowned upon. Just look at what replaced it. It was a peculiar socialist architectural movement that resulted in exactly what you see on that corner today. I suppose it's a product of the economic situation at the time taken to extremes. It was a rare moment in history when everybody shared, almost equally, in the wealth we'd worked so hard to create. Steel workers made almost as much as bankers and so on. People felt architecture should reflect that reality. I wasn't alive so I'll never truly understand that level of insanity.

Anyway, this old beauty is long gone and as Pearlstreet suggested, a recreation would be nearly impossible. Cost notwithstanding, I dare say we no longer have the architectural know-how to accomplish such a feat. Where are the Scottish stone masons who carved this beauty out of limestone now? Deader than the craft that crippled them so long ago.

BTW, judging by the pomp and circumstance captured in that first photo, I'm guessing it was taken during a Royal visit of some sort. The telegraph poles, those nice looking bicycles (long gone is the penny farthing!) and the fashion (particularly those straw hats) lend further clues. With that in mind, I'd place the photo at 1901 when the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York visited the city. I could very well be wrong, however.

Dr Awesomesauce · #14 Posted **Jun 10, 2013, 1:12 AM**

Even if you've never seen this building before, you could probably guess what it is. Again, any other info you can offer = bonus points. The scoring thus far:

Captain Kirk => 1.5 pts
Thomas => 1 pt
Pearlstreet => .5 pts for effort
Beedok => -.5 pts for the 'I have nothing against replacing...' comment

http://pinterest.com/pin/170855379584650778/

matt602 · #15 Posted **Jun 10, 2013, 1:38 AM**

^The original courthouse at Main and John. It's now this building:

palace1 · #16 Posted **Jun 10, 2013, 2:03 AM**

Yes that is the third Wentworth County Courthouse which was built in 1877 and replaced in 1957 with the building now occupied by the McMaster Downtown Centre.
(picures of the 2nd courthouse 1829-1877 can be seen here http://henleyshamilton1.wordpress.co...use-1829-1877/ )

Six portico columns were moved to White Chapel Cemetery and installed in the Temple Gardens section in 1957.

The cornerstone is at Westfield Heritage Village:

Westfield also owns a desk used by the Wentworth County Council which met in the courthouse. It is currently on loan to the Workers' Arts & Heritage Centre.

durandy · #17 Posted **Jun 10, 2013, 3:21 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce

BTW, judging by the pomp and circumstance captured in that first photo, I'm guessing it was taken during a Royal visit of some sort. The telegraph poles, those nice looking bicycles (long gone is the penny farthing!) and the fashion (particularly those straw hats) lend further clues. With that in mind, I'd place the photo at 1901 when the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York visited the city. I could very well be wrong, however.

Found this description of the building in a company prospectus for the Hamilton Provident and Loan Society.

The first picture looks a bit later than 1901 to me. The streets are paved for one, which they're not in the earlier horsedrawn pic. It looks like there's an American flag flying in it. The clothes though do look Victorian.

The second picture is incredible, I'm guessing it's from the first world war - the sign says 'buy victory bonds' and there's what looks to be a tank riding over a building.

durandy · #18 Posted **Jun 10, 2013, 3:23 AM**

I've never heard of either the courthouse or the providential building. The great thing about Hamilton, we have so much depth in our register of demolished treasures.

mattgrande · #19 Posted **Jun 10, 2013, 12:49 PM**

Wow, I've never seen the original courthouse before. It's gorgeous.

Speaking of the Birks Building, Vintage Hamilton posted this about it yesterday:

Quote:

Oscar Wilde, the world famous poet/writer, called Hamilton's Canada Life and Assurance Company Building (The Birks Building) the most beautiful building in North America. It was later demolished.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...7650273&type=1

Dr Awesomesauce · #20 Posted **Jun 10, 2013, 2:40 PM**

^Ha ha! I love the succinctness of that comment => 'It was later demolished.' A few things happened in between but whatever.

Some great tidbits about the courthouse. I had no idea those columns were still kickin' around. I'll have to check that out. And yes, as has been pointed out, this was Hamilton's third courthouse. The first was little more than a log cabin. The second was a substantial building and actually quite beautiful in its own right.

A somewhat interesting nugget, the gallows were in behind the courthouse facing onto what was then called Tyburn street - now Jackson. They chose the name Tyburn because it's synonymous with hangings as it was the location where most criminals were executed in the London area. Cooool. It was later changed to Maiden lane perhaps as an homage to the Iron Maiden? Not the band but the medieval torture device. That's probably a stretch...no pun intended.

Unfortunately I sealed away all my history of Hamilton books years ago because they caused me to fall into a deep depression, otherwise I'd be able to offer more in the way of detail. So thanks for filling in the blanks!