The Goderich Signal-Star, 1970-07-16, Page 2BY vv. .E. ELLIOTT
'Milani Bennett Rich, who
cense -from Faversham,; Kent to
become - a Canada Company
officio and a magistrate in
Qoderich, built in, the 1840s the
Y big '13rick house„ :at • Lighthouse
and Wellesley streets, now Mrs.
. Ivan Wilson's. It was fitting and
proper that the Seven • lovely
daughters of this home (there
were also three sons) sbc utd wed
husbands capable of maintaining
them in the style to; which they,
were accustomed. That style, in
at least three instances, called
for a house with a ,large wing for
servants: All three are with uS
today,. though untenanted by
hired. help.
"Charles' Widder's house — he
married Lucy Rich — and that of
George Brown, , first county
treasurer, who married ,
Marianne, .have been described
on former occasions. The third
house was built for Hugh
Johnston, whorse wife's name
was, Matilda. Mr. Johnston
''provided • the big house with
servants' wing through a
mortgage loan of 500 pounds
sterling from the Edinburgh Life
Assurance company. _
(The other sisters were Mrs.
Wm.. Geary, Mrs. RerEd,
Haldane, Mrs. George Morphy
and Mrs. Meyer)
The Johnston mansion, 38 St..
Vincent street, has . changed
ownership only a half-doten
times in more than a century.
... &.hiaftel,; .McGauv., Morriss ,and_
rt - Arlat c+z a .manes: nn the:recn d " w... , .
previous ter -purchase in 196T3 1iy
A, M. Harper. Most of these
chapters in its history are
'forgotten — disappointingly
little can be Learned regarding
the first owner after the Canada
Company, who . deeded the
property in 1881. to George B.
Johnston, banker.
The Wurtele chapter is
recalled at, the moment by
installation , of a statuary
addition to the memorial in
Maitland .Cemetery. At the foot
of the grave of Lily' Kellogg
Wurtele, who died in 1962, there
have been placed, upon a
concrete base, two almost
life-size figures of Cairn Terriers.
Miss Ann Wurtele, formerly
residing , in London, Ont., but
now in Woodstock, N. Y., has
written to the Rditot of the
Signal -Star in part as follows:
The "Wurtele, house" on .4. Vincent, Street, owned and
occupied since 1964, by A. hti,, Harper, was built more than a
century ago for Hugh-Johion. The Wurteles resided in it
from 1918. Mrs. Wurtele, ,formerlw Lily'Kellogg of Seattle, died
in 1962.
1 1 MAIN ST;
YFIELD
"They ire -made of cast iron ,
by a world-famous sculptor in '
the art colony here, and
modelled on my two oldest
Canadian Cairns, which mother
knew and loved„ She resided in —
Goderich for 43 years.
Miss Wurtele was -in Goderich
about a month ago, and took
pictures of her former home,
finding some changes . in the
building. •
The Wurteles, coming from
Oakville in 1918, bought; the
property from Mrs. Minnie
_McKee Morrison, widow of a
United States army officer, who
had made it her' summer home.
The recorded price, was $5,oati.
Charles Wurtele had acquired the
Rice's Pure Salt Company and
reorganized the business,
"The process. used by the
artist, Kurt Sluizer, was first to
draw the dogs from life, cast
them ,in clay, then in plaster and
finally iron. They weigh almost
25 pounds apiece." _
•
EXPANDED
LITIES
• Life-size Cairn Terriers, of iron, guard the grave of Mrs. Lily
Wurtele in Maitland Cemetery. Work Of a noted sculptor in
Woodstock, N.Y., they were installed by a Kitchener -firm for
Miss,Ann Wurtele.
operating as the Goderich Salt
Company. (It is now a Domtar
This fine Georgian house,
• situated on eight lots .(four -each
on St. Vincent and -Gloucester
Terrace) has 11 principal rooms,
Ceilings downstairs are 12 feet
high, upstairs nine. In the 1860s
the heating was by fireplaces.and
stoves, and when the. Wurteles
moved in there was an open
fireplace and a wood-burnirit
stove in the kitchen. In the
kitchen .also was.c.row of bells,
connected by an intricate wiring
System in the walls; to white
china, knobs in the various
rooms, used to summon the
maids. Originally, of course,
there was a barn at the rear.
The fiont verandah is
strongly classical, with rine
In opinion of an architect who.
recently viewed the house, the
rear verandah and French doors
are not as old as the house. They
were probably constructed to
provide a view of Aver and lake:
There is a three-quarter
basement, with substantial pak
beams; roof beams in the attic
are hewn, not milled.
Thougrl it. is eighty -odd Years
since the Johnstons parted with
the house members of the third
• generation indicated an interest
in it five years ago; when Fred
Johnstob, of Toronto and
Florida, and his cousin, Miss
Lena Graharrt, visited the plaee
and were shown over the house
by Mrs. Harper. Mr. Johnston is
a grandsbn of the first owner, one
of whose sons became a judge
and seryed in Algoma District.
aturday
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