“Ulmenwald” The Lost Peterson Estate

By Leanne Piper

Heritage architecture is our physical link to the people and events of Guelph’s past. Every building lost is a story lost. The story of Ulmenwald is just such a tale – hardship, wealth, scandal, politics, happiness and sorrow – against the backdrop of a thriving town.

Guelph’s early prosperity attracted and nurtured a thriving economy and with it, a wealthy class of industrialists, businessmen and stockbreeders. When Guelph became the administrative seat of Wellington County in 1840, it also became home to well-heeled lawyers, judges and administrators. It comes as no surprise then, that Guelph is blessed with many fine palatial estate homes, many still intact and in use today. Gilnockie, Elm Park, Ker Cavan, Wyoming, Summerhill, Idylwyld, Riverslea, and Manor Park1 come to mind as some of the finest enduring examples of architectural craftsmanship and opulence of 19th century Guelph. But of all the grand residences of this bygone era, there was no finer estate in the Royal City than Ulmenwald.

The literal translation of Ulmenwald from German is “elm tree forest”, but a more figurative translation would have been “Elmwood”. In its lifetime, the property was always referred to by its German name. Ulmenwald was constructed as the estate home of Henry W. Peterson

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Jr. and his wife, Emma Grange, daughter of Sheriff George J. Grange. “Bill” Peterson was one of Guelph’s most prominent citizens and long standing public servants. He served as Mayor of Guelph (1863), city councillor (1861- 1866) Chairman of the Guelph Board of Education (43 years), County Crown Attorney (49 years) and Reeve of Wellington County Council.2 Three generations of Peterson’s owned the property in succession over a 70 year period (1854-1924). Until its unfortunate destruction in 1952, Ulmenwald’s municipal address was

122 Water Street. Its approximate present-day location was at the crest of a hill in the Old University neighbourhood, roughly situated where 9 Wolfond Crescent stands today.

Figure 1: Location of H.W. Peterson property, Map of Guelph, 1866, Guelph Civic Museum Part Lot 2, 3rd Concession, Div. G. Guelph Township. Address: 122 Water Street

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THE HOUSE Once referred to as “one of the most picturesque homes in the Province of Ontario”3, Ulmenwald was built between 1854 and 1856.4

It was a stunning residence, and architecturally complex, with elements of Gothic Revival, Jacobean, Greek Revival and Victorian style. The original house was modest, constructed of white (buff) brick, but was expanded considerably shortly thereafter as the Peterson family grew in both size and prosperity.

Figure 2: Ulmenwald, circa 1860s. Photo courtesy of Clayton Peterson, Private collection.

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The original home faced north, at the crest of a hill. Architectural features of the original home included a large bay entrance with a central Gothic gable, two jerkinhead side gabled dormers, traditional gabled dormers, wooden shutters,a large double chimney, a lattice trellised front porch and a distinctive cupola (Figure 2). Rear and side elevations were also distinctively designed, featuring numerous differing styles of wooden trim, Gothic oriel windows, brick quoining, and a rear Greek Revival portico (Figure 4).

Figure 3: Interior floorplan of Ulmenwald. From drawings by Earl Palmer, resident between 1941 through 1948.

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The windows were not consistent: several Gothic arched windows, six-over-six sash windows, four-over-four narrow shuttered windows and small casement windows in the upper-floor dormers. It was truly a buffet of architectural whimsy!

The architect cannot be confirmed, however, there were few professionally trained architects in Guelph at the time, one being David Murray, primarily known for his Gothic Revival style. The lattice-work porch is remarkably similar to the home of Peterson’s law partner Andrew Lemon, Mavis Bank (Laura Lemon Birthplace) at 74 Arthur Street, which was constructed by Robert Stewart Lumber Ltd.5

Over the years, the home was extensively altered with a large front addition, enclosed porches, and the

Figure 4: Ulmenwald, eastern elevation. Photo courtesy of Clayton Peterson. Private collection.

Ulmenwald / Leanne Piper Page 5 main entrance was turned towards the driveway approach from the corner of James and Mary Streets. By the early 1900’s, Ulmenwald featured four wings, totaling 28 rooms, including seven+ bedrooms, a library, billiard room, two kitchens, two dining rooms, a study, sun room, servant’s quarters, several porches, a swimming pool, garden conservatory, stable and carriage house.6

INTERIOR FEATURES The interior of the home was no less extravagant than its fine exterior construction, symbolic of the wealth and prominence of the Peterson family. Ulmenwald’s last occupants prior to its demise was the family of Edward and Abigail Palmer. Their son, Mr. Earl Palmer of Lynden, Ontario was a teenager when he lived at Ulmenwald in the 1940’s and he recounts “most enjoyable memories” of his early life at Ulmenwald.7. Many of the original historic interior details were largely intact at that time. Palmer recalls that the Living Room boasted ornate plaster designs with hanging lights down the centre, as well as oak-paneled walls in the Library, Living Room, Dining Room and Billiard Room, as well as a hidden cupboard in the Billiard Room and under the main staircase.8 Six fireplaces kept the family warm during Canadian winters. The main floor featured wide plank floors, two staircases and a stained glass transom above the front entrance. The home had an abundance of natural light. The porches, sunroom and Billiard Room had windows all around. The windows on the lower level were 5’ to 6’ tall.9 A walnut grove near Edinburgh Road supplied the raw material for a grand staircase constructed by the Robert Stewart Lumber Co., as well as the paneling for the front hall which was so grand that it “defied description”.10

A portion of the house, including “five or six” bedrooms, was used as servants quarters. The Peterson’s

Ulmenwald / Leanne Piper Page 6 were known to have “colored servants”, as a family diary indicates that household funds were dispensed to pay for musical instruction for a young colored servant.11

THE GROUNDS The original grounds of Ulmenwald were part of Lot 2, in the 3rd Concession of Division G, Township of Guelph. The land was part of a parcel first granted to Charles McTague and Samuel Higginson by the Canada Company in 1830. A 25 acre part lot was purchased by Henry Wm. Peterson the Elder in 1854. The boundaries of the property were the lines of modern-day Forest Street, Maple Street, Mary Street and Water Street in the City of Guelph. Ulmenwald’s address was 122 Water Street, where stood a pair of stone gates that marked the long approach (now McCrae Blvd.). The Water Street gates were referred to as the “bottom gates”, and at the present day corner of Mary Street and James Street stood the “top gates”.12 The extensive grounds of Ulmenwald were described as “situated in the midst of the ‘forest

Figure 5: Ulmenwald property, Cold water creek spring, circa 1910. Photo courtesy of Clayton Peterson. Private collection.

Ulmenwald / Leanne Piper Page 7 primeval’ of extensive and fine woodland.”13 The grounds were known for their pastoral beauty by the townspeople of Guelph. In reporting the death of Henry Peterson, Jr. in 1913, the Guelph Evening Mercury and Advertiser reports that “many will remember with pleasure these beautiful grounds, which Mr. Peterson for thirty years or more generously placed at the command of the various Sunday School organizations of this city for their annual picnics and other pleasures.”14

A small creek ran through the Ulmenwald property coming from the southwest15 and drained into the Speed River (see Figure 5 and Appendix C). The grounds themselves were as well-appointed as the house. A swimming pool and fountain, flower gardens and a

Figure 6: The Carriage House and Stable at Ulmenwald. Photo courtesy of Clayton Peterson. Private collection.

Ulmenwald / Leanne Piper Page 8 glass conservatory adorned the property. The red brick stable and carriage house was almost as architecturally unique as the main house – a central Gothic front gable, side jerkinheads, vergeboard trim, two-over-two sash windows and a large vented cupola. The property also featured a doll house, reportedly so fancy that it was almost the size of a modern small house, “large enough for a full-grown person to enter and climb a small staircase to a second storey” and a completely finished interior.16

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

The land south of the Speed River in the 1850’s was largely unsettled. There had been some early modest construction along the River on Water Street and Albert Street after the opening of the Dundas Street Bridge (Gordon Street) in 1828.17 The riverbank area was swampy and shallow, a result of several mills and millponds upstream at Goldie’s Mill and Allan’s Mill. In the early 1850’s, Peter Gow, a former Mayor of Guelph and member of the Provincial Legislative Assembly (1867-78) began a tannery and woolen mill on his lot in the 3rd Concession, Division G. A wooden bridge was constructed over the river in 1852, and replaced by the current stone bridge – Gow’s Bridge – in 1897. Around the same time period, several large estates were constructed nearby. Arthur Wells, a civil engineer with the Grand Trunk Railway, built his grand estate “Well’s Grove” (now Manor Park) circa 1857 in Concession 4, Division G, Township of Guelph. Summerhill, a large Georgian residence built by James Thompson in the late 1840’s (now 25 Harcourt Drive) was constructed on nearby Lot 3, Concession 3, Divison G. A fine estate home on Lot 5, Concession 3, Divison G. (now 11 Yeadon Drive) was constructed for John Neeve between 1854-56. Of the many grand estate homes between the Speed River

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Figure 7: Aerial view of Peterson property, 1941. Guelph Civic Museum.

and College Avenue built between 1850-1860, only Ulmenwald did not survive.

Nearby to the east, the working class Brooklyn neighbourhood was mostly settled by the end of the 19th century, a diverse mix of stone cottages, brick and woodframe residences.18 Guelph noctogenarian Naomi Burcombe Jotham remembers growing up across from the woods of Ulmenwald on nearby Mary Street in the 1920’s. She recalls as a young girl being caught trespassing on the grounds of Ulmenwald picking violets at the edge of the property. Jotham vividly remembers “Lady Peterson” (likely Martha Thompson Peterson, wife of Clayton Peterson, in the 1920’s). Jotham recounts the tale: “Lady Peterson caught me with a handful of violets from the woods, and she ran after me, yelling “if you’re going to pick them, you better be sure to take them all

Ulmenwald / Leanne Piper Page 10 home. I don’t want to find a single one wasted and thrown on the ground!”19

THE PETERSON FAMILY Three generations of the Peterson family are associated with Ulmenwald. In May 1854, ownership of the unoccupied lot was deeded to Henry W. Peterson, Esq., the Elder. In September 1857, ownership transferred to his son Henry W. “Bill” Peterson, Jr.

H.W. “Bill” Peterson Jr., once one of Wellington County’s most eminent and respected citizens, is all but forgotten in the annals of Guelph history. Today, no park or street or other marker of his significance to Guelph can be found. Even at City Hall, where a honour roll of past Mayors hangs outside Council Chambers, Peterson is absent (the roll starts at 1867).

Henry William Peterson Jr. was born in 1831 in Waterloo Township. His father, Henry Peterson the Elder, came to Canada via Delaware, USA with his parents from Quakenbruck, Figure 8: Henry W. Peterson Sr. (1793-1859) Father of in the duchy of Oldenburg, Henry W. Peterson Jr. First Germany. The Elder Registrar of the County of Peterson married Harriet Wellington Middleton Clayton (sister of U.S. Secretary of State Hon. John Clayton, 1848-56) and they settled in Berlin. Henry W. Peterson the Elder published the first German language newspaper in Upper Canada, the 20 Canadian Museum, founded in Berlin in 1835. Peterson Sr. arrived in Guelph around 1842, when he was appointed Registrar

Ulmenwald / Leanne Piper Page 11 for the Counties of Waterloo, Wellington, Grey.21 Although Peterson the Elder was the registered owner of the property in 1854, it does not appear that Ulmenwald was built for his personal residence, but rather always intended for his son. Peterson Sr. lived at 10- 12 Waterloo Avenue, Figure 9: H.W. Peterson Jr. which was adjacent to the Mayor of Guelph, 1863 Photo courtesy of Clayton old Canada Company Peterson. Private collection. registration office and he died in Guelph on June 12, 1859.

When the house was first constructed between 1854-56, Henry Peterson Jr. was a young bachelor, freshly returned to Guelph after receiving his BA and MA from the University of Toronto.22. He embarked on his professional legal career in 1857 after receiving his Articles of Clerkship (equivalent of being “called to the bar” at the time) from Osgoode Hall. 23 He practiced law with Andrew Lemon (father of Guelph songwriter, Laura Lemon), the first law practice in Guelph.24 The law office of Messrs. Lemon and Peterson, Barristers, was advertised at the Old Post Office Block, Guelph.25 His legal career led to his appointment as Clerk of the Peace in 1867.

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On November 21, 1860, Peterson married Emma Grange, daughter of Lt. Colonel (Sheriff) George J. Grange. He was 28, the bride was 21.

Unfortunately, the marriage was not a happy one, and in fact, caused quite a local scandal when Mrs. Peterson’s adulterous affair with a local doctor Figure 10: Wedding Photo. H.W. Peterson Jr. and Emma Grange, 1860. necessitated public Photo courtesy of Clayton Peterson. testimony from many Private Collection. of Guelph’s elite society when Peterson sued a local doctor for “alienation of affections”. He was eventually awarded $5,000 (equivalent to about ½ million dollars today).26 The affair continued, and Peterson divorced his wife through an Act of Parliament in 1875.27

Despite marital woes, the Petersons had six children (see Appendix B). Peterson was described as a man of “vigorous mentality” and “of a rugged, yet kindly disposition…belonging to that old school of gentlemen which has produced the strong, substantial citizenship which has built the future of this country so well and so thoroughly.”28

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Peterson’s service as Chair of the Guelph Board of Education is noteworthy in his role as author, in 1899, of the first articles and by-laws of the Board which governed the administration of public schools for much of the 20th century. As a town councillor and Mayor of Guelph went onto to serve Figure 11: Clayton and Martha as Reeve of Wellington (Thompson) Peterson, with son County Council, Clayton T. and Helen Margaret, circa 1903. Photo courtesy of representing the Town of Clayton Peterson.Private collection. Guelph.29

Peterson Jr. was also known as a man of great literary and artistic talents, serving as a judge for the Upper Canada Provincial Art Exhibition in 1862 and 1863.30

In 1889, ownership passed to “Bill” Peterson’s son, Clayton, who lived there with his wife Martha Thompson Peterson and their children, Clayton Thompson Peterson and Helen Margaret Peterson. Clayton Peterson invested in the hotel business in Regina and fell into some financial hardship, which precipitated the sale of the property.31 In 1924, the Peterson years at Ulmenwald came to an end with the sale of the property to Mr. Thomas Bedford. In 1944, Bedford sold the house and southern half of the property (south of James Street) to Edward and Abigail Palmer, who were the last residing occupants of the estate (see Appendix A).

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THE END OF ULMENWALD Today, no physical trace of Ulmenwald remains - no gateposts or outbuildings or street name to mark its significant place in Guelph’s architectural history.

In September 1948, the property was sold to Esther and Joseph Wolfond for $8000, with the intention to develop the property for a residential subdivision. Joseph Wolfond General Contractors demolished the house and outbuildings during the final week of August

Figure 12: Demolition of Ulmenwald, Guelph Daily Mercury, August 30, 1952. 1952 and registered plan of subdivision 431 in October 1952.32 Joseph Wolfond was a local builder who came from Russia in the 1920’s with his father.

Ulmenwald’s fate was a result of a combination of several factors. According to Palmer, the large home was very expensive to heat and required a capital investment

Ulmenwald / Leanne Piper Page 15 in a new heating system. It was also on the geographic edge of a rapidly expanding city during a time when post- war housing shortages were regularly reported in the local press.33 Residential development was occurring on nearby streets - the “Bedford Park” subdivision – was under construction on the northern portion of the former Ulmenwald property (McCrae Blvd and lower Forest Hill Drive).34

At the time, Guelph was also struggling with what to do with large estate homes in a post-Depression and post-war economy. Ulmenwald’s demise was not without community outrage. In 1949, Alderman Albert J. Frank brought forward a by-law that would allow the conversion or large estate homes over 50 years old in multiple dwelling units. A newspaper report indicated that this motion was a direct result of the loss of “two big castles”.35 Tragically, Ulmenwald’s fate was sealed at a time when the heritage conservation movement was in its infancy. There were no legislative tools in place to prevent demolition of architecturally or culturally significant buildings in Guelph, or elsewhere in Ontario for that matter. Heritage stewardship was solely at the whim of sympathetic property owners. Today, Ulmenwald would easily have met the criteria for protection under the Ontario Heritage Act.

The demolition of Ulmenwald still hits a nerve with those who recall its beauty and historic presence on the hill. Earl Palmer recalled that his mother was extremely upset and regretted selling when the family learned it would be demolished. Even as a teenager, he felt the loss of his childhood playground, writing “there was an enormous beech tree by the swimming pool. The Wolfonds cut it down immediately, much to my dismay.”36 The demolition was not without community or media response. On the eve of its demise, the Guelph

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Mercury lamented that Ulmenwald was “so steeped in history that it forms an integral part of the story of Guelph”.37 Indeed, in both its cultural and architectural history, Ulmenwald was one-of-a-kind.

THE END

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APPENDIX A

Table 1: Summary of Ownership of Part Lot 2, Concession 3, Division G, Township of Guelph (Ulmenwald Property)38

YEAR FROM TO REMARKS Canada Saml. 25 acres – SW June 1830 Company Higginson ½ Saml. George August 1832 Higginson Lamprey Jane Lamprey H.W. (widow) and NE ½ May 1854 Peterson John Lamprey 14 acres The Elder (executor) Henry W. July 1854 Mortgage £460 1 Peterson (Sr.) September Henry W. Henry W.

1857 Peterson Sr. Peterson Jr. September Henry W. Mortgage $4,6001 1871 Peterson (Jr.) Henry W. Clayton 1889 Son of HWP Peterson (Jr.) Peterson Clayton Thomas 1924 Peterson Bedford Edward and Thomas 1944 Abigail Bedford Palmer September Edward and Esther $8,000 1948 Abigail Palmer Wolfond 1952 Residence demolished.

1952 Plan of Subdivision (Plan 431) registered.

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APPENDIX B

Peterson Family Genealogy

Henry William Peterson b. May 27, 1793, Quakenbrueck, Germany m. Hannah Ann Hendrickson, June 9, 1825 m. Harriett Middleton Clayton, Feb 12, 1831 d. June 12, 1859

Son: 1. Henry William Peterson Jr. b. December 14, 1831, Berlin, Ontario m. Emma Grange d. July 16, 1913, Guelph, Ontario

Children: 1.1. Douglass Peterson b. August 25, 1861, Guelph d. July 3, 1904, Los Angeles, California 1.2. William Peterson b. April 21, 1863 d. Jan 11, 1930, Victoria, BC 1.3. Ellen Peterson b. Jan 25, 1865, Guelph d. August 2, 1865, Guelph 1.4. Clayton Peterson b. Sept 22, 1866, Guelph m. Martha Thompson d. August 13, 1939 1.5. John Dieter Peterson b. March 12, 1869, Guelph d. March 1953, Detroit, Michigan 1.6. Margaret Peterson b. October 22, 1870, Guelph d. Dover, Kent, Delaware

1.4. Clayton Peterson m. Martha Thompson Children: 1.4.1. Clayton Thompson Peterson m. Ardath Irene Johns 1.4.2 Helen Margaret Peterson m. Harle Long

1.4.1 Clayton Thompson Peterson m. Ardath Irene Johns Children: 1.4.1.1 Clayton Ross Peterson 1.4.1.2 Douglass Peterson Sources39

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ENDNOTES

1 Gilnockie (Queen St.), Elm Park (Paisley Road), Ker Cavan (Stuart St.), Wyoming (Queen St.), Summerhill (Harcourt Drive), Idylwyld (Barber Ave.) Riverslea (Homewood Grounds), and Manor Park (Manor Park Dr.) were home to some of Guelph’s most prominent and wealthy citizens. 2 Johnson, Leo A. History of Guelph: 1827-1927. The Guelph Historical Society, 1977. 3 The Guelph Evening Mercury and Advertiser, Friday, July 18, 1913. 4 Lot 2, Concession 3 sold to Peterson the Elder in May 1854 (Land Registry Office) Book 1B, Reel 61E124. Map of Guelph in 1856 shows existence of large residence on site. 5 Haggerty, Lyndsay, Background Report for Designation of 74 Arthur Street (Mavis Bank), City of Guelph, June 2007. 6 Personal drawings of Earl Palmer, son of Edward and Abigail Palmer, who lived at Ulmenwald from 1944-1948. 7 Personal correspondence with Mr. Earl Palmer, Lynden, Ontario, October 19, 2007. 8 Personal correspondence with Mr. Earl Palmer, Lynden, Ontario, October 19, 2007. 9 Personal correspondence with Mr. Earl Palmer, Lynden, Ontario, October 19, 2007. 10 The Guelph Daily Mercury, August 30, 1952. 11 The Guelph Daily Mercury, August 30, 1952. 12 Naomi Jotham, personal interview, Stone Lodge, Guelph, Ontario, August 2006. 13 The Guelph Evening Mercury and Advertiser, Friday, July 18, 1913. 14 The Guelph Evening Mercury and Advertiser, Friday, July 18, 1913. 15 Hand drawn notes from Earl Palmer. 16 The Guelph Daily Mercury, August 30, 1952. 17 Van Sligtenhorst, Caroline. Brooklyn and the College Hill, Heritage Conservation District Study, Phase 1, City of Guelph, 2006. 18 Partridge, Florence. Brooklyn and the College Hill. Guelph Arts Councill; Ampersand Printing, 1998. 19 Naomi Jotham, personal interview, Stone Lodge, Guelph, Ontario, August 2006.

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20 http://www.region.waterloo.on.ca/web/region.nsf/0/ 7CCC465E50CA101785256B0A004D65E8?OpenDocument 21 Byerly, A.E. “The Peterson Diary”, Waterloo Historical Society Papers, 1932. 22 Peterson family records, in possession of Clayton Ross Peterson, from personal interview, January 16, 2008. 23 Guelph Evening Mercury and Advertiser, Obituary, Friday, July 18, 1913. 24 The Guelph Daily Mercury, August 30, 1952. 25 The Guelph Herald, advertisement, October 8, 1867 26 Guelph Historical Society, April 2004 Newsletter. Available at http://www.guelphhistoricalsociety.ca/newsletters/GHS- newsletter_2004-04_apr.pdf 27 Peterson family records, in possession of Clayton Ross Peterson, from personal interview, January 16, 2008. 28 Guelph Evening Mercury and Advertiser, Friday, July 18, 1913. 29 Shutt, Greta M. The High Schools of Guelph, University of Toronto Press, Toronto, 1961. 30 Harper, J. Russell. A Study of Art at the Upper Canada Provincial Exhibition: Ontario Painters, 1846-1867. 31 Personal interview, with Clayton Ross Peterson, January 16, 2008. 32 Plan of Subdivision, Plan 431, October 1952. Land Registry Office, Guelph, Ontario. 33 The Guelph Daily Mercury, 1948-1950. 34 Plan of Subdivision, Plan 39 No.2. Bedford Park Subdivision, May 1945. Land Registry Office, Guelph, Ontario. 35 The Guelph Daily Mercury, September 2, 1949. 36 Personal correspondence with Mr. Earl Palmer, Lynden, Ontario, October 19, 2007. 37 The Guelph Daily Mercury, August 30, 1952. 38 Books 1B (Twp. of Guelph) and Book 6, Land Registry Office, Guelph, Ontario. 39 Genealogical information was derived from several sources: 1. Byerly, A.E. “Henry William Peterson”, Waterloo County Historical Society Papers, 1932 . 2. Peterson Family Papers, Private Collection, Courtesy of Clayton Peterson, Etobicoke, Ontario. 3. Peterson Family gravestones, Woodlawn Memorial Park, Guelph, Ontario.

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