Village Squire, 1980-10, Page 5In Goderich and
other area
communities
people work
hard to preserve
our architectural
history.
Sometimes
they win.
sometimes
they lose.
The Hand house, one of the first Goderich homes to be designated, is one of the few frame buildings
of the Greek Revival style surviving. The house, now owned by Rev. W. Craven, sits at the top of the
harbour hill, and was once the scene of an elaborate ball described in the Lizar sisters' book, In the
Days of The Canada Company. (Photo by Gibb)
In praise of older
buildings
BY ALICE GIBB
In 1827, with a flourish typical of the eccentric Scotsman, Dr.
William "Tiger" Dunlop produced a bottle of champagne from
his pack and he and fellow Canada Company director John Galt
christened the forested site around the mouth of the Maitland
River. They named the future townsite Goderich, after Britain's
Secretary of State Viscount Goderich and tied the future of the
town to that of the Canada Company.
Today, visitors to Goderich might quibble with its slogan, "the
prettiest town in Canada". but if they spend any time in the
town, they can't help but realize its unique connections with the
infamous Canada Company. The homes of Canada Company
officials and former aristocrats, as well as some outstanding
government buildings, have left the town with a legacy of more
heritage buildings than most large urban centres in the province.
The town boasts a variety of architectural styles - from the
unusual octagonal stone jailhouse, to the central park or
"square", which is really another octagon, to a miniature castle
overlooking the harbour, built by a homesick Irishman.
In 1975, when "the no -deposit, no return attitude towards our
architectural heritage had reached its peak", according to a
government brochure, the Ontario Heritage Act was passed by
the province. This act gave each municipal council the power to
designate, protect and enhance properties and areas of
architectural or historic value within their boundaries - in other
words, a chance to preserve our past.
Goderich Councilrealizing the town's special flavour came
VILLAGE SQUIRE/OCTOBER 1980 PG. 3