society for the study of architecture in canada - SEXTONdigital

SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF ARCHITECTURE IN CANADA/SOCIETE POUR L'ETUDE DE L'ARCHITECTURE AU CANADA
VOLUME/TOME 14 DECEMBER1989DECEMBRE NUMBER/NUMERO 4

Society for the Study of
Architecture in Canada
President
MarkFram
221 Russell Hill Road, No. 302
Toronto, Ontario, M4V 2T3
Past President
Douglas Franklin
30 Renfrew Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario, KlS lZS
Vice-President
Stuart Lazear
City of Ottawa, Planning and Development
111 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario, KlN SAl
Treasurer
Kate MacFarlane
Canadian Parks Service
Ottawa, Ontario, KlA OH3
Secretary
Joanna Doherty
49 Morgan's Grant Way
Kanata, Ontario, K2K 2E8
Bulletin Editor
Gordon Fulton
Heritage Canada
P.O. Box 1358, Stn. B
Ottawa, Ontario, KlP 5R4
res. (416) 961-9956
office (613) 237-1867
res. 236-5395
office (613) 564-2617
res. 741-4233
office (819) 953-4598
office (819) 953-4612
office (613) 237-1066
BULLETIN
Volume/Tome 14, Number/Numero 4
A Note from the Editor/Note du redacteur
by Gordon Fulton ....................................................................... 87
An Age of Transition: Architecture in Toronto, 1920 - 1940*
by Boyde Beck ............................................................................. 88
The Early History of the Provincial Penitentiary, Kingston,
Ontariot
by Jennifer McKendry ................................................................. 93
Society News: Minutes of the Fifteenth Annual Business
Meeting and Board of Directors Meetings, Montreal, 1989
................................................................................................... 106
Members-at-large (east to west)
Charles Henley
8 Battery Road
St. John's, Newfoundland, AlA 1A4
Jim St. Clair
University College of Cape Breton, P.O. Box 5300
Sydney, Nova Scotia, BlP 6L2
Dr. C. W. Eliot
University of Prince Edward Island
550 University Avenue
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, CIA 4P3
Allen Doiron
Provincial Archives
P.O. Box 6000
Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5Hl
Howard Shubert
Canadian Centre for Architecture
1920, rue Baile
Montreal, Quebec, H3H 2S6
Anne M. de Fort-Menares
100 Quebec Avenue, Ste 608
Toronto, Ontario, M6P 4B8
Jim Johnson
185 Waverley Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3M 3K4
Frank Korvemaker
Saskatchewan Parks, Recreation and Culture
3211 Albert Street
Regina, Saskatchewan, S4S 5W6
Diana Thomas
Historic Sites Service, Alberta Culture
Old St. Stephen's College
8820 112 Street
Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2P8
Jeannette Hlavach
2725 West 6th Avenue
Vancouver, British Columbia, V6K 1W9
Don Lovell
Public Works and Highways
Government of Northwest Territories
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, XlA 2L9
(709) 765-5683
office (902) 566-0400
office (514) 939-7000
res. 485-1542
res. ( 416) 769-6862
office (204) 983-3088
res. 452-0377
office (306) 787-5875
res. 586-1405
office ( 403) 431-2343
res. 466-9742
office ( 403) 873-7818
ISSN No. 0228-0744
Produced with the assistance of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
COVER· Gravure sur bois par William Steinberg pour le congres annuel de Ia Societe
pour /'etude le /'architecture au Canada, Montreal, 1989.
Index to the Society for the Study of Architecture Bulletin,
1980-1989
Index du Bulletin de Ia Societe pour I' etude de I' architecture
au Canada, 1980 - 1989
....................................................................... special supplement
* Proceedings
t Winner of the Marin Eli Wei/ Award, 1989
Membership fees are payable at the following rates: Student, $IO.OO;
Individual/Family, $25.00; Organization/Corporation/Institution,
$40.00; Patron, $20.00 (plus a donation of not less than $IOO.OO). There
is a surcharge of $5.00 for all foreign memberships. Contributions over
and above membership fees are welcome, and are tax-deductible. Please
make your cheque or money order payable to the SSAC and send to Box
2302, Sation D, Ottawa, Ontario KIP 5W5.
L'abonnement annuel est payable aux prixsuivantes: etudiant, IO,OO $;
individuel!famille, 25,00 $; organisation/societe/institut, 40,00 $;
bienfacteur, 20,00 $(plus un don d'au moins 100,00 $). II y a des frais
additionnels de 5,00 $pour les abonnements etrangers. Les contribu·
lions au dessus de l'abonnement annuel sont acceptees et deductible
d'imp6t Veuillez s.v.p. fa ire le cheque ou mandat de poste payable a
l'ordre de SEAC et envoyer a C.P. 2302, Succursale D, Ottawa (Ontario)
KIP 5W5.
The Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada is a learned society devoted to
the examination of the role of the built environment in Canadian society. Its member·
ship includes structural and landscape architects, architectural historians, urban his·
torians and planners, sociologists, folklorists, and specialists in such fields as heritage
conservation and landscape history. Founded in I974, the Society is currently the sole
national society whose focus of interest is Canada's built environment in all of its
manifestations.
86 SSAC BULLETIN SEAC 14:4

A Note from the Editor
1989 MARKS TilE FIITEENTII ANNIVERSARY of the Society for the
Study of Architecture in Canada. In 1975 Martin Eli Wei!, the Society's
founder, looked back on the birth of the SSAC and the launch of
Nouvelles/Newsletter, predecessor to the Bulletin:
In February of 1973, Ms Jane Fawcett wrote asking if I was interested in
forming a Victorian Society in Canada. Feeling that a Victorian Society was
inappropriate in the context of Canadian architectural history, I began forming
the broader organization that was to become known as the Society for the
Study of Architecture in Canada. In October 1973, a steering committee of15
people met in Ottawa to formulate bylaws for the organization. At this time
an interim Board of Directors was appointed.
The first meeting took place at Stanley House in June, thanks to a grant from
the Canadian Committee for UNESCO. It was decided that SSAC should be
more active than most learned societies. To further this end, eight standing
committees were formed, including the Archives, Communications, Preservation,
Membership and Finance Committees.
In October 1974, the Society was officially incorporated and tax deductible
status was received in November. During that same autumn, application was
made to the Humanities Research Council to become a Learned Society.
It was decided that the publication of a newsletter was necessary to inform
members of the organization's activities, to provide a forum for members and
to disseminate information about the study of architecture. An application
was made to the Canadian Committee for UNESCO for funds to underwrite the
printing and mailing costs of a newsletter. Thanks to the granting of these
funds a newsletter was established.
In September 1980 Nouvelles/Newsletter was given a new name­
Bulletin-and a new magazine-style format. With these changes came
a new emphasis on the publication of current research. Since 1980
more than 150 scholarly articles, book reviews and critiques have been
published under the Bulletin banner. To mark the fifteenth anniversary
of the SSAC- and lOyears of Bulletin publication- a cumulative
index to the Bulletin has been created. It appears as a special
supplement to this issue.
ELSEWHERE IN TillS ISSUE, Boyde Beck looks at Toronto between
the years 1920 and 1940, and sees a city which rejected the architectural
excesses of the previous era- though not entirely- and which
embraced the modern age - but not wholeheartedly. It was, in his
words, a city which "preferred its architecture streamlined and
restrained, but not shorn of its antecedents." It was, as Beck illustrates,
a city in an age of transition.
Jennifer McKendry's The Early History of the Provincial Penitentiary,
Kingston, Ontario was the winner of the SSAC's Martin Eli Wei!
Award for 1989. McKendry investigates the attempts by 19th century
reformers, builders and architects to render their noble aims of
"security, salubrity and reformation" in stone. Their ignoble result has
since gained national political and social infamy. McKendry explains
how the penitentiary came to be the way it is, and the symbolic role
played by its architecture.
Thanks this issue go to Dominique Michel for translation and
Christine Derouin for word processing.
Note du redacteur
I..:ANNEE 1989 MARQUE LE QUINZIEME ANNlVERSAIRE de Ia Societe
pour !'etude de !'architecture au Canada. En 1975, Martin Eli Wei!,
fondateur de Ia Societe, repassait Ia naissance de Ia SEAC et Je lancement
de Ia publication Nouvelles/Newsletter, qui a precede Je Bulletin :
En fevrier 1973, Mme Jane Fawcett m'ecrivait pour me demander si je serais
interesse a former une societe victorienne au Canada. Comme je trouvais
qu'une societe victorienne ne convenait pas a l'histoire de !'architecture
canadienne, je commencai a former un organisme plus general qui devint Ia
Societe pour I' etude de !'architecture au Canada. En octobre 1973, un comite
d'organisation se reunissait a Ottawa pour rediger les arretes de
!'organisation. On nomma alors un conseil d'administration provisoire.
La premiere reunion eut lieu en juin a Stanley House, grlice a une subvention
du Comite canadien de l'UNESCO. II fut alors decide que Ia SEAC devrait etre
plus active que Ia plupart des societes savantes. Pour arriver a cette fin, huit
comites permanents furent crees, dont les comites des archives, des communications,
de Ia preservation, des cotisations et de Ia finance.
En octobre 1974, Ia Societe fut incorporee officiellement et devint en
novembre un organisme de bienfaisance reconnu. Au cours du meme
automne, une demande fut faite au pres du Conseil canadien de recherches sur
les humanites pour devenir une societe savante.
On decida que Ia publication d'un bulletin de nouvelles etait necessaire pour
informer les membres des activites de !'organisation, leur fournir une tribune
et faire circuler de )'information sur l'etude de !'architecture. Une demande
fut faite aupres du Comite canadien de !'UNESCO pour recevoir des fonds pour
couvrir les frais d'impression et de poste d'un bulletin de nouvelles. Grace a
cette subvention, un bulletin de nouvelles fut cree.
En septembre 1980, Nouvelles/Newsletter re

An Age of Transition: Architecture in Toronto, 1920- 1940
"Culturally and socially the world
is in a state of transition -
a period of great architectural
expression is open to us ...
a period of analysis and
experimentation ...
a period of transition. " 1
r'fhe Twenties and Thirties. An era of exuberance, followed by a decade of desperation.
.1. Toronto's citizens began to experience the quickened pace of modern times. Toronto's
architecture began to reflect the profound impact of modern technology. The rich ornament
of Victorian architecture was swept aside as a bold new skyline emerged. Reacting to what
the design community considered to be the excess of the Victorian era, the new architecture
was dedicated to the twin gods of technology and modernism. Crisper, cleaner and more
restrained than its predecessors, this architecture did not abandon all of the aesthetic devices
of the previous era. Instead, it updated them. It became a streamlined version of what had
come before -a portent of what was destined to arise: an architecture of transition.
Figure 1. The original design for the Eaton's College
Street complex, with tower. (RAIC Journal, December
1928, p. 431)
Toronto celebrated the end of the Great War with a building boom that transformed its
.1. ~kyline. By the mid-1920s buildings and building rates were climbing at a similar pace:
quite high and very quickly. A peak came in 1928, when an unprecedented $51.5 million was
spent on construction. 2
The era's exuberance carried over to the drafting table. The city's larger companies
planned prestigious office towers. The 34 storey Canadian Bank of Commerce became the
tallest building in the British Empire. Designed intermittently between 1917 and 1928,
Eaton's College Street retail/office complex would have surpassed this with a 40 storey tower
- if it had been completed as designed (figure 1 ).
The boom went bust in 1929. As the Depression set in most developers decided to
either scale down grand designs or shelve plans completely. Many decided simply to make do,
renovating existing structures instead of gambling on new ones. The ironically named Victory
Building was symbolic of these disastrous times. Designed as a general purpose office tower,
its foundations were laid in 1929. Within 18 months it was complete. In the meantime the
Depression had tightened its grip on the economy. The Victory Building would not see a
single tenant until 1938.1ts empty floors were a grim and highly visible reminder of how the
economy had turned sour.
The decline bottomed out in 1933. That year the City Architect's Department
reported that only $4.5 million had been spent on construction in Toronto. Though it made a
slight recovery, the industry remained depressed for the remainder of the decade; its
strongest year saw barely one fifth the activity of 1928. The era, however, retained an exciting
potential for architecture. Though arid years for their profession, Toronto's architects
designed some of the City's most unusual and fascinating buildings during this time.
Their architecture was driven by two impulses. The first was an enthusiasm
generated by the potential they saw in new technology. "The first steel girder means for us
nothing less," wrote critic Erich Mendelsohn, "than the same feeling of release with which the
Middle Ages greeted the first vault as a triumph over the principles of classical construction." 3
The second impulse was an almost universal rejection of everything built prior to
1919. As humorist P.G. Wodehouse observed: "Whatever may be said in favour of the Victorians,
it is pretty generally admitted that few of them were to be trusted within reach of a
trowel and a pile of bricks." 4
John Lyle, one of the era's most articulate Canadian architects, commented on the
Victorian in Toronto:
When one drives about Toronto and sees the endless mongrel combinations of shooting roofs, gabbing gables and
strutting bow windows that jostle each other on a 25 foot front, he is moved almost to tears. 5
Lyle speculated on a possible remedy for his heartbreak. "We need a tonic," he
wrote in 1932, "and I see signs that a few of us have been at the bottle - some take it in
moderation, others have been more reckless, while others again claim that it is more nauseating
than castor oil. This medicine is called 'modernism."' 6
by Boyde Beck
88
SSAC BULLETIN SEAC 14:4

Figure 2. Mosaic by J.E.H. MacDonald on the
Concourse Building, Baldwin and Green, architects,
1928. (City of Toronto Archives)
Toronto's architects, however, held back somewhat from a full embrace of the
modern. As Lyle himself cautioned:
It must be borne in mind that there is no such thing as an architectural style born overnight It is a gradual growth:
known motifs and styles of different periods forming the basis of the designer's inspiration. In turn, by reasons of
climatic conditions or of cost, through his scholarship and ability, he is able to impart that cachet which stamps his
building with a personal or national touch. 7
Or, as Percy Nobbs observed in 1930: "What about this growing interest in Modernity?
One may well hope great things of it, always provided we and our clients do not lose our
heads over it." 8
Throughout the 1920s and '30s Toronto's architects seemed to heed these warnings
as they worked to define and refine their own style of modern architecture. The role of ornament
was at the heart of the conflict between the proponents and opponents of "modernity."
"Over ornament we are uncertain," wrote critic and historian Kenneth Clark. "We are in a
state of reaction, not creation." He likened the European scene to the aftermath of an orgy:
Like guests at an unwholesome banquet we have woken up with the feeling that the pangs of hunger must be
preferable to indigestion. In consequence, our best architects have created a style of such severity that every decorative
motif, even the simplest moulding. has been excluded. 9
Clark might have been more uncomfortable in Toronto. Her architects were largely
unwilling to part entirely with ornament in their designs. "We must not forget that without
symbolism in the form of fresh, vital, contemporary decoration," John Lyle wrote, "the
public's interest in architecture is bound to wane, if not die altogether." 10 The key word here
is "contemporary." Toronto's version of modern architecture was quite accommodating to ornament.
It merely insisted its themes and motifs be modern in nature and execution. What
resulted might be called a conservative modern style.
This conservative modernism drew on several motifs and themes. In addition to the
new building forms technology made possible, it also placed modern interpretations on traditional
architectural devices. As a consequence, many of the era's major concerns and influences
played across the surfaces of the City's buildings.
One such concern was nationalism. John Lyle was an architect who believed that
the development of a national style of architecture was essential in Canada. He held that this
style would grow out of the incorporation of nationalistic themes in building ornament.
"When we examine our more serious architecture," he wrote, ''we look in vain for a distinctly
national note .... Why do we have to go to Europe for either traditional or modern ornament?
We have here in Canada, in our fauna, flora, bird and marine life, a wealth of possible
material." 11 Lyle's 1929 Dominion Bank was just one example of this philosophy, incorporating
Canadian plants, animals and industrial images in its decorative panels.
14:4 SSAC BULLETIN SEAC
89

Figure 3. A diefied figure on Chapman and Oxley's
Toronto Hydro Building, 1931-33. (City of Toronto
Archives)
Another powerful image was that of the machine. "Every man has the mechanical
sense," wrote Le Corbusier. "The feeling for mechanics exists and is justified by our daily activities.
The feeling in regard to machinery is one of respect, gratitude and esteem." 12 The
concept of an increasingly mechanized society intrigued the architects of the '20s and '30s.
The technology of steel and possibilities of reinforced concrete dominated the structural
aspects of their designs. Moreover, the machine was moving into the domain of the
craftsman. Perhaps as a result, the image of the machine and technology crept into a great
deal of their ornamental work.
The declining role of the craftsman on the building site disturbed many critics and
observers. Percy Nobbs commented:
It is not to our credit as a civilized people that, in the period 1825-1850, stone cutting was often executed with a
precision and refinement which would have satisfied Gabriel or Adam. Work of this class is not to be got, for love nor
money, by band or machine, in Canada today. Thus craftsmanship, which is at least the life, if not the soul of architecture,
is left to perish. 13
Figure 4. Meda/ion from the Toronto Stock Exchange,
designed by Charles Comfort (Peter Goodwin, City of
Toronto)
Kenneth Clark, while not optimistic over the trend, was realistic about the need to
change with the times. "We should all like to return to medieval conditions ... we may envy
the Baroque architects with their army of skilled workmen ... But we know that those conditions
are gone, and no amount of make-believe will bring them back to our time." 14
Percy Nobbs, ever the conciliator, maintained some common ground had to be
found. "Canadian architecture," he concluded, ''will be poor, heartless stuff if we fail frankly
to accept the mechanization of mass-production, on the one hand, or to retain a place for the
skilled artificer, on the other." 15
Baldwin and Green's Concourse Building is a good example of this compromise
(figure 2). Its entrance archway contains both mosaics from the hand of a Group of Seven
member [J.E.H. MacDonald] and cast concrete panels.
Other architects went further in their adoration of the machine. Instead of bemoaning
the demise of craftsmanship, some set out to glorify the technological age that had
brought about the decline. On the surface of Chapman and Oxley's Toronto Hydro Building,
for instance, technology was abstracted, made almost mythic, as deified figures transformed
energy into industry (figure 3). Even when it was not mythologizing the modern, much of the
period's ornament had a stylized, "machine" look. This look was best captured in the crisp,
mechanized images Charles Comfort designed for the Toronto Stock Exchange (figure 4). A
tribute to modern times, the figures in Comfort's murals, frieze and door panels were heroic
in both pose and proportion.
The notion that a building's fabric should reflect its function drove many of
Toronto's architects. Some interpreted literally the concept that form should express function.
They designed coinage reliefs for banks, turbine entablatures for generating stationseven
a continuous history of the mail service for the city's main postal station. In their Ontario
Hydro Building, Sproatt and Rolph employed functional expression by topping the
pilasters flanking the entrance with power dams (figure 5).
The new materials available to architects also influenced design in Toronto. As technology
freed much of the external wall from its structural responsibilities, architects were
given more scope to play with aesthetic devices. Windows, for instance, could be wrapped
90
SSAC BULLETIN SEAC 14:4

Figure 5. The Ontario Hydro Building's 'dam pilaster' by
Sproatt and Rolph, 1935-45. (City of Toronto Archives)
around corners or employed in long bands without interference from structural supports.
John Lyle characterized this sort of modernity as "a daring use of modern materials." The
Globe and Mail Building, for instance, employed alternate bands of glass and concrete, both
to define its floor lines and give the illusion of lateral movement. The Mathers and Halden by
design seemed to pause while stretching around the corner of King and York, before tearing
off in both directions (figure 6).
A final influence was that of Art Deco. As Aldous Huxley described it, "Modern
simplicities are rich and sumptuous; we are Quakers whose severely cut clothes are made of
damask and silver." 16 The streamlining of hard edges was a particular characteristic of Art
Deco. From furniture to locomotives, tanks to buildings, the Art Deco style seemed determined
to find the perfect balance between angle and curve. In Toronto, the International
Harvester Building represented one such attempt (figure 7). Art Deco exoticism and lines
were also blended into the Tip Top Tailor's Building and Charles Dolphin's Consumer's Gas
Building.
Figure 7. The International Harvester Building. (City of
Toronto Archives, Public Works Collection 33-71)
f"""(1.e trend of this era in Toronto was toward the minimal. Some architects, working in in­
.1. dustrial settings, executed buildings that would have found acceptance among the most
radical prophets of the Modern and International styles. The overall trend, however, was
more conservative. It was as if someone had applied heat to the richly encrusted surfaces of
the previous era; softening its hard edges, melting away what had come to be seen as excess.
This heat, however, did not reduce the architecture to the bare, structuralist bones demanded
by the extremes of Modernist theory. Toronto preferred its architecture streamlined and
restrained, but not shorn of its antecedents. This preference marks it as an architecture of
transition -a bridge between the fussiness of the Victorian and starkness of the modern.
14:4 SSAC BULLETIN SEAC
91

Figure 6. The Globe and Mail Building by Mathers and
Haldenby (1937): •stretching around the corner ...
before tearing off in both directions. • (RAJC Journal,
August193~p . 175)
NOTES
1 Jacques Carlu, from a lecture at the Art Gallery of
Toronto, 10 February 1931.
2 These figures are based on the City Architect's Building
Permit records.
3 Erich Mendelsohn, Royal Architectural Institute of
Canada (hereafter RAIC)Jouma~ December 1930,
p. 455.
4. P.G. Wodehouse, quoted in Susan Lasdun, Victorians
at Home (New York: Abrams, 1982).
5 John Lyle, RAICJouma~ March 1932, p. 70.
6 John Lyle, RAICJouma~ April1929, p. 136.
7 John Lyle, RAICJouma~ February 1927, p. 60.
8 Percy Nobbs. RAICJouma~ September 1930, p. 314.
9 Kenneth Clark, "Address to the Royal Institute of
British Architects' Centenary Conference," reprinted
in RAICJouma~ January 1935, p. 7.
10 John Lyle, RAICJoum~ March 1932, p. 69.
11 John Lyle, RAICJouma~ April1929, p. 135.
12 Le Corbusier, Toward A New Architecture (London:
Architectural Press, 1927), p. 119.
13 Percy Nobbs, RAICJouma~ November 1930, p. 389.
14 Kenneth Clark, RAICJouma~ January 1935, p. 8.
15 Percy Nobbs, RAICJouma~ November 1930, p. 392.
16 Aldous Huxley, Studio Magazine, 1930.Art Deco is
often used to describe a broad spectrum of this era's
architecture. Other labels, used both then and now, include
Style Modeme, Stripped Architecture, Jazz, The
California Style, The lntemational Style, and Conserva-
tive Modem. Many other terms could be added. The
eclectic nature of the period's architecture defies all
but the most generic labels.
Conservative Modem was a term first used in a 1936
edition of the magazine Stone. Stone also referred to it
as a transitional style. The term was also quoted in a
later issue of the RAIC JoumaL It is a useful distinction
to make, if only to separate the style that
dominated the "modern" architecture of the 1930s
from the more severe International Style, which came
to dominate perceptions of "modern" architecture fol ­
lowing the Second World War.
Boyde Beck, a native of Prince Edward Island, is
currently employed by the Prince Edward Island
Museum. This article is based on research originally
undertaken for an exhibition at the City of Toronto 's
Market Gallery, and was presented at the SSAC's 1988
conference in Vancouver.
92
SSAC BULLETIN SEAC
14:4

The Early History of The Provincial Penitentiary, Kingston, Ontario
From the late 18th century British prison designers had the unenviable task of trying to
reconcile in physical structures the three, potentially conflicting, requirements (as formulated
by the great philanthropist John Howard) of a modern reform penitentiary: security,
salubrity, and reformation. 2 These were still significant ideals for the Canadian founders of
the Provincial Penitentiary when, in 1832, it was decided to erect this institution on the shore
of Lake Ontario, near the town of Kingston, Ontario. Alas, this experiment in a "Moral
School" was declared a complete failure by 1848, after the depravity of the administration
was publicly revealed in a government investigation? And yet architectural decisions were influenced
by the three Howardian ideals. But as usually happens when large numbers of
people are congregated and segregated from society, the humane aims of those in charge
may unintentionally result in abnormal and repressive conditions for the very persons whose
lives the planners are seeking to improve. Such perversions affected the managers and architects
of the Provincial Penitentiary; for example, the dimensions of the convict cells were
only 2.5 feet x 8.3 feet each. Even before they were constructed, critics scorned their
restricted size as being like "pigeon-holes." One of the planners defended the proposed size
of the cells in the following manner: "The occupant has ample room to dress and undress,
turn round, lie down, stand or sit, and a lengthened space for walking back and forth. And
what more does he need? He would not occupy more space if he had it." 4 Specialized punishment
cells, referred to as "dark cells," were designed so that each had an opening, deliberately
jogged, in one of its masonry walls to allow the entrance of air, but not light. Solitude, in
this case without the distraction of external light and views, was thought to promote moral
repentance, and yet such a physical environment, without sensory stimulation, can surely be
judged as inhumane.
Despite the significance of its radial plan and use of classicism, this institution, perhaps
as a reflection of its gloomy function, has barely been mentioned or seriously discussed
in Canadian architectural histories. 5 Yet it is as important a monument for Canada as John
Haviland's Eastern Penitentiary in Philadelphia is for the United States, or the Model Prison
in Pentonville is for Britain.
The founding commissioners of the Provincial Penitentiary, Hugh Thomson and
John Macaulay, were familiar not only with the theories of the British and American reform
movements of John Howard and the Quakers, but also with the key monuments which had
influenced their ideas or were built as a result of such influences. This knowledge was gained
either by touring the sites- the prisons at Auburn and Mount Pleasant (Sing Sing), N.Y.,
for example- or by studying publications in which were discussed such examples as the
Maison de Force in Ghent, the Bridewell in Glasgow or Eastern Penitentiary in Philadelphia. 6
The last three examples are particularly interesting, because their plans are formulated on
radial schemes (figure 1).
The commissioners had to come to grips with two fundamental problems- how to
express in physical form the reform theories of prison management, and the long-term influence
of the prison experience on the behaviour of the individual inmate. In his famous report
on prisons, Howard had noted the corrupting effect of mixing, in the large communal daytime and
sleeping rooms of the old prisons, hardened and novice criminals. Certain reformers (among
them those at Eastern Penitentiary) felt that individual cells for labour and sleep were the
solution, while others, in particular those concerned with Auburn, favoured individual cells
for sleeping and communal rooms for eating, worshiping, and labouring. 7 "Corruption" was
avoided by enforcing- with great zeal- the rule of silence. Silence permitted prisoners the
opportunity for self-examination of their short-comings and the opportunity for true repentance.
That was the theory. In practice, silence was difficult to maintain, particularly in the
case of children and, if effectual, promoted insanity. 8 At any rate, this was the system proposed
for Kingston. It was no doubt a significant factor in the selection of the two key officers
for the new institution- William Powers and John Mills- from the staff of Auburn Prison.
Fear not, I mean not vengeance,
but your reformation.
Severe is my hand, but benevolent
. . 1
my mtentwn.
Figure 1. Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia.
(Philadelphia Historical Commission)
by Jennifer McKendry
14:4 SSAC BULLETIN SEAC
93

T
w
T T
w
T
Individual cells plus large communal rooms required a great deal of physical space
and taxed the observation powers of the guards who had to impose silence on their charges.
By the time of the planning of the Provincial Penitentiary, a system had been developed
which featured a central observation area to which were attached long arms containing rows
of cells. The number of arms varied according to the number of inmates housed and .the number
of storeys involved. Eastern Penitentiary had, for example, seven arms of one storey each,
whereas Kingston, having a greater number of storeys, was to settle for fewer arms. The
resulting designs, particularly when schematized as floor plans on paper, were agreeable to
the love of repetitive geometry evident in architectural planning in the late 18th century.
Figure 2. William Powers and John Mills, Provincial
Penitenitary, Kingston, 1832-34, proposed site plan.
(Reports of the Prison Discipline Society of Boston,
1836)
A I
D
THE MAIN BUILDING, 1832 - 1860
The Main Building of the Provincial Penitentiary was visualized from the beginning
as a Greek cross centred by a rotunda, surmounted by a cupola. The first plans of 1832 were
modified in the spring of 1833, and sent to the Boston Prison Discipline Society who published
the site plan in 1836 (figure 2). Written descriptions help us to visualize these early
schemes which have been revised over time. 9 Correspondence between commissioner
Macaulay and the chaplain of Auburn Prison (in the Macaulay Papers, Ontario Archives)
describe William Powers, a deputy keeper at Auburn, as the originator of these plans. He
came to Kingston in 1833 as superintendent of the building project, a post he gave up in July
1835 in order to become the deputy warden of the prison. He finally left the institution in
June 1840. In 1834 his architectural qualifications were questioned in letters published in the
local press, and he was portrayed as an American interloper, juggling his 'talents' as "Goaler,
Builder, Artist and Buffoon" and misrepresenting himself as the creative power behind the
new prison design. It was implied that the prison draughtsman William Kennedy was the real
talent. Kennedy, who had copied the penitentiary plans for visiting dignitaries from France,
denied, however, either originating or altering them. In June of 1834, John Mills, the master
builder at the prison (he had accompanied Powers from Auburn), resigned his position and
declared that it was he, not Powers, who had originated the plans. 10
Perhaps one should think of the Provincial Penitentiary as having been designed by
a committee who drew upon the ideas and talents of the penitentiary commissioners in
Kingston and the various staff members in Auburn, rather than being the product of a single
man. Commissioner Macaulay, on 31 July 1832, wrote to Levi Lewis, keeper of Auburn
Prison:
I have this day written to your Deputy, Mr. Powers, requesting him to prepare me a plan and estimates of a Penitentiary
to be submitted by Mr. Thomson and myself to our Legislature at its next sitting, and I have made some notes in
my letter to him on certain points connected with Prison Architecture, management and discipline, which attracted
our attention during our recent tour, or on reading the Reports since our return home. Mr. Powers will of course show
you my letter and if on any subject herein adverted to, you should feel inclined to afford us any information, I beg to
assure you that your communication will be esteemed a high favour.
Commissioner Thomson was a strong advocate of reform prisons and, as early as
1830, had been studying pertinent examples such as the Glasgow Bridewell, the new section
of which was to be built with four radiating arms containing individual cells. 11 Powers may
have been encouraged to turn to such prototypes for the Greek cross scheme he devised for
Kingston. Auburn itself was not a model for such radial planning, because it was constructed
on a three-sided courtyard plan.
As a result of Mills leaving in the summer of 1834, William Coverdale (1801-1865)
was hired as his replacement. 12 This was the starting point of Coverdale's career as designer
and supervisor of the building projects at the penitentiary until he resigned in 1846. Even
after he left, some of his plans continued to be exploited by his successor, Edward Horsey
(1806-1865), and the structures that Coverdale had erected on the site influenced the appearance
of new ones. Coverdale had emigrated as a young boy with his family from York,
England, and had settled in the area along the Richelieu River, Quebec, north of the
American border. He may have worked in the 1820s on the rebuilding of Fort Lennox, and
this experience may have influenced his decision in the early 1830s to move to Kingston,
where the Rideau Canal was being completed, the rebuilding of Fort Henry had begun, and
the Provincial Penitentiary was in the planning stages. Except for a short span from June
1835 to March 1837, when he was working in Hamilton and Brantford during a lull in the
building activity at the prison, he worked in Kingston as an architect and supervisor of various
projects until his death in 1865. His experience at the penitentiary prepared him for other institutional
undertakings: he was City Architect from the middle of the 1840s, and architect in
charge of the Rockwood Lunatic Asylum from the late 1850s.
94
SSAC BULLETIN SEAC t4:4

Figure 3. William Powers, John Mills, William
Coverdale and Edward Horsey, Provincial Penitentiary,
beg. 1833, south-east view of the Main Building before
the rebuilding of the south wing in 1895. (NAC 46258)
Figure 4. William Coverdale and Edward Horsey,
Provincial Penitentiary, beg. 1833, north-east view of
Main Building before the alterations of the windows
and doorway in the early 20th century. (Queen's
University Archives)
Coverdale immediately set to work at the prison on creating plans which were
regarded "as exhibiting no unfavourable evidence of the qualifications which he possesses for
his present situation." 13 He was requested to deposit these plans, presumably including ones
for the north wing of the Main Building, with the penitentiary officials when he left in 1835. 14
Although they were useful as a guide for building activities during his absence, the prison officials
realized that they needed him on the site and asked him to return in the spring of 1837Y
The south wing, next to the lake shore, had been begun in August of 1833 during
the tenure of Powers and Mills, and was complete in September 1834, about two or three
months after Coverdale replaced Mills as master builder. 16 It must have appeared rather
dowdy- a simple three-storey rectangular box, lit by rectangular windows and topped by a
roof which was hipped on its southerly or rear portion (figure 3). There were no decorative
touches. 17 For about the first thirty years of the prison's existence there was a discrepancy between
the plans (they appeared on paper for a united four-arm building) and the actual structure
as built. As had been planned from the beginning, each wing was erected in isolation and
at a different time from the others, in order to accommodate financial resources and the
growing prison population. The connecting rotunda and dome were not constructed until
later in the century. The north wing (figure 4) was designed by Coverdale by the summer of
1835, the foundations were laid a year later, and the stone walls began to rise in the autumn
of 1836. Since Coverdale was absent at this time, Richard Logan supervised the work of the
14:4 SSAC BULLETIN SEAC
95

Ktttc&rott PcttiTCIITIItRY
r----:c----'==~=====-----=,-.zJtiUJ:S Z:Ye Vt.ew PRtJoNBuatuNC,j --­
,,__
r=~ l -~ - -- .
' I •
'
I I
~ :
1/y~
v' ,,.,. ,tr'1''
•============="""'=============a.,..~J , i I, ""
Figure 5. Provincial Penftentiary, beg_1833, bird's eye
view in 1895 of sfte by James Adams. (Queen's
University Archives)
convict labourers but, due to their inexperience, progress was so slow that outside stonemasons
had to be hired in 1837 in order to have the roof built before winter. 18 The interior
was being outfitted in 1838, but the function of the interior was subject to change for many
years. Eventually it held the architect's office, along with other rooms for the bureaucracy. 19
William Powers professed to be " no connoisseur of architectural ornaments" but,
perhaps jealous over Coverdale's popularity, acidly criticized the latter's change in design
(from that established in the south wing). He objected to the change from rectangular windows
to ones topped by a round arch because the latter seemed more suited to a church than
a prison. 20 This suggests that he was also no connoisseur of reform prison design, because the
incorporation of round-arched windows or blind arcades was a pragmatic 19th century adaption
of John Howard's late 18th century design for an ideal prison which featured open
ground-level arcades. These permitted the maximum circulation of air, thought to be essential
for good health. 21 But they also allowed the cold to penetrate the building in the winter,
and used up potential floor space for cells and other rooms essential for the operation of a
prison. Consequently, ·only token forms of the arch were incorporated into institutions built in
the 19th century.
The open arcades favoured in late 18th century reform prison design are similar to
those found on two of the stone buildings at Fort Lennox, Quebec. Because Coverdale as a
young man lived near the fort, he was familiar with the design. There are, of course, links between
military and prison architecture; for example, both types must provide accommodation
and training facilities in a secure and austere manner for large numbers of persons. The
military desired to prevent aggressors from entering their fortifications,·and the prison officials
desired to prevent their aggressive inmates from leaving their structures.
On the side walls of the north wing, plain round-arched windows (now altered)
rested on string courses, while on the north or front wall the windows were more formally emphasized
by the use of keystones and paired blocks under the sills. In fact, the whole mood
and design of the north wing had changed to formal classicism from the relatively crude appearance
of the south wing. The front wall of the north wing was capped by a pediment, and
defined at the corners by stripped-down pilasters. The main doorway (now rebuilt) was arched
and bordered by a severe Tuscan surround. Although the south wing was the first structure
on the site, and thus might have been precedent-setting, it is Coverdale's north wing
which sets the tone of the subsequent buildings on the prison grounds, including the buildings
which flank the Main Building (figure 5), namely, the hospital (begun 1847) on the east and
96
SSAC BULLETIN SEAC 14:4

the dining-hall/chapel (begun 1849) on the west. The key difference between the south and
north wings is that the project was now controlled by a sensitive architect who could successfully
combine aesthetic and functional considerations, while putting up with the frustrations
of having to train convicts to be builders and having to deal with the bunglings of such poor
administrators as William Powers and Henry Smith.
The remaining two wings of the Greek cross were built during the decade of the
1840s in response to the increasing number of convicts needing to be housed. This additive
approach to building was an advantage of the radiating arm scheme, although the dome
could not be erected until the four arms were in place. By the spring of 1841, the east wing
was completed, and the foundations of the west wing rose three feet above ground. 22 This
wing was then put on hold until construction resumed a few years later- its cell system installed
as late as 1847. 23
The wings were constructed with free-standing stone walls protected by a gable
roof. The interior fittings were considered to be independent from the outer walls in their
structural systems and, consequently, could be erected or altered at a later date. The number
of storeys of cells was usually greater than the number of storeys indicated by string courses
on the exterior walls- a functional consideration out-weighing the theoretical demands of
classicism. Individual cells had their own interior windows unrelated to those in the outside
stone walls. The cell doors swung out onto narrow galleries supported on iron brackets. If you
were incarcerated in one of the upper tiers and walked out of your cell onto the gallery, only a
railing separated you from a drop of about thirty feet to the main floor. You could proceed
along the gallery to the central rotunda, in which iron staircases were located.
Although the rotunda was part of the original plan of the early 1830s, this essential
connecting passageway for the arms of the Main Building was delayed until 1859, by which
time Edward Horsey was the architect of the prison. 24 In 1853, the prison inspectors made an
unsuccessful attempt to thwart the dream of a large dome, which they felt would lend too
grand an air to the institution, as if conferring dignity upon crime. 25 But the distinctive classical
style established in the north wing by Coverdale led inevitably to the need for a grand
dome. This was the formula established in other civic buildings in Kingston and area. In 1844
a noble dome, elevated on a drum pierced by rectangular windows, was placed on the City
Hall begun by architect George Browne and finished by William Coverdale. In 1855 construction
was begun by Edward Horsey on the Frontenac County Court House, a classicallydesigned
stone public building. Horsey's dome was rather disappointing- a simple, tinned
hemisphere which John and Joseph Power rebuilt after a fire in 1875 in a more emphatic
profile, elevated on a drum pierced by round-arched windows. 26 The Power design was
probably influenced by Coverdale's design for the dome (now removed) on the Rockwood
Lunatic Asylum, in the planning stages in 1857.
Horsey's dome on the Main Building of the penitentiary featured a multi-sided
stone drum, modestly pierced on alternate faces by oculi. Above this rose the tinned curve of
the dome, which spanned 56 feet and on which rested a large skylight surmounted by a
weather vane. The skylight of German glass was 37 feet in diameter, and illuminated the unobstructed
drop of 118 feet to the main floor of the rotunda. 27
In the late 18th century, Jeremy Bentham pointed out one of the advantages of his
Panopticon, or centrally planned institution: there was "one station in the inspection part affording
the most perfect view of every cell." 28 An echo of this was still evident as late as 1895
in this description of the rotunda of the Kingston prison: "The central dome contains three
[sic] tiers of cells radiating from the centre like spokes of a wheel, so that all corridors are
within view of a guard standing in that centre." 29 Because the rotunda did not have a floor for
each tier of cells (other than at ground-level), the observation points were not as ideal as the
quotation suggests. It seems unlikely that a guard could actually see from the perimeter
walkways of the rotunda into all of the individual cells in the wings.
In the centre of the rotunda floor stood a bell which regulated the mind-numbing
routine of the prison (and which was attacked during the riots in the 20th century). In 1955
the dome was removed, save for the stone base, and rebuilt, but its baroque character was
lost. Its original profile against the sky was visible despite the perimeter wall, and was an important
fulcrum for the radially planned Main Building.
Although it took decades for the Main Building to fulfill the architectural vision as conceptualized
as early as 1832, the plan and method of prisoner control was known and influential.
Immediately to the south, workshops (rtgure 5), "a most elegant and stately pile of buildings,"
were designed by William Coverdale in a cross plan with a dome. 30 They were planned about
1845, and were under construction when Edward Horsey took over from Coverdale. The arched
masonry ceilings and free-standing stone steps which sweep in curves into the centre of the
14:4 SSAC BULLETIN SEAC 97

workshop complex bring to mind the fearsome and romantic vision of Piranesi's prints of
prisons. In 1871, H. H. Horsey, acting architect of the penitentiary and son of Edward Horsey
(who died in 1869), submitted plans for a Solitary Prison for the penitentiary site. The new
building was to be composed of five arms radiating from a central rotunda. 31
The Auburnian type of cell arrangement used in Kingston was cited as an important
model when alterations were contemplated in 1852 for the prison of Pied-du-Courant in
Montreal. As part of these changes, Edward Horsey submitted an unaccepted scheme for the
perimeter wall, influenced by the design in Kingston. 32 The main building, in the form of a
cross, and the outer wall of the 1872 penitentiary of St. Vincent de Paul, near Montreal, were
based on the Kingston scheme. The late 19th century prison at Dorchester also has a crossshaped
building.
THE OUTER WALLS AND GATEWAYS
In the 19th century the Main Building was visible because of the height of the
dome, which acted as a landmark when viewed from water or land. In addition, paying visitors
frequented the site. But today the Main Building is less prominent due to the loss of the
upper part of the dome and the protection given by the intimidating concrete walls which
have replaced the old stone walls and west gateway. The result is that the public's main impression
of the penitentiary is provided by the north, or front, gateway which is located tight
against King Street West (the main access road between downtown Kingston and the suburban
residential section to the west).
Convict work gangs were a common sight well into the 20th century as they went to
or returned from the local quarries, but now, due to the penitentiary's classification as a special
maximum-security institution, the main sign of activity is the arrival or departure of
guards. In the past the site was part of the daily activity of Portsmouth Village, which abutted
it. The links (no longer in existence) to the village were the west gate designed by Coverdale
in the early 1840s, and a gateway on King Street West designed by James Adams in 1875 and
located to the west of the corner watch-tower. The west gate (figure 9) faced the harbour,
which in the 19th century was an active ship-building area for the village. Some of the supplies
needed for the prison population and workshops were brought by ship, and finished
products, such as worked building stone, were brought from the prison shops to the vessels
for transportation to other communities (for example, to Cobourg and Chicago). 33
Security, as represented by a stout perimeter wall, is, of course, fundamental to a prison.
Yet the Provincial Penitentiary was secured from the time of its opening only by a picket fence,
which had deteriorated in many places by the 184&. For a number of years this worried the prison
officials, but it was not until1840 that they had the funds available to request and approve plans
for a stone wall designed by William Coverdale. 34 They were optimistic that it would be quickly
constructed, but it was a complicated affair- the site had to be leveled, the gradient of the road
in front of the prison reduced, and four circular corner towers constructed. The west and north
gateways were to be elaborate structures, including twtHtorey buildings or lodges intruding into
the grounds. The construction proceeded with fine workmanship, even though most of the convicts
had had no previous training before Coverdale and others taught them on the site. They
began on the southern part of the wall, and only one-third of the total wall was built by the spring
of 1842. 35 Finally, in 1844, the Board oflnspectors was able to report that the north lodge and almost
all of the walls were complete. 36 A datestone of 1845 is located in the pediment of the interior
facade of the north lodge. Work was still being done on the last corner tower in 1846. 37 In
1852 Edward Horsey added a fifth tower, styled after those designed by Coverdale, immediately
to the north of the west gate. 38
In my analysis of the Main Building, I noted that Coverdale improved upon and
refined, but basically respected, the plans laid down by his predecessors. In the case of the
perimeter walls, however, he was free to be creative, and indeed produced a solution which
balanced originality with the conventions of reform prison design and established architectural
theory.
Security, salubrity, and reformation- the three keystones of Howardian prisonsdominated
the theoretical writings of the local Board of Inspectors and the Chaplain during
the period in which Coverdale, who was linked to their group in his sympathies, was designing
and building the outer walls. 39 Some entrances to British prisons bore inscriptions of this
philosophy on their public faces; for example, on the Littledean Bridewell (1785, William
Blackburn), there was simply the poignant word "Solitude," which was a recognized technique
of bringing about moral reformation. 40 The main entrance to the Provincial Penitentiary
at Kingston expressed this type of message, not by inscribed mottoes, but through architectural
forms.
98
SSAC BULLETlN SEAC 14:4

Figure 6. William Coverdale, Provincial Penffentiary,
1840-44, exterior of north gateway before the addffion
of a central tower about 1895. (Queen's University
Archives)
KINCSTON PENITENTIARY
MAIN E.NTlRANCE
Figure 7. William Coverdale, Provincial Penffentiary,
1840-44: drawings by James Adams in 1895 of north
gateway. (Queen's University Archives)
Coverdale's north lodge or gateway (figures 6, 7) incorporates a triumphal arch
motif, the most famous of which was the Arch of Constantine in Rome. The prison gateway
shares in common with such a triumphal arch the incorporation of a heavy attic, classical orders,
rondels, and passageways composed of a large, central round-headed archway flanked
by smaller passageways on each side. Roman triumphal arches survived in reasonable condition
in a number of accessible sites and, hence, were well illustrated in guide and architectural
pattern books, ranging from Andrea Palladia's The Four Books (1570) to Edward Cresy's Encyclopaedia
of Civil Engineering (revised ed. 1857). In the latter, pedimented arches can be
found. In addition, there were well-known illustrated British examples of the 18th and 19th
centuries (for example, William Chambers's Arch at Wilton and Decimus Burton's Arch and
Screen at Hyde Park Corner, London). But is the triumphal arch an entirely appropriate
frontispiece for the usually sober nature of a penitentiary? Are they not characteristically rich
and festive in appearance, due to the incorporation of a program of sculpture and the choice
of the Composite or Corinthian Order? The latter was deemed "proper for all buildings,
where elegance, gaiety and magnificence is required," according to Asher Benjamin, writing
in 1814 but drawing upon a much older tradition. 41 On the other hand, one could argue that
they were suitable in these respects: they were located on important civic sites; and they were
associated with and were celebrating in a public manner the military deeds of the Emperors.
The Emperor symbolized the society he ruled- in a sense, his triumph over his enemies who
were humbled as prisoners and marched under his arch was society's triumph over the evil of
criminals who were being admitted to penal institutions. Coverdale wove this theme of the
military and moral triumph into his composition.
14:4 SSAC BULLETIN SEAC
99

Of A ntiquitic
Figure 8. Spello Gateway from Serlio, The Five Books
of Architecture.
Another source for the north entrance to the prison may have been the Roman
town gateway, which also featured round-arch openings, but in association with defensive
walls, as one finds in a penitentiary perimeter wall. An example which bears a surprising
resemblance to Coverdale's gate is the Augustan City Gate of Speno, ltaly.lt has the three arched
openings, but only one ronde! over each of the outer arches, as in the Kingston example
(the Arch of Constantine has a pair of rondels over each of the outer arches). This gateway
was illustrated (figure 8) in Sebastiana Serlio's The Five Books of Architecture (1537-1547)
with a broad attic surmounted by a pediment. 42 Since the upper part of the gateway had
deteriorated, Serlio may have supplied certain details from his imagination. The gateway is
flanked by tall faceted watch-towers of the type Coverdale placed at the corners of his walls.
The order is a very simple Doric, without triglyphs and metopes (as Serlio points out), and is
thus reminiscent of the Tuscan Order chosen by Coverdale. With this antique example we
have a public structure with military overtones as part of a city's defense works, and associated
with a more sober choice of Order than one characteristically finds on a triumphal
arch. The Doric was of "a grave, robust, masculine aspect," suitable for military buildings. 43
In British architecture one finds from the middle of the 18th century the combination
of arched openings and the choice of Doric or Tuscan Order; for example, Battey
Langley illustrated in 1740 a Doric gateway and porter's lodge, and John Carter portrayed in
1775 a Tuscan gateway with side lodges, based on the 17th century church in Covent Garden,
London by Inigo Jones. In many British gateway-lodges, the outer arches were filled by the
fenestration necessary for the Iodges. 44
There was an interesting use of the Roman triumphal arch for a penitentiary in
George Dance the Elder's unsuccessful proposal in 1755 for the rebuilding of Newgate
Prison, London. 45 His elevation showed two individual arches with three openings in each.
The larger arch spanned a street which divided two blocks of the institution. The choice of
the Doric Order is reminiscent of Roman gateways, but the embellishments with symbolic
statuary is more in line with the richness of the triumphal arch. The smaller arch which permitted
access into the Sessions House Yard was a plainer version, capped with a pediment.
Even though this scheme did not materialize, it reached a wide audience due to being circulated
as a print and reproduced in a magazine. Dance's simpler arch may have been the
model for the gateway for a prison for 600 prisoners proposed by James Bevan in 1819. 46 In
general, free-standing and engaged columns were avoided in the perimeter buildings of
prisons because of economic restraints and a desire for an austere appearance.
Rustication became the conventional method of texturing the outer facades of
prisons. Newgate, as built by George Dance the Younger from 1769 to 1784, set the stage
with rustication boldly confronting the public thoroughfare- its effect made more ominous
by the use of large-scale stones and limited fenestration. In contrast to the rather domestic appearance
of many prisons built previous to about 1750, later prisons looked like prisons by incorporating
a number of conventions on those facades or walls which were exposed to the
public: rustication; large pieces of masonry placed in wide expanses of walls; spare use of windows,
which were usually barred and often consisted only of a lunette; round arches for windows
or flat arcades; moralistic inscriptions or symbols (fetters in the case of Newgate); and
plans dominated by geometrical dispositions.
When Coverdale was contemplating his design for the outer walls in 1840, he had
the following sources available through illustrations and written descriptions: antique triumphal
arches and gateways; revival examples of these, free-standing or incorporated into
British entrances to country estates; and the infrequent use of the triumphal arch motif in
British penitentiary designs. But there was another source closer to home - entrances to
military establishments, including gateways into the walled city of Quebec. Fort Lennox,
Quebec has a single rounded arch in its stone 'triumphal arch' entrance. The fort was
reconstructed in the 1820s under the general supervision of Colonel Durnford, who was also
responsible in this same period for the expansion of the Citadel in Quebec City. The main
single-arched entrance of the Citadel has become monumentalized, because of the flanking
broad areas of masonry, ornamented by pairs of Tuscan columns which support an entablature.
The exterior design of the west gateway (figure 9) of the prison at Kingston is similar, except
that it lacks columns- they would have been inappropriate on a secondary entrance,
and their bases and lower shafts might have been damaged by the rough work of transporting
goods to and from the prison and harbour.
In terms of what had already been established as appropriate for prisons, can
Coverdale's work be judged successful? The north gateway functions like that of a gateway
into a Roman walled town - behind the walls sits a complex arrangement of civic, residential,
and workshop buildings, all of which reflect the varied functions of a real town and yet
100
SSAC BULlETIN SEAC 14:4

Figure 9. William CollfJfdale, Provincial Penitentiary,
1840-44, exterior of west gateway (now demolished).
(Queen's University Archives)
Figure 10. William Coverdale, Provincial Penitentiary,
1840-44, interior of north gateway and lodge. (Queen's
University Archives)
are distinct from a town. 47 There are strong military overtones, though in this case, not to
keep intruders out but to keep convicts in- to protect normal society from potentially
dangerous deviants, while seeking to normalize them into accepting society's morals: a kind of
moral triumph, symbolized by the triumphal arch motif. Security, salubrity and reformation,
the three touchstones of the reform prison, are symbolized in the tripartite composition: first
by the three arched-openings which are framed by pilasters on the recessed wall and by
columns in antis aligned with the projecting walls; and second by the overall tripartite arrangement
formed by the two projecting outer pavilions which flank the central recessed area. This
emphasis on three continues on the facade (figure 10) which faces into the prison yard. There
are three giant arches (AM) linked by a string course across the flat facade, plus the central
unit of the lower arches on each side of the tall, central arch (bAb ). These rhythms are united
by a common pediment.
The street facade of the north gateway is systematically textured. Serlio pointed out
that, in rustication, a sculptural quality could be achieved through the interspersing of delicately
worked stone blocks with roughly hewn stone and varied types of bonding. 48 Coverdale
played off coarse against fine stonework. As one might expect from a classically organized
14:4 SSAC BULlETIN SEAC
101

structure, the entrance rests on a 'firm' foundation of the largest and most grossly textured
stonework. This foundation acts as a horizontal band across the composition, in counterplay
to the finely tooled, 'light', uppermost band which includes the entablature, paneled parapets
and pediment. The upper and lower bands are linked vertically by the smooth stonework of
the piers and columns. The transition from the vertical face of the heavily worked walls to the
smooth architraves of the outer pavilions and overhead area of the paneled ceiling of the portico
is made by the smooth stonework of the curved corbels which mark off the mathematical
divisions of the composition. The smooth keystone of the outer arch on each of the pavilions
integrates the rough work of the flat wall surfaces with the smooth stone work of the inner
arch which forms the lunette. The sill of the latter continues across the rusticated wall surface.
Serlio illustrates four stages in the evolution of rustication; the first of which- simple,
roughly worked blocks- is reminiscent of the pock-marked stone forming the walls of the
outer pavilions. 49 As the system of rustication evolved, according to Serlio, workmen made
flat surfaces with beveled edges, and this type of stone is found forming the wall of the central
section of the prison gateway. Therefore, the more advanced rustication is centred in the composition,
flanked and fortified by the cruder work on the outer areas. This has the effect of
channeling the observer into the open arches of the gateway.
As James Ackerman has analyzed in his recent article on the "Tuscan/Rustic
Order," Serlio associated the use of rustication and the Tuscan Order, "because the Tuscan
manner is truly the roughest and least ornate of all ... the rustic is best suited to it and more in
conformity ... than to any other (order]." 50 Tuscan was deemed appropriate for fortified
places, such as city gates, fortresses, and prisons. Another 16th century authority, Andrea Palladia,
referred to the writings of the Roman Vitruvius, who had described Tuscan as the
plainest of the Orders. Palladia illustrated its form, even though the scarcity of surviving antique
examples meant more guesswork about its elements than the other standard Orders. He
stated that in villa construction, simple colonnades in the Tuscan Order could have architraves
of wood which would permit wide intercolumniation, suitable for the passageway of
carts. 5 1 Although the prison portico has a stone architrave, it features in the centre a wide intercolumniation
which was intended for the passage of carts and other vehicles. Coverdale
seems to have followed the proportion set out by Palladia of four modules for the intercolumniation.
Coverdale's selection of columns in antis is logical, as the integration into the wall of
part of the piers on the extreme of the portico acts as a link to the wall relationship of the
pilasters which mark the boundaries of the outer pavilions and divided the original perimeter
walls.
Coverdale did not have to read Serlio or Palladia first-hand. There was an extensive
body of literature on the theory of architecture published in the 18th and 19th centuries
which drew upon ideas in circulation from the 16th century. For example, Palladia's description
and plates illustrating the Tuscan Order were incorporated in 1747 in The Modem
Builder's Assistant ... by Halfpenny, Morris and Lightoler. 52 In 1759 William Chambers
repeated Serlio's advice to use the Tuscan for prisons, fortified palaces, and so on. 5 3
Chambers' book was revised in a third edition in 1791, and reappeared with comments by
Gwilt in 1825. On this side of the Atlantic, Asher Benjamin drew upon Chambers' work in his
publications such as Rudiments of Architecture of 1814.
The majority of authorities advised that the proper proportion of a Tuscan column
from its base to its capital should be seven modules, as opposed to the more slender and
elegant effect created by the nine or ten modules employed for such Orders as Corinthian. 5 4
Chambers made distinctions within the formula for Tuscan - the shaft could be elongated
for town buildings, but seven modules were correct for rural or military works, ''where an appearance
of extraordinary solidity is required." 55 The columns of the portico of the Provincial
Penitentiary, being in a rural location at the time it was built, having military overtones, and
needing to reassure the public with "an appearance of extraordinary solidity," were logically
proportioned for the seven-module scheme. 5 6
In summary, Coverdale had assembled those motifs deemed by authorities as correct
for rural, military and prison structures, and the Provincial Penitentiary had aspects of all
of these. The north gateway announced to the passerby the function and ideals of the community
constricted inside the perimeter walls. Coverdale's design was part of the generally accepted
imagery of prisons of the early 19th century, and yet was original, due to the specific
combination of concepts and motifs, namely, the triumphal arch (society's moral triumph
over criminality), the Roman city gateway (a fortified entry to the community within), the system
of texturing the stone by rustication (associated with military defensive works), and the
selection of the Tuscan Order (strength and simplicity). This is no delicate 'Adamesque' classical
design, but one exuding the 'terrible', a fearsome and stirring quality which Le Clerc had
102
SSAC BULlETIN SEAC 14:4

Figure 11. William Coverdale, Provincial Penitentiary,
1840-44, north gate, perimeter wall and comer tower.
(NAC 46244)
advised for prison entrances. 5 7 Casual entrance into this community was discouraged by
Coverdale's combination of the low, squat proportions of the Tuscan, a minimal number of
windows, oppressively barred, the coarse quality of rusticated stonework, and the sonorous
rhythm of the architectural elements moving inexorably towards the central arch. One can imagine
the sobering effect on a newly-arrived convict who had to pass from the din and chatter
of the neighbouring village into the realm of the prison's deadly regime of silence and cruel
punishment. The image of a fearsome medieval dungeon is hinted at through the use of narrow
slits which pierce the sides of the portico and the tall watchtowers at the corners of the
perimeter wall (figure 11).
In drawing upon published authorities, Coverdale was part of the flow of classical
knowledge which can be traced to at least the 16th century. This suggests that it would be too
glib to categorize this work as "classical revival," a term too favoured in Canadian architectural
publications. Rather, the penitentiary is part of a continuing interest in the antique and,
in the specific manner in which Coverdale organized the material from his sources, makes the
north gateway a significant contribution to the history of Canadian architecture.
CONCLUSION
Even though the Provincial Penitentiary has not figured in Canadian architectural
histories, it is a structure of national and international significance. It is a late manifestation of
an intense fascination in late-18th century Europe with the grandiose geometric planning of
buildings and sites. We can document the planners' awareness of the important landmarks in
radial and reform penitentiary designs from the Maison de Force in Ghent to Howard's
theories on British penal reform to Haviland's prisons in the United States. The Provincial
Penitentiary in Kingston was influenced by the designs and systems of management of these
European and American examples and, in turn, was in a position to influence the schemes for
other penitentiaries, because its plan was copied for British, French and American penal officials.
It was in the planning stages only nine years after the commencement of Haviland's
Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, and eight years before the first stone was laid for
the influential Model Prison in Pentonville.
The Kingston institution provided an opportunity for a number of planners,
builders and architects to grapple with the problem of how to manifest, in appropriate physical
form, social theories on morality. Despite being designed with noble aims on how to improve
humanity, this complex can be judged a failure in this regard. Seeking to reform its
inmate population in order to blend them into normal society by the end of their incarceration,
the penitentiary ironically confined them in a living hell of isolation and deviancy. Seeking
to prevent corruption among the different levels of crime and to provide opportunities for
individual meditation, the penitentiary system sadly sentenced its population to a regime of
silence, which proved conducive to madness. The various architects of the penitentiary were
the technicians who built the walls and bars in conformity to the ideas held by penal theorists
and managers. In the name of reform they designed and built horrendously small cells, by
their very nature lacking in sensory stimulation with no windows onto the outside world and
containing spy-holes for the guards patrolling the hidden "Avenues of Inspection." Floor
14:4 SSAC BULLETIN SEAC
103

plans were not designed for the physical comfort of those forced to occupy them, but for the
convenience of the staff and management. An overriding consideration in the design of the
physical plant was the need for continuous surveillance of a maximum number of inmates by
a minimum number of guards.
The triad of reform penitentiary values- security, salubrity and reformationrested
on a shaky foundation, built on the principles of congregation and segregation which
too frequently lead to perversions of ideals. Coverdale, nonetheless, created a heroic frontispiece
to the complex in the design of the north gateway. This was a mature version of the
classical details and organization of his earlier work on the Main Building. He carefully
selected Tuscan as the logical Order for the gateway portico, and through texturing and scale
merged aesthetics with respect for the need for security, the latter reinforced by medievalinspired
watch-towers.
The institution's buildings increased in number and were altered over time from the
first notations on paper in 1832 to the renovations being planned for the 1990s. The basic
concept of Powers and Mills has survived, and was refined in its detailing by the work of
Coverdale who, in turn, influenced such later architects as Horsey and Adams.
Due to this institution's present function as a federal special maximum-security
unit, it has gained national political and social importance. In addition, we should acknowledge
its importance in our nation's architectural history.
NOTES
1 This motto was inscribed on an outer gate of a new
work-house in Amsterdam, as recorded by John
Howard, An Account of the PtincipallAzarenos in
Europe (Warrington, 1789), 73.
2 For further reading. see Robin Evans, The Fabrication
ofVutue (Cambridge: Cambridge U. Press, 1982),
especially 142-194.
3 Joumals of the Ugislmive Assembly of the Province of
Canadtl (foronto, 1849), app. BBBBB, no page numbers.
This report on the sordid affairs of the penitentiary
contrasts with the optimism expressed during its
planning stages: " ... it will be a school of reform,
where the idle will be usefully employed and the vicious
reclaimed, to the good of themselves, and of
society at large." Chronicle & Gazene, (hereafter,
C & G) Kingston, 6 September 1834.
4 B. C. Smith, Chaplain of Auburn Prison to John
Macaulay, Kingston, 19 October 1833; see also 1 May
1833; Macaulay Papers, Ontario Archives. I would
like to thank Dana Johnson for kindly drawing my attention
to this important source on the early years of
the penitentiary.
5 The system of management of this prison bas interested
a number of social historians, for example, C.J.
Taylor, "The Kingston, Ontario Penitentiary and
Moral Architecture," Social History12 (1979), 387-
408, and William Norman, "A Chapter of Canadian
Penal History: The Early Years of the Provincial
Penitentiary at Kingston and the Commission Inquiry
into its Management," M.A Thesis, Queen's
University, 1979.
6 Joumals of the House of Assembly of Upper Canadtl
(foronto, 1831), app. 211-12, andJoumalsofthe
House (foronto, 1832-33), app. 26-39, 219.
7 Early American prisons are illustrated and described in
William Crawford, Reporl on the PeniJentiaries of the
United States (1835; reprinted., Montclair, N.J.: Patterson
Smith, 1969).
8 "Avenues of Inspection" for the guards were inserted
into the narrow corridors between ranges of cells in
the Provincial Penitentiary. An inmate could never be
certain when be was being observed. The lack of opportunity
to converse and thus form friendships drove
a number of inmates mad, and they formed a readymade
clientele for the new Rockwood Asylum for the
Criminally Insane, built in the early 1860s by William
Coverdale. The situation was a sad reflection on bow
easily the theories of the reformers could produce
results opposite to their humane goals.
9 Written descriptions are given in Journals of the House
(foronto, 1832-33), app. 39; Joumals of the House
(foronto, 1833-34), app. 101 -3; and the Macaulay
Papers, especially 30 March 1833, Smith to Macaulay,
and (1834) specifications by Mills. An overall plan
(sent by the chaplain of Auburn to Boston, Macaulay
Papers, 12 and 30 March 1833) from Reports of the
Prison Discipline Society of Boston, (1836) v.6, 889 is
reproduced in Taylor, fig. 1. A plan of the Main Building
is reproduced in Evans, fig. 181. A plan of the
south wing of this building is illustrated inC & G, 6
September 1834. Due to the number of alterations,
rebuildings and demolitions of the various parts of the
penitentiary, the architectural analysis in this paper
relies upon historical visual material, rather than drawing
upon the present appearance of the complex
tO C & G, 22 February, 1 March, 6 June, and 10 June
1834. John Mills described himself as" Architect and
Builder" in his specifications for the penitentiary.
11 Hugh Thomson (who died in April 1834 during the
controversy about the creator of the penitentiary
design) studied the Bridewell in Glasgow (Joumals of
the House, 1831, app. 211 ), and be recommended it
and Auburn as models for Kingston. The Bridewell is
illustrated in Thomas Markus, ed., Order in Space and
Society (Edinburgh: Mainstream, 1982), fig. 1.38 -
1.41. Because the scheme for rebuilding the complex
in 1822-24 with four arms radiating from the centre
was not completed, it is likely that Thomson saw an
ideal plan on paper. The proposal is described in
Crawford, app. 180, and The Topographical, Statistical,
and Historical Gazeneer of Scotland. 2 vols. (Edinburgh,
1854), v. 1, 660-1..
12 His career is discussed in Mary Fraser, "William
Coverdale, Kingston Architect, 1801 ?-1865," Historic
Kin&

out and in some measure improved upon, under the
direction of Mr Horsey, the present Architect"
British Whig, 12 April1848. In a report dated 14
November 1846, it was stated that the outer walls and
roof would be complete in November (Journals of the
Legislative 1847, app. M). Because the construction
was so advanced by the time Coverdale left the
employment of the penitentiary (probably in September
1846), credit must be given to him as the designer
of the workshops. The dome of the workshop was
burnt in 1852: Daily British Whig, Kingston, 26
February 1852 The building is illustrated in Canadian
l/Justrated News, 25 September 1875, 200-01, before
the rebuilding of the main facade in 1881 by James
Adams (1833-1906).
31 Directors Report, 27 January 1871, KP Mus.
32 Luc Noppen, in his article, "La Prison du Pied-du­
Courant a Montreal", RACAR 3 (No. 1, 1976), 36-50,
cites George Browne as the architect of the proposed
comer towers, but in Nelson's report on the prisons of
Lower Canada (Noppen's source), Edward Horsey is
named (see 24,71-2, app. Fin Nelson).
33 Warden's Letter Book, 12 April1843, KP Mus. The
request for stone by R.H. Throop of Cobourg had to
be refused, as this material was need in the erection
of the prison walls. Cut stone was shipped as far as
Chicago: Thomas Flynn, Directory of the City of
Kingston for 1857-1858 (Kingston, 1857), ix.
34 Inspectors Minute Book, 7 and 26 October 1840, KP
Mus.
35 Warden's Letter Book, 8 March 1842, KP Mus.
361bid., 15 October 1844.
37 Journals of the Legislative (foronto, 1849), app.
BBBBB.
38 Inspectors Letter Book, 10 July 1853, KP Mus. This
tower is visible in ngure 9.
39 The prison chaplain, Robert Rogers, discussed in
1840 reformation as the end result of punishment,
"For it should ever be remembered, the safe keeping
of the convict is not the end proposed, but his safe
keeping. in order that certain means may be ada pled
for his moral transformation." Journals of the Legislative
(foronto, 1841 ), app. M. Eight years later, when
the sadistic and scandalous mismanagement of the
prison was under investigation, Coverdale aligned
himself with the chaplain against the warden, who was
supported by Horsey. The chaplain now sadly
reported that the aims of reformation were a complete
failure, due to officials, such as the warden, viewing
the institution as merely a place of security. The warden,
among his other misdeeds, engineered the plot to
reduce Coverdale's salary by half. The Board of Inspectors
resigned to protest this action. Journals of the
Legislation (foronto, 1849), app. BBBBB.
40 Illustrated in Evans, fig. 86.
41 Asher Benjamin, Rudiments of Architecture (Boston,
1814; reprinted., New York: Da Capo, 1972), 49.
Benjamin drew heavily upon the 18th century work of
William Chambers.
42 Sebastiano Serlio, The Five Books of Architecture
(1537-47, 1611 ed.; reprinted., New York: Dover,
1982), Book 3, Ch. 4, Fol. 33. An interest in the 19th
century in the Spello gateway is suggested by its inclusion
in Edward Cresy,An Encyclopaedia of Civil
Engineering (new ed., London, 1856), 89.
43 Benjamin, 46.
44 For further reading and illustrations, see Tim Mowl
and Brian Earnshaw, Trumpet at a Distant Gate
(London: Waterstone, 1985). The authors consider
only triumphal arches, not antique city gateways, as
prototypes for British gateways and lodges in the classical
style.
45 Dance's proposal appeared in Universal Magazine 34
(1764), 169, and is reproduced in Harold Kalman,
"Newgate Prison."Architectural History, Journal of the
Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain 12
(1969), 50-61.
46 Illustrated in Evans, fig. 149.
47 The Provincial Penitentiary was described in 1857 as
being "a considerable City itself, or rather a citadel,
being surrounded with high walls of the strongest
masonry, and the area within being filled with
workshops, dormitories, offices, etc., of the best and
most substantial stone." Flynn, ix.
48 Discussed in James Ackerman, "The Tuscan/Rustic
Order: A Study in the Metaphorical Language of Architecture."
Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians
42 (No.1, 1983), 15-34.
49 Serlio, Book 4, Ch. 5, Fol. 15.
50 Ackerman, 15.
51 Andrea Palladio, The Four Books of Architecture
(1570, Ware ed. 1738; reprinted., New York: Dover,
1965), Book 1, Ch. 14, pp. 14-15.
52 John & William Halfpenny, Robert Morris, and T.
Lightoler, The Modem Builder's Assistant ... (London,
1747; reprinted., Westmead: Gregg International,
1971), 6.
53 William Chambers, A Treatise on the Decorative Part
of Civil Architecture, rev. & enl. ed., Joseph Gwilt, 2
vols (London, 1825), v. 1, 183-84.
54 In order to compare variations in the Tuscan Order, a
table of measurements and a diagram of elevations
are given, respectively, in Ackerman, 16, and Robert
Chitham, The Classical Orders of Architecture (New
York: Rizzoli, 1985), fig. 4.
55 Chambers, v. 1, 183-84.
56 The deliberately low proportions of the north gateway
were disturbed in the late 19th century by the unfortunate
addition of a tall rectangular tower in the
centre of the roof. This tower, which still exists, is
visible in ngure 7.
57 Chambers, v. 1, 183-84. The emotional quality evoked
by such prisons is discussed in Kalman.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ackerman, James. "The Tuscan/Rustic Order: A Study in
the Metaphorical Language of Architecture." Journal
of the Society of Architectural Historians 42 (No. 1,
1983), 15-34.
Beattie, J.M.Attitudes Towards Crime and Punishment in
Upper Canada, 183~ 1850: A Documentary Study.
Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1977.
Benjamin, Asher. The Rudiments of Architecture. Boston,
1814; reprinted., New York: Da Capo, 1972
Chambers, William. A Treatise on the Decorative Part of
Civil Architecture. rev. & enl. ed., Joseph Gwilt, 2 vols
London, 1825.
Chitham, Robert The Classical Orders of Architecture.
New York: Rizzoli, 1985.
City of Kingston. Buildings of Architectural and Historic
Significance. 6vols. Kingston: City of Kingston, 1971-
85.
Crawford, William. Report on the Penitentiaries of the
United States. 1835; reprinted., Montclair, N.J.: Patterson
Smith, 1969.
Cresy, Edward. An Encyclopaedia of Civil Engineering.
new ed., London, 1856.
Curtis, Dennis et al. Kingston Penitentiary: The First 150
Years, 1835-1985. Ottawa: Correctional Services of
Canada, 1985.
Du Prey, Pierre. John Soane. The Making of an Architect.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1982.
Edmison, J. Alex. "The History of Kingston Penitentiary."
Historic Kingston 3 (1954 ), 26-35.
Evans, Robert The Fabrication of Virtue. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1982
Flynn, Thomas. Directory of the City of Kingston for 1857-
1858. Kingston, 1857.
Fraser, Mary. "William Coverdale, Kingston Architect,
1801 ?-1865."Historic Kingston 26 (1978), 71-80.
___ . "Coverdales, Convicts and Criminal Lunatics:
The Building oflnstitutional Kingston, 1833-1870."
Unpublished manuscript, presented at the conference
of the Society for the Study of Architecture in
Canada, Montreal, 1979.
Halfpenny, William and John, Robert Morris, and T.
Lightoler. The Modem Builder's Assistant ... London,
1747; reprinted., Westmead: Gregg International,
1971.
Howard, John. An Account of the Principal Lauuettos in
Europe. Warrington, 1789.
___ . The State of the Prisons in England and Wales.
3rd ed., London, 1784.
Johnston, Norman. The Human Cage: A Brief History of
Prison Architecture. New York: Walker, 1973.
Journals of the House of Assembly of Upper Canada.
Toronto, 1831 - 1840.
Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of
Canada. Toronto, 1841 - 1860.
Kalman, Harold. "Newgate Prison." Architectural History,
Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians of
Great Britain 12 (1969), 50-61.
MacRae, Marion and Adamson, Anthony. Cornerstones
of Order. Toronto: Clarke Irwin, 1983.
Markus, Thomas, ed. Order in Space and Society. Edinburgh:
Mainstream, 1982
Markus, Thomas. "Pattern of the Law." Architectural
Review CXVI (1954), 251-256.
Mow!, Tim and Brian Earnshaw. Trumpet at a Distant
Gate. London: Waterstone, 1985.
Noppen, Luc. "La Prison du Pied-du-Courant a
Montreal." RACAR 3 (No.1, 1976), 36-50.
Norman, William. "A Chapter of Candian Penal History:
The Early Years of the Provincial Penitentiary at
Kingston and the Commission Inquiry into its
Management" M.A Thesis, Queen's University, 1979.
Palladio, Andrea. The Four Books of Architecture. 1570,
Ware ed. 1738; reprinted., New York: Dover, 1965.
Pevsner, Nikolaus. A History of Building Types. Princeton:
Princeton University Press, 1976.
Serlio, Sebastiano. The Five Books of Architecture. 1537-
47, ed. 1611; reprinted., New York: Dover, 1982
Taylor, C.J. "The Kingston, Ontario Penitentiary and
Moral Architecture." Social History 12 (1979), 387-
408.
The Topographical, Statistica~ and Historical Gazetteer of
Scotland. 2 vols. Edinburgh, 1854.
Tulchinsky, Gerald, ed. To Preserve and Defend.
Montreal: MeGill-Queen's University Press, 1976.
Jennifer McKendry is a doctoral student at the
University of Toronto. Her doctoral thesis is on
Kingston architecture, 1835-65.
14:4
SSAC BULLETIN SEAC
105

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MINUTES OF MEETING
13 April1989, LeGrand H6tel, Montreal, Quebec
MarkFram
Stuart Lazear
Douglas Franklin
Neil Einarson
Julie Harris
Howard Shubert
1. Past Minutes
Present:
Anne de Fort-Menares
Jim Johnston
Thrry Sinclair
(representing Frank Korvemaker)
Diana Thomas
Thd Mills
It was moved by Stuart Lazear, seconded by Jim Johnston, that the
Minutes of the September 13, 1989 Executive Meeting be adopted.
Carried.
2. President's Report
The President reported that the affairs of the Society are progressing
well with increased membership and balanced finances. He noted
that due to the hard work of Society members, and in particular
Howard Shubert, the 1989 Conference had the makings of being an
outstanding success. The President was especially pleased to play an
active part in the Conference by presenting a paper at the colloquium
on In fill Design and/or Fa~dism .
3. Vice-President's Report
a) Editorial Review Board
Stuart Lazear distributed the Annual Report of the SSAC Editorial
Review Board on the papers presented at the 1988 Conference. Of
the nine papers received, all have been commented upon, five are
being revised and two have been published.
b) Martin Eli Weil Award
Stuart Lazear announced that Jennifer McKendry of the University
of Toronto won the 1989 Martin Eli Weil Award for the essay The Early
History of the Provincial Penitentiary, Kingston, Ontario. He noted that
in this, the first year of the award, advertisement of the competition
had only been made in the Bulletin. For the 1990 Award, Dana
Johnson agreed to send a letter to appropriate faculties at universities
throughout the country.
c) Membership
Stuart Lazear reported that the membership currently stands at 360.
This represents an increase of 10% over the membership of 1988. The
membership has increased 10% each year over the last three years.
4. Bulletin Editor's Report
On behalf of Gordon Fulton, Stuart Lazear summarized the Bulletin
Editor's report (copies of which were distributed with the Agenda).
Four issues of the Bulletin were published in 1988 and four issues
are planned for 1989. This year the Editor hopes to eliminate the
three-month lag in publishing the issues. The December 1989 issue
will feature an article by Michael McMordie, The SSAC, 1974-89, to
celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the Society.
Starting with the September 1988 issue, the Bulletin typesetting
and layout have been produced entirely by means of desk-top publishing.
Articles should be supplied on IBM-compatible diskettes (preferably
WordPerfect, Wordstar, or MultiMate). If Norman Allen is
unable to continue as book review editor, a new volunteer will be
required for this position.
5. Treasurer's Report
Julie Harris distributed the Treasurer's Report (see below) and
summarized the main points.
The Auditor's report for 1988 shows that Expenditures were
$24,258 and Revenues were $28,254 for a surplus of $3,996. The
surplus is largely due to grant assistance: the travel and administration
grant from the SSHRCC, a $5,000 grant from the Samuel and Saidye
Bronfman Foundation towards a Quebec issue; a $2,500 grant from
the Government of Northwest Thrritories for a northern issue; a
$1,700 speakers grant from the B.C. Heritage Trust for the Vancouver
Conference (which will be spent in 1989 on the publication of conference
papers); and $300 from the Alberta Government to purchase
copies of the March 1988 issue which features Alberta architecture.
The 1989 budget projects Revenues of $25,592 and Expenditures
of $23,600 for a Surplus of $1,992.
In discussion, it was noted that the membership fee increases that
were approved at the May 27, 1988 Annual Business Meeting have
not been implemented and that new membership brochures should
be printed containing the new fees.
It was moved by Anne de Fort-Menares, seconded by Stuart
Lazear, that the 1989 Budget should be amended to accommodate
the reprinting of the membership brochure and the new fees should
be implemented in January 1990.
It was moved by Julie Harris, seconded by Stuart Lazear, that the
1989 Budget be tabled with the amendment that it include provision
for the reprinting of the membership brochures. Carried.
6. A Society Journal
Douglas Franklin distributed copies of the December 1, 1988
response from Denis Croux of the Social Sciences and Research
Council of Canada indicating that the SSHRCC does not recommend
funding support for an SSAC Journal. Douglas Franklin noted that
while Dana Johnson submitted a very good application, the comments
of the Review Committee of the SSHRCC included: "limited information
provided," "the scope seems somewhat narrow," "does not appear
to be a journal genuinely devoted to all aspects of architecture"
and "raised the question as to whether the journal would eventually
become an organ of a pressure group." These comments suggest that
the Committee did not receive the complete set of material submitted
but rather an inaccurate summary.
106 SSAC BULLETIN SEAC 14:4

After discussion, it was moved by Mark Fram, seconded by
Douglas Franklin, that Dana Johnson should prepare a letter to the
head of the SSHRCC, with a copy of the original application, to note
that from the comments supplied to the Society, the Review Committee
appears to have misunderstood the goals of the Society and its
Bulletin. Carried.
It was agreed that a subsequent letter would be in order requesting
information on the possibility of reapplying for SSHRCC assistance
towards publishing a Journal.
Mark Fram reported that he will be meeting with publishers to
discuss the type of material they would recommend be contained in a
Journal.
7. New Business
a) SSAC Archives
Douglas Franklin reported that the National Archives has sent him a
listing of the SSAC material which is held in the archives. This poses
two issues: (1) does the SSAC wish the Archives to continue to hold
this and new material; and (2) if so, who within the Society should be
responsible for coordinating the forwarding of material to the archives?
Julie Harris noted that the Archives holds back copies of the
Bulletin which are the responsibility of the Executive Secretary.
It was moved by Douglas Franklin, seconded by Julie Harris, that
the following should be considered by the new Board of the Society:
i) that the Secretary should be responsible for coordination with the
National Archives on SSAC holdings;
ii) that the Secretary should be responsible for developing a report on
associated policy issues such as access to this material and gathering
SSAC records from current and past SSAC officers for transfer to the
archives. Carried.
b) Society Medal Proposal
It was moved by Douglas Franklin, seconded by Anne de Fort­
Menares, that subject of a Society Medal be deferred for discussion by
the new Board.
8. Adjournment
It was moved by Douglas Franklin, seconded by Anne de Fort­
Menares, that the meeting be adjourned. Carried.
REPORTOFTHETREASURERTOTHEBOARD
OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF
ARCHITECTURE IN CANADA
Board Meeting, 13 Apri11989, Montreal, Quebec
1. 1988 Audit
The auditor completed an examination of the society's books for
the 1988 fiscal year (Jan. 1 -Dec. 31). The auditor's balance sheet is
attached. As the statement of revenue and expenditure indicates, we
completed the financial year with a surplus of $3,996. The amounts
for 1988 (with comparable figures for 1987) are as follows:
REVENUE
Membership Fees
Convention and meetings 3
Grants
Publications
Interest
EXPENDITURE
Advertising and promotion
Convention and meetingsc
Newsletterd
Office
Professional fees
$ 6,7fB
3,602
16,510b
762
671
=====
$28,254
$7,902
13,445
2,211
700
-----
$24,258
REVENUE IN EXCESS OF
EXPENDITURE FOR THE
YEAR $3,996
$6,743
6,833
12,633
1,303
278
=====
$27,790
$13,760
9,420
3,418
675
=====
$27,273
$517
NOTFS
a) Revenues and costs of annual meetings vary greatly; the 1987 conference revenues
and expenses included accommodations.
b) 1988 grants included: the travel and administration grant from SSHRCC; $5,000
grant from the Bronfman Foundation towards a Quebec issue of the Bulletin;
$2,500 grant from the NWf for a northern issue for the Bulletin; $1,700 speakers
grant from the B.C. Heritage Trust for the Vancouver conference which will be
spent in 1989 on the publication of conference papers; and $300 from the Alberta
government for the Bulletin.
c) The annual meeting and the fall meeting of the Board are both included under this
heading.
d) Increase due to additional pages in June 1988 issue and additional copies of the
September 1988 issue.
MarkFram
President
Neil Einarson
Secretary
2. Grants
As of January 1, 1989 the SSAC will receive constant annual
funding from SSHRCC for a guaranteed period of three years subject
to the usual SSHRCC regulations regarding reporting of activities.
Unused portions of annual grants can be carried over to the end of the
three-year period. This will make it easier for the Society to budget
and plan activities (such as the annual meeting) to the end of 1991.
The Society was not successful in obtaining and academic journal
grant from the SSHRCC. Since the next competition will not held for
14:4 SSAC BULLETIN SEAC 107

three years, the society will be considering what action should be taken
regarding SSHRCC's decision.
3. Membership Fees
SOCIETY FOR TilE STUDY OF
ARCHITECTIJRE IN CANADA
BALANCE SHEET
AS AT DECEMBER 31, 1988
The Society carried a motion at the 1988 Annual Business Meeting
to institute a new membership fee structure as follows:
Students: to remain at $10.00
Individuals: to be raised from $20.00 to $25.00
Corporations: to be raised from $30.00 to $40.00
Membership renewal forms for 1989 memberships were sent out
with the old fee structure indicated. As a consequence, it was decided
to maintain the old fee structure for 1989 memberships but to institute
the new fee structure for 1990.
4. 1989 Budget
The following is proposed as a financial guideline for the 1989 fiscal
year:
REVENUE
CURRENT
Cash
Deposit certificate
Prepaid expenses
Accrued interest receivable
CURRENT
Accounts payable
Deferred membership fees
Deferred revenue
ASSETS
$7,125
9,321
700
349
=====
$17,495
LIABILITIES
$3,948
2,305
2,025
-----
8,278
$11,213
400
-----
$11,613
$851
541
5,000
=====
6,392
Membership Fees
Convention and meetings
Grants:
SSHRCC
Secretary of State
Environment Canada
Publications
Interest
EXPENDITURES
Advertising and promotion
Convention and meetings
Annual Meeting
Fall Meeting
Bulletin and Publications
Office
Professional fees
EXPECTED SURPLUS
$7,200
6,200
8,592
1,700
1,000
200
700
=====
$25,592
$9,700
700
10,000
2,500
700
-----
$23,600
$1,992
MEMBERS' EQUITY
BALANCE- BEGINNING
OF YEAR 5,221
Revenue in excess of
expenditure for the year 3,996
BALANCE-END
OF YEAR
=====
9,217
$17,495
Approved on behalf of the Board:
President
4,704
517
-----
5,221
$11,613
5. Acknowledgements
This is my first and last report as treasurer. My responsibilities were
made easier and more enjoyable due to the good work of my predecessor,
Dana Johnson, and to his untiring efforts in teaching me the job.
The patience of officers of the Society and the support of my supervisor,
Marc de Caraffe, and director, Susan Buggey, were important
factors in convincing me that I would not be risking a good professional
relationship by asking my colleague, Kate MacFarlane, to agree to
stand for nomination as the new treasurer.
108 SSAC BULLETIN SEAC 14:4

MINUTES OF THE FIFTEENTH ANNUAL
BUSINESS MEETING
14 April1989, LeGrand H6tel, Montr~al, Qu~bec
1. Minutes of the 1988 Annual Business Meeting
It was moved by Dana Johnson, seconded by Diana Thomas, that
the minutes of the Fourteenth Annual Business Meeting, held in
Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1988, be accepted. Carried.
2. Activities of the Society
a) President's Report
The President reported that the affairs of the Society are progressing
well with increased membership and balanced finances. He noted that
due to the hard work of Society members, and in particular Howard
Shubert, the 1989 Conference was an outstanding success. The President
was especially pleased to play an active part in the Conference by
presenting a paper at the colloquium on Infill Design and/or Fa~dism.
b) Vice-President's Report
Stuart Lazear expressed his appreciation of the work and cooperation
of the Editorial Committee: Leslie Maitland, Dana Johnson, Shane
O'Dea and Gordon Fulton. This year the session chairs reviewed the
abstracts submitted by potential presenters together with the Editorial
Review Committee. The Committee comments upon and edits the
papers before they are published in the Bulletin. Volunteers who wish
to become members of the Editorial Review Committee are welcome
and should contact Stuart Lazear. Any papers outstanding from the
1988 Annual Conference should be submitted to Stuart as soon as
possible.
Stuart noted that the first Martin Eli Wei! Award would be presented
at the Business Meeting.
Copies of the Alberta and Manitoba architecture slide sets are
available for purchase by writing to the Executive Secretary at the
Society post box. Members of the other provinces or territories are
encouraged to develop slides sets, so that the Society will eventually
have a complete set for sale of buildings from across the country.
Stuart Lazear reported that the Society membership currently
stands at 360. This represents an increase of 10% over the 1988
membership. The membership has increased 10% each year over the
last three years.
1989 is the fifteenth anniversary of the founding of the SSAC. The
December 1989 issue of the Bulletin will feature an article by Michael
McMordie entitled The SSAC, 1974-89.
c) The Bulletin Editor's Report
On behalf of Gordon Fulton, Stuart Lazear gave the Bulletin Editor's
Report. Four issues of the Bulletin were published in 1988, two by the
previous Editor, Don Lovell, and two by Gordon Fulton. The assistance
of Howard Shubert, Robert Lemire, Diana Thomas and Anne
de Fort-Menares in preparing these issues was gratefully acknowledged.
Starting with the September 1988 issue, the Bulletin typesetting
and layout have been produced entirely by means of desk-top publishing
courtesy of Heritage Canada. Articles should be supplied on
IBM-compatible diskettes, preferably WordPerfect, Wordstar or
MultiMate.
Recent financial assistance in publishing the Bulletin has been
received from the Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Foundation for the
Qu~bec issue, the Government of the Northwest Thrritories for the
northern issue and the Alberta Government which purchased copies
of the Alberta issue.
d) Treasurer's Report
Julie Harris summarized the Treasurer's Report which was distributed
at the Meeting. The auditor's report for 1988 shows that Expenditures
were $24,258 and Revenues were $28,254 for a surplus of$3,996. The
surplus is largely due to grant assistance: the travel and administration
grant from the SSHRCC, a $5,000 grant from the Samuel and Saidye
Bronfman Foundation towards a Quebec issue; a $2,500 grant from
the Government of Northwest Thrritories for a northern issue; a
$1,700 speakers grant from the B.C. Heritage Trust for the Vancouver
Conference (which will be spent in 1989 on the publication of conference
papers); and $300 from the Alberta Government to purchase
copies of the March 1988 issue which features Alberta architecture.
The 1989 budget projects Revenues of $25,592 and Expenditures
of $23,600 for a Surplus of $1,992.
It was moved by Julie Harris, seconded by Harold Kalman, that
the Treasurer's Report be tabled.
It was moved by Julie Harris, seconded by Douglas Franklin, that
the accounting firm of McCay, Duff and Company of Ottawa be
appointed as the auditors of the Society from the 1989 fiscal year.
Carried.
3. 1990 Annual Conference
Mark Fram reported that Edmonton has been selected as the
location of the 1990 Annual Conference. Diana Thomas has agreed
to serve as the Conference Coordinator. Alberta Culture and Multiculturalism
has offered the Society up to $10,000 in grants and staff
assistance in holding the conference.
Some of the themes which have been suggested for the conference
sessions include Building for Industry and Transportation, Northern
Architecture, Prairie Settlement Patterns, Urban Development of the
Prairies, Trends of Modern Architecture on the Prairies 1930 to the
Present, and Patterns of Architectural Practice in Canada. Suggestions
for session topics should be conveyed to Stuart Lazear or Diana
Thomas.
4. Election of Officers
Jim Johnson, Chairman of the Nomination Committee, noted that
the Nomination Committee sent a list of proposed new officers to
Society members on April 29, 1989. Jim noted that, as there are no
contests for positions, accepting the list will mean the appointment of
the individuals.
14:4 SSAC BULlETIN SEAC 109

It was moved by Jim Johnson, seconded by Dana Johnson, that the
list of Officers be accepted:
Secretary: Joanna Doherty
Treasurer: Kate McFarlane
Regional Representatives:
British Columbia: Jeannette Hlavach
Qutbec: Howard Shubert (second term)
New Brunswick: Allen Doiron (second term)
Nova Scotia: Jim St. Clair
Carried.
5. Acknowledgements
On behalf of the Society, Howard Shubert acknowledged the
assistance support and work of the following who have helped to make
the 1989 Annual Conference a success:
Canadian Centre for Architecture - Phyllis Lambert; Organizing
Committee: Ellen Adelson, Martha Benson, David Delderfield,
Rosemary Haddad, Dtsirte Mcintyre, Donna McGee, Jennifer
ltant, Jocelyne Cossette; Julie Harris (simultaneous translation,
registration, etc.); Christine Derouin (registration); Stuart Lazear;
Bill Steinberg (posters); SSHRCC; Secretary of State of Canada;
Environment Canada - Canadian Parks Service; Michael Tomlan -
Colloquium President.
6. Martin Eli Weil Award
Mark Fram presented the certificate for the Martin Eli Weil award
and a framed 1989 Conference Poster to Jennifer McKendry of the
University ofThronto for her essay The Early History of the Provincial
Penitentiary, Kingston, Ontario. On behalf of the Society he congratulated
Ms McKendry for her winning essay.
7. New Business
a) Slide Collection List
Harold Kalman suggested that, as a new initiative, the Society may
wish to prepare a list of existing private and institutional architectural
slide collections. The Society could sell the list on consignment. Mark
Fram ·suggested that the proposal be considered by the Board of
Directors. In order to determine the amount of interest in such a list,
an enquiry in the Bulletin may be in order.
8. Adjournment
It was moved by Anne de Fort-Menares, seconded by Dana
Johnson, that the meeting be adjourned. Carried.
MarkFram
President
Neil Einarson
Secretary
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MINUTES OF MEETING
15 April 1989, Le Grand H~tel, Montrtal, Qutbec
Present:
Mark Fram Stuart Lazear
Howard Shubert Diana Thomas
Don Lovell Anne M. de Fort-Menares
James Johnson Thrrence J. Sinclair
Kate MacFarlane Jeannette Hlavach
Joanna H. Doherty
1. 1990 Conference in Edmonton
Mark Fram asked Board Members for possible session topics for
the Edmonton conference. Some suggestions included: prairie architecture
- especially agricultural buildings, northern architecture,
indigenous architecture, and national parks buildings and parks townsite
plans. Further session topics are to be forwarded to Diana Thomas
who is organizing the conference there.
The topic of tours was put forward by Diana Thomas and some
suggestions for this were: Douglas Cardinal's home, the Provincial
legislature, urban parks, heritage trails, and the North Saskatchewan
River valley. Jeannette Hlavach proposed a post-conference tour
which could take place out of town.
The possible location of the conference in Edmonton was also
considered. Anne de Fort-Menares suggested the south side of the city
near or at the University of Alberta. Another possibility was the West
Edmonton Mall area.
Diana Thomas put forth the idea that chairpersons should line up
speakers for their sessions. Jeannette Hlavach and Don Lovell volunteered
to chair sessions and to undertake the task of finding speakers
for their sessions.
2. 1991 Conference Location
There were four proposed locations for the 1991 SSAC Conference
location. They were: Cape Breton, Halifax, Kingston, and
Hamilton. Cape Breton aroused a fair amount of enthusiasm.
Further inquiries will be made by Terry Sinclair as to the Cape
Breton location.
3. Next Meeting
The nest Board meeting will be held in Ottawa, September 16,
1989. Kate MacFarlane will organize this.
4. New Business
a) Publication of a Journal of Canadian Studies in Architecture
Stuart Lazear stated that if we want a journal we will need endorsement
through a formal vote from the membership. James Johnson
voiced the need to get all the details and consider all the aspects,
including acquiring an editor, for this important project. Dana
110 SSAC BULLETIN SEAC 14:4

Johnson's background paper will need to be included in the executive
information package prior to the Edmonton conference.
Stuart Lazear noted that the proposed journal would not replace
the Bulletin which will continue as before.
b) SSAC Awards
It was moved by James Johnson and seconded by Kate MacFarlane to
accept the idea of a medal for the annual SSAC award. Don Lovell
volunteered to design a SSAC logo for it and to look into the cost of
having the medal made.
c) Architectural Conferences in Saskatchewan in the Fall
Thrry Sinclair mentioned that there would be some architectural conferences
in Saskatchewan this fall, although the details were not yet
available.
d) Policy for Funding Speakers and Members-at-Large Needs
Clarification
Howard Shubert noted that there is no fixed policy for funding of
speakers and Don Lovell stated that members-at-large are unaware
that they are funded to attend meetings. Don suggested that this would
need to be addressed at some date.
Note: The policy, as it exists to date, is clearly stated in "Travel Policy for the Annual
Meetings of the SSAC."
e) Information Package for New Board Members
Don Lovell requested that an information package for new board
members be made available prior to the fall meeting.
f) Commendations
Stuart Lazear praised Gordon Fulton for his fine work as editor of the
Bulletin. Stuart also commended Christine Derouin for her proficient
work.
Aboi'B: Dinu Bumbaru of Heritage Montreal leads a tour of Chinatown as part of
the joint SSAC!Society of Architectural Historians session on Faqadism.
Below: Far;adism in progress, Montreal-sty/e.
g) Thanks to Howard Shubert
Mark Fram thanked Howard Shubert for all his hard work in organizing
the Montrtal Conference. The Board Members concurred.
5. Adjournment
It was moved by Thrry Sinclair that the meeting be adjourned.
Carried.
MarkFram
President
Joanna H. Doherty
Secretary
14:4 SSAC BULLETIN SEAC 111

THE SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF ARCHITECTURE IN CANADA
SOCIETE POUR L'ETUDE DEL 'ARCHITECTURE AU CANADA
P.O. BOX 2302, STATION D/C.P. 2302, SUCC. D
OTTAWA, ONTARIO K1P 5W5
ISSN 0228-0744
Produced with the technical assistance of Heritage Canada @ Realise a\'IIC /'aide technique d'Heritage Canada