HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-06-30, Page 8441.
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the 'front is believed original.
Thereare French doors
opening onto it, and another
upstairs opening on, the
balcony. There are 11 rooms,
including five bedrooms on
the second floor. As in all
square -plan houses of the
period, the. central hall opens
onto large rooms on each
side. In rear of the southerly
.one is the "den-- ; ' and the -
room back of the northerly
one, originally the dining
room, is now the kitchen, with
conveniences which of course
were unknown •to the St.
Andrew's minister and
family. Between the pair of
rooms on each side of the hall
were full-length arches,
making available for a party
or other gathering the whole
four rooms. These were
closed up in the time of the
Gaits. '
The large rooms have
plaster medallions in the
ceilings; the one in the for-
mer dining -room is a design
of fruit. Double fireplaces in
the wall between the ground -
floor rooms evidently heated
the house originally, but
stoves were in- general use
long before the Gaits lived
there, and there are stovepipe
holes upstairs. There was a
maid's room at the back, and
a stair leading to the second
floor. '
The original pine floors re-
main, well cared for. Though
log houses were still in
majority in Goderich when
this house was built, there are
no log beams'. The floor
supports are joists 12 inches
by 2, with rough sides. The
chimney design is similar to
that of the Widder (Cayley
Hill) house, and definitely
dates it. It is recalled- that
there were outbuildings in
John Gait's time, extending
toward Bruce street.,, one
probably accommodating the
family pony. Mr. Hopkinson
had them taken down and
erected a frame building for
storage.
ART - FROM ITALY •
Malcolm . Colin'.:Cameron,
who represented South Huron
and later West Huron in the
House of Commons most of
the time from Confederation
to 1898, travelled a great deal
and from Italy brought back
various pieces of statuary for
the grounds or "The Maples."
Some time after his death,
Mrs. Cameron bought the
"Castle," and at that time the
',grounds of Postmaster Galt
evidently received, several
pieces of art from the Maples.
An ornamental deer later
travelled to the Pacific Coast
to adorn the grounds of John
Galt VIPs house in Victoria,
which he calls "Gairbraid,"
perpetuating the name of Dr.
William Dunlop's log man-
sion on the Colborne side.
A large statue of "The
Reaper" remained .on the
grounds when Mr. Hopkinson
bought the place, and he had
it removed to a site opposite
the front door.
Mr. Galt, of Victoria,
known to Goderich friends as
"Tim" was in the service of
the Bank of Montreal for
more than 40 years, com-
mencing in Goderich, at
$16.16 a month, as he recalled
recently. Later he was
manager of branches in Port
Haney. B.C., Prince George,
B.C.. Rossland, B.C.,
Collingwood, Ont.. and the
This early Victorian bed was also purchased by the Hon.
M. C. Cameron, MP for West Huron, to accommodate
Wilfred Laurier when he was In Goderich:
Westmount main office,
Montreal. ~where he retired
June 15, 19.45.
"1 was about 10 years at the
various branches in the
Okanagan Valley - a fine
place," hp said:,
When in St Catharines, Mr,
Galt was churchwarden at St.
George's. of which the rector
was Rev George Luxton, a
former Bishioof Huron, now
deceased.„.:
More interesting than the
statuary, as .a' souvenir of
Hon. M.C. Camersono is a
massive . and -elaborately
carved Victorian bedroom
suite made especially for the
accommodation ;of - Hon.
Wilfrid Laurier or the oc-
casion of a visit to "The
Maples." The magnificent
bed, its head towering to the
ceiling and its companion
dresser near by are 'a
melancholy reminder that
although Mr, Cameron
served the Liberal party
devotedly -unscrupulously at
times, some opponents
charged -in and out of
Parliament for, 40 years, and
was a logical choice. if ever
there was One, for inclusion i
Laurier's first ' cabinet, he
wasrconspicuously omitted...
Laurier:. became 'Prune
Minister after the Liberal...
election victory:of 1896, which ;
was the year -of Cameron's
last Contest in West' Huron,
when .he defeated Robert.
McLean'. Date of Laurier's
visit to C`ameron's hoose is
not at the moment certain. It
is :pleasant to believe that it
must have been some years
before Laurier chose ' his.
ministry and Withheld from
Cameron, the just reward of
long service. In that cabinet,
formed July 3. 1896, Western
Ontario was repretented only
by James Sutherland of North
Oxford and William Paterson
of South Brant. Paterson
actually had been defeated in
the ' general , election,'; but
Laurier found a seat for him
in North Grey and he was
sworn as Minister of,
Customs.
Cameron accepted the post
�4.
of Lieutenant-Governot
North West. Territories
a�. few weekS, at. the
Regina, he caught a;
cold. He hastened to the
of asots int•la4w, Dr. 1.
Wilson, mayor.: of
'Ont.,aand'died there.
was brought to, "The
for burial • to M
Cemetery, Sir Wilfrid
(he was knighted in 1.88
`a letter ofcondotence,
The ,historic bed
gentleman's dressers ""
in the house where the
for so long a part of the
personal property, ane
not be in .more fitt''
vironment. Mrs, Galt,
of the postmaster,
plan to continue
house, but rather to st
her daughters, as
Hopkinsons were ha
acquire- the suite. It...
eluded a lady's dresser;
time among the Ca
furniture . at the "Cs
later disposed of at a+s
there. Mrs. Galt died ini
el
e:
ly
The Galt house of today
LAND is PART OF GOD'S ESTATE IN THE GLOBE;
and when a parcel of ground is deeded to you, and you
walk over it, and call it your own, it seems as if you had
come into partnership with the original proprietor of the
earth. -
HENRY.. WARD BEECHER
HAPPY BIRTHDAY `GODERICH'
i'For The Most See Hoist
DON HOIST REAL
53 WEST ST. . 1
TE LTD.
PHONE: 524.8951
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