Dedicated to Preserving Our Built Heritage May 2016 Volume 43, No. 2 Heritage News Now The Ottawa Legacy of Gordon Cullingham Research and Harry Horwood Publication Grant By Andrew Billingsley, UE

An inscription, “Harry Horwood, Ottawa, April 1879”, was discovered on the base of the great West Window in Ottawa’s Notre-Dame Cathedral in 1986, more than

Photo: Roger Lalonde Roger Photo: 100 years after it was written. The L-R: David Jeanes, Janet Irwin (widow of discovery was made by the staff Gordon Cullingham, former President of Heritage Ottawa), Hagit Hadaya (grant of Northern Art Glass Inc. during recipient), Councillor Tobi Nussbaum restoration of the church’s stained Three projects were chosen to glass. The name meant little to receive the 2016 Cullingham grant. most people. Today, Horwood We presented the award to one of is recognized as one of the first the recipients during the Heritage Day designers and producers of stained celebrations at City Hall. The other two recipients were unable to glass in Canada, an artist who had attend and will receive their awards studios in Ottawa, Prescott, Ontario, at the Heritage Ottawa Annual and Ogdensburg, New York. General Meeting in May. Glenn Brian Further details about the winners and their In 1855, at age 17, Harry arrived projects are available on our website: in Toronto from England, already a Photo: https://heritageottawa.org/news/ stained glass artist. He found work Altar window from the first St. Matthias heritage-ottawa-awards-2016- with a young Irish glass stainer, Church designed by Harry Horwood, gordon-cullingham-research-grants Joseph McCausland, and within six now installed in the west wall of the Heritage Reference years, Harry was made a partner in present church building. List Update McCausland and Horwood. Their commissions also took them to The City of Ottawa Planning Ottawa where the first Parliament Department has hired two heritage Buildings were under construction. researchers to update the City’s Correction heritage inventory, using mapping The altar window shown on page technology which will make the Stained glass was enjoying a revival th one of the article about St. Matthias information available on the City’s in the last half of the 19 century. Church in the February Newsletter website at the end of the project. Radical Protestants in Tudor and is the work of Leonard Pike. We apologize Staff have begun using the new app Stuart England had caused the for this error. The Harry Horwood and will be reaching out to interested destruction of stained glass windows communities in the coming months. window appears above. in churches for fear that idolatrous 1 Legacy of Harry Horwood cont’d.

a large family, whose father died when he was three years old. Harry and Heritage Ottawa is a non-profit organization dedicated to the two brothers had been encouraged preservation of Ottawa’s built heritage. by the Church’s minister to learn stained glass making, and eventually, Linda Hoad the three of them formed Horwood Editor Brothers Stained Glass Works, in Jan Soetermans neighbouring Frome. Graphic Designer Harry returned to England in 1864, Katari Imaging and remained there for at least ten Printing years. During that time, he married Heritage Ottawa and had five children, four of them Martin David Photo: 2 Daly Avenue boys – Harry James, Clarence, Edgar, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6E2 Harry Horwood and Victor. A fifth son, Allan, was Tel: 613-230-8841 practices might be inspired by the born later in Canada. Fax: 613-564-4428 presence of “images”. Email: [email protected] In 1877, Harry returned to Canada Web: www.heritageottawa.org Harry had been schooled in the art and came to Ottawa; a H. Horwood, David Jeanes of making stained glass windows “glass stainer”, listing appeared in the President at a craft school established at St. City Directory, at 348 Wellington Leslie Maitland Andrew’s Church in Mells, the village Street. Two years later, Harry moved Past-President in Somerset where he was born in his studio to 450 Sussex Drive to Mike Steinhauer 1838. He was the second youngest in work on the Cathedral windows. Vice-President Operations Linda Hoad Vice-President Programs Anne Maheux Treasurer Louise Fox Secretary (vacant) Legal Consultant Danielle Jones Website Directors: Jay Baltz, Doug Beaton, Richard Belliveau, Linda Dicaire, Ken Elder, Ian Ferguson, Danielle Jones, Robert Martin, Heather McArthur, Hunter McGill, Karen Prytula, Carolyn Quinn, Nicole Sammut, Katherine Spencer-Ross.

Heritage Ottawa acknowledges the financial support of the City of Ottawa and the Ontario Ministry of Culture publique d’Ottawa Library/Bibliothèque Public Ottawa Photo: Window created for the Ottawa Public Library (1906) now located in the Main Branch. 2 The large window above the entrance A third major contract followed in to the Cathedral, facing Sussex Drive, 1883 to design and fabricate stained measures thirty-two feet high, and glass windows for the residence of sixteen feet wide. During that time J.P. Wiser, a wealthy Prescott Harry also received commissions distillery owner. The house has since from St. Patrick’s Basilica, St. Alban’s, been demolished, but the windows and other Ottawa area churches. were removed and restored, and are on public display in Upper Canada In 1880, Harry received another Village, near Morrisburg, Ontario. major commission to create stained glass for a new Town Hall and Opera Like his father, Harry James had a House in Ogdensburg, where he had talent for creating stained glass, and Photo: David Martin David Photo: opened a branch office. A stained all the Horwood brothers had a flair Harry Horwood signature on the Notre glass works in Prescott, just across the for design. In 1891, all were involved Dame Basilica window St. Lawrence River, was established with the firm, which became known the next year, once Harry had found as H. Horwood & Sons. Harry James a home in nearby New Wexford for subsequently moved to Ogdensburg, memorial windows from the original his arriving family. The eldest son, where he continued to produce stained St. Matthias Anglican Church date Harry James, was then 16 years old. glass for fifty years. from that time. An Ogdensburg studio came later. Son Edgar (1868 – In 1906, Edgar collaborated with his 1957), meanwhile, father to design the Ottawa Public became interested in Library, with a magnificent large architecture, and in stained glass window above the main 1895, at age 27, had entrance. The window honours six established a practice famous authors, and Ottawa poet, in Ottawa, known as Archibald Lampman. Today, the E. L. Horwood. His window is installed in the atrium of two younger brothers the Library’s Main Branch. followed in his Harry died at his Ottawa South footsteps, beginning home at 16 Rosedale Avenue in as draftsmen in his 1917, after creating a window for firm. Allan continued the Blue Church in Prescott, near to practice in Ottawa the Horwood plot. The inscription with Edgar, eventually reads “To the Glory of God, in loving as Horwood and memory of Harry Horwood, who Horwood, while Victor painted the above panel.” With his chose to practice in sons, Harry has left us a legacy that Winnipeg, becoming will be admired for generations. Manitoba’s Provincial Architect. Edgar Andrew Billingsley is a Heritage eventually became Ottawa member, and author of the Chief Dominion recent article on St. Matthias Church. Architect serving from His research on this building led 1915-1919. him to the story of Harry Horwood’s Ottawa career. Harry and his wife returned to Ottawa in Sources 1898, where he opened Northern Art Glass Inc., 955 a new studio at 402 Gladstone Avenue in Ottawa Bank Street, with son http://northernartglass. Photo: David Martin David Photo: Clarence later joining com/2014/04/harry-horwood-a- Notre Dame Basilica west window him as Manager. The 19th-century-glass-master/ 3 From the President By David Jeanes

Louise Fox, to establish a fund Carleton’s Heritage Symposium on for employing a young heritage April 23, Jane’s Walk weekend on professional, we advertised May 7-8 and Doors Open Ottawa widely for candidates and by on June 3-4. the April 1 deadline had received Our walking tour planning for the 21 high-quality applications. coming summer and fall season is The manager intern position will also shaping up well and will again improve Heritage Ottawa’s include event-specific walks on capabilities in research, advocacy, Colonel By Weekend and during publications and programming and Archaeology Month in August. we hope will provide valuable work We are now also planning for special and career-building experience for activities in 2017, the year of Canada’s the employee. sesquicentennial. Our lead project is Since the last newsletter appeared in a planned web-based publication that mid-February we have had another will profile fifty buildings or sites that successful Heritage Day exhibit at represent the work of Heritage Ottawa City Hall, including presenting the Heritage Ottawa depends on in conservation efforts since 1967 - Gordon Cullingham research and its members and volunteers for fifty years since Canada’s Centennial. publication award to one of the three support, both financial and in the Other special activities with a winners for 2016. Hagit Hadaya sesquicentennial focus will be part received her cheque from Councillor time that people can contribute to of our 2017 lecture and walking Tobi Nussbaum and myself in the our broad spectrum of activities tour programs. There are also presence of Gordon’s widow, to educate the public and to important heritage-related conferences Janet Irwin. The other winners, planned for Ottawa in 2017 with Lynn Armstrong and Dustin Valen protect our built heritage which we will co-operate. will be recognized at our AGM in May. We continue to be challenged during Heritage Ottawa is collaborating the major project to construct a new Then in the same week we held with several other organizations on a Ottawa Art Gallery at Arts Court and an excellent lecture event at the number of fronts. We and our former must vacate our office in June as that Ismaili Imamat on Sussex Drive by partners to the application for an project proceeds. We are currently Christophe Bouleau of the Aga Khan injunction over the location of the investigating options for temporary Trust for Culture. We had a good Victims of Communism Monument office locations for about 18 months turnout despite a day of awful have been invited by Minister Mélanie until construction is complete. weather. We heard a fascinating Joly, who is responsible for the NCC, presentation on the Trust’s work in Heritage Ottawa depends on its to participate in a roundtable on plans Jerusalem and enjoyed the Aga Khan members and volunteers for support, for the monument at a new site. Foundation’s hospitality afterwards. both financial and in the time that We continue to work with the Our March lecture broke records by people can contribute to our broad Ottawa Cultural Alliance to address packing the Ottawa Public Library spectrum of activities to educate shortfalls in funding for the City’s auditorium with a standing-room the public and to protect our built Arts Heritage and Culture Plan. crowd to hear Diana Pepall talk heritage. We have had a major role in about Canada’s wartime code- consultations with the Ottawa breaking establishment at a house Hospital regarding our concerns David Jeanes in Sandy Hill. for the integrity of the Central President, Heritage Ottawa / Thanks to a very generous donation Experimental Farm. Heritage Patrimoine Ottawa from Heritage Ottawa’s secretary, Ottawa is also contributing to

4 Parliament Building Fire of February 3, 1916 – Designed for Disaster By Ken Elder Editor’s note: One of our board members, the House of Commons reading- room, and general consensus that conservation architect Ken Elder, takes “This fire must have spread another look at the 1916 fire and the this space was especially vulnerable with lightning rapidity; to the spread of fire. It is this subsequent investigation. He was particularly the heat and flame first struck by the detailed description of the last conclusion which caught my spread around the corridors materials and other conditions in the building attention. What was it about the which might have contributed to the rapid of the House of Commons design/fitting up/furnishing/and and uncontrolled spread of the fire. Chamber, and into the roof use of this space that so alarmed … the construction of which architects, curators and users who It was a cold Thursday evening on was a veritable forest testified before the Commission? Parliament Hill. The temperature of timber.” outside was 14° F. (-10° C.). The The House of Commons House had adjourned at 6 p.m. for Reading-Room dinner and members had reconvened sabotage soon surfaced in the local The House of Commons reading- at 8 p.m. for an evening sitting. There papers. To ascertain the truth, on room, which straddled the centre was barely a quorum in the House February 7 the Borden Government line of the building, was designed by and only a couple of dozen people appointed a Royal Commission to Thomas Fuller and Chilion Jones in in the galleries. W. S. Loggie of inquire “into and concerning the 1859 as a picture gallery. A gallery, of New Brunswick had risen to discuss origin of the fire which destroyed the oiled and varnished pine, supported improvement of the Dominion fish Parliamentary Buildings, at Ottawa, on timber posts and accessible by trade. At 8:59 p.m. the House was and to make full investigation into stairs, ran around four sides of the suddenly interrupted by all matters connected therewith.” room. The principal exits from the C. R. Stewart, chief door-keeper More than 76 witnesses were called room were a pair of partially glazed of the House of Commons, who to testify. What soon emerged swinging doors (probably with entered by the west door to announce was unanimity as to the origin, a glazed transom) at opposite ends “a terrific fire, and for everybody smoldering file of newspapers in of the room, one leading into the to get out.” Within minutes, Mayor Martin of Montreal, rushed in from the east side to say “Fire:-and a big one!” The fire, which originated in the reading-room of the House of Commons, had within a half-hour involved the whole western end of the building and begun to spread eastward to the Senate side. By about one o’clock the Victoria Tower was aflame and the conical roof and bell collapsed soon after. By 2 o’clock a.m. the fire was brought under control. All had been destroyed except a “fireproof addition to the western wing” built in 1912 and the Library of Parliament to the north. A total of 7 lives were lost in the fire. Post card: K. Elder Collection K. Elder card: Post

The intensity and rapid spread of the Postcard. View from south side of House of Commons chamber looking north over ruins fire was so alarming that rumors of of Commons and reading-room to Library of Parliament. February, 1916 5 Within the screen of newspapers were six rows of double fronted wood standing desks

Situated as it was with one foot in the Commons side and one foot in the Senate side, the reading-room posed an almost unique threat to the entire building. The partially glazed swinging doors did not constitute an adequate barrier to the spread of fire in either direction. The exposed timbers of the roof and the skylights were an unfortunate departure from

Post card: K. Elder Collection K. Elder card: Post fireproof building design of the period, which required a roof to Postcard. South façade of the Parliament Building from Wellington Street, showing act as a horizontal firebreak. The smoke rising from Senate side. The photograph would have been taken between 10 and Department of Public Works had th 11 o’clock on Friday morning, February 4 , 1916 partially addressed this weakness in the attics of the Commons and corridor in the rear of the House gallery and on the main floor. The Senate chambers by wrapping of Commons and the other leading intervals between the wood posts the beams with metal lathing and into the corridor at the rear of the supporting the gallery were fitted applying a covering of concrete Senate. The floor was rolled iron with horizontal racks for the hanging and plaster. Ironically they seem to girders, spanned by brick arches of newspapers forming a screen. have overlooked the reading-room. and a filling of cement concrete, a system still in place in the East Block and beneath the corridors of the West Block. The underside was further protected by a coating of plaster. The floor was covered in “a composition of rubber-about half an inch thick.” The heavy timber framed roof had skylights inserted in the gable roof slopes. It is doubtful the room ever served its original picture gallery purpose. M. C. MacCormac, a clerk of the Library of Parliament recalled that “it was formerly the old Library.”

The room was lined on all four walls with wood shelving, both in the Ground-floor plan of the Centre Block, Parliament Buildings, Ottawa, Ontario, 1859.

6 The floor structure, fully met the standards of “fireproof ” design and, despite the load of falling debris, survived the fire intact. The combustible materials used in the fittings and furnishings, the composition flooring, and the oil and varnishes used as finishes all acted as sources of fuel. The Reading-Room Contents

At the time of the fire there were estimated to be 1200 files of newspapers in the reading-room. Because of congestion in the Parliamentary Library, forty or fifty thousand volumes, including bound sets of periodicals, many of them dating back fifty or sixty years, were being stored temporarily in the gallery of the reading-room.

The quantity of combustible material (fire load) in the reading-room space House of Commons Reading Room c. 1916, Exhibit 2, Royal Commission at the time of the fire was excessive re Parliament Buildings Fire at Ottawa, February 3, 1916 and was certainly decisive in the early stages of the fire. largely confined to the newspapers the roof. Chief Graham sent in a second alarm at 9.05 p.m. and at Rapid Spread of the Fire on the bottom shelf of one of the desks near the Commons the height of the fire he had 20 The corridor in rear of the House entrance, was Thomas Smith Moore, streams laid and seventy-eight city of Commons had a hardwood strip a Dominion constable. Using a firemen engaged. Chief Graham floor that had recently been oiled chemical extinguisher, he directed described the spread of the fire and varnished. The white pine doors a stream on the fire. Rather than thus: “This fire must have spread and trimming were shellacked. The extinguishing the fire, the force with lightning rapidity; the heat ceiling was wood panelled. The use of the stream seemed to separate and flame first spread around the of combustible materials in a corridor the papers and blow the burning corridors of the House of Commons serving as a fire-exit for several embers up against the screen. The Chamber, and into the roof of the assembly spaces was quite a common flames soon enveloped him and he House of Commons and Senate practice in this period but would beat a hasty retreat. Parliamentary Chambers, which were wide open, today be considered quite dangerous staff then used existing stands of the construction of which was practice. It can probably be explained hose to fight the fire from both the a veritable forest of timber. The by the desire of the architects to Commons and the Senate sides and ceilings of both of these chambers extend the ‘Civil Gothic Style’ to were able to control the spread of were of glass, which in my opinion the interior. The highly flammable the fire for almost one half hour. broke quickly and allowed the fire to materials would have contributed to a drop down into both these chambers, The automatic alarm was received rapid spread of the fire. which were completely burned out.” at the City Fire Department at 8.57 The fire was brought under control Fighting the Fire p.m. Within two or three minutes at 2 o’clock a.m. on February 4. City of Ottawa Fire Chief J. W. The first individual to attempt to Graham had arrived on the Hill Everything that could have been extinguish the fire, while it was still where the fire had broken through done on the night of February 3rd

7 was done. However, were it not for improvements recommended by City Heritage News Now Upcoming Events of Ottawa Fire Chief J. W. Graham in 1910, the situation, at least as far Continued Regenerating Places of Faith: as getting people safely out of the A Workshop for Ottawa’s building, would have been much Kilmorie House, Communities worse. Two recommendations made Saturday, May 14, by Chief J. W. Graham that were not 21 Withrow implemented, and certainly should allsaints Ottawa, have been, were the protection of 10 Blackburn Avenue corridors more than one hundred feet 8 am – 4:30 pm long by self-closing fire shutters, and the familiarization of City firefighters To view the day’s agenda and with the building. to register online, visit www. nationaltrustcanada.ca/ In fact, it was the closing of regeneration-places-faith such iron doors which helped to prevent the spread of the fire Workshop fee: $25 to the Parliamentary Library. What is not often talked about is how close this barrier came to Once the home of Confederation Poet, Annual General Meeting being breached. Firemen stationed William Wilfrid Campbell, this stone Coming Soon home was recently listed for sale. Swift in the Library noticed smoke action (including research in local Thursday May 26 7 pm coming from behind bookcases sources) by the City View Community on one of the floors above. Association and members of the Poets Glebe Community Centre Pathway resulted in an assessment When these were pulled aside, Please note your invitation to access doors communicating with by heritage planning staff. A report recommending designation under Part Heritage Ottawa’s 2016 AGM the roof space of the link were IV of the Ontario Heritage Act will be in this newsletter and mark discovered. Had hoses not been heard at an upcoming meeting of the May 26 in your calendar. directed into this opening and Built Heritage Sub-Committee. roof space, the Library would http://www.poetspathway.ca/pathway.htm As is our tradition, the AGM also have been lost. features an interesting speaker and light refreshments in a Lessons Learned congenial location.

The most important changes 100th Anniversary introduced in the new of the Fire of 1916 Final Lecture of the Centre Block (1919-1927) 2015-2016 Season were the compartmentalizing To commemorate this landmark of the interior with continuous event in parliamentary history, the Wednesday June 15 2016 fire walls, kalamein doors Library of Parliament has developed 7 pm a commemorative program, (sheet metal covered timber National Arts Centre doors) at all penetrations and available until December, 2016. electrical rooms, the elimination A special exhibit, entitled Resilience: Topic: National Arts Centre: of combustible materials in the The Fire of 1916, is currently on the Rejuvenation in its corridors, and stair towers display in the Library of Parliament. Urban and Historic Context giving direct access to the It can be seen as part of a guided tour of Centre Block. Speaker: Barry Padolsky. Ottawa- exterior. based architect, urban designer, To learn more about the fire of 1916, and heritage consultant. visit the Parliament of Canda website Ken Elder is a member of the Board for links to YouTube and Flickr This lecture is a members-only of Heritage Ottawa and a conservation resources:http://www.lop.parl.gc.ca/ event, in a very special venue. architect. Visitors/visit-e.html Memberships will be available at the door.

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