Memorial Gates. University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register September 2013

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1 644 Memorial Gates University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register September 2013

2 644 Memorial Gates Alternate Names University Gates Memorial Tablets Architect(s) David R. Brown, Montreal Builders R.J. Arrand Contracting Company Construction Dates Recognition University of Saskatchewan A Listing Recommended 1. Statement of Significance Figure 1. Greystone showing signs of deterioration in the mortar joints. The right half of the photogaph shows an attempted repair using inappropriate material. The Memorial Gates at the University of Saskatchewan were built between 1927 and 1928, and are, as their name suggests, both a memorial to the students and faculty who lost their lives in the First World War, and a ceremonial gate marking the original main entrance to the university. The Memorial Gates today are a reminder of the university s history and of its place in world history. David R. Brown, whose architectural firm Brown and Vallance developed the 1909 Campus Plan and designed all of the university s early buildings, also designed the Memorial Gates. Three hundred and forty five students and faculty from the University of Saskatchewan served in the First World War. Of these, sixty-nine gave their lives. The Memorial Gates were first proposed in 1923 by the Graduate Students Society to commemorate the university s fallen soldiers. With the support of President Walter Murray, the students undertook a fundraising campaign. Approximately one third of the $30,000 cost of the project was paid for by the Graduate Students Society. University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register 7-380

Figure 2. The Memorial Gates as proposed by architect David R. Brown. The Gates were not built exactly as shown. Photo A-5946, retrieved from http://scaa.sk.ca/gallery/uofs_buildings/ Figure 3.

The gates themselves are of solid bronze, and were built in and imported from ngland.

The raised cenotaph is a character-defining element, along with its inscriptions and list of fallen soldiers. The cenotaph originally listed 67 soldiers.

Other character-defining elements include the location of the Gates at the original entrance to the university, the features that reflect the Collegiate Gothic style of architecture and the materials

1 Materials The Memorial Gates are built of materials common to the University of Saskatchewan campus. The walls and piers are built primarily with local greystone (Figure 1).

3 Figure 2. The Memorial Gates as proposed by architect David R. Brown. The Gates were not built exactly as shown. Photo A-5946, retrieved from Figure 3. Indiana limestone showing signs of deterioration. The Memorial Gates are designed in the Collegiate Gothic style, built in local greystone, with carved ornamentation and copings in Indiana limestone. The gates themselves are of solid bronze, and were built in and imported from ngland. The Memorial Gates have cultural and historical value in their symbolic function as an entrance to the university and as a tribute to soldiers who were killed in the First World War. The raised cenotaph is a character-defining element, along with its inscriptions and list of fallen soldiers. The cenotaph originally listed 67 soldiers. Two names were mistakenly omitted from the list, but were added in Other character-defining elements include the location of the Gates at the original entrance to the university, the features that reflect the Collegiate Gothic style of architecture and the materials of the gates. Figure 4. Limestone showing surface staining and corrosion. 2. Character - Defining lements 2.1 Materials The Memorial Gates are built of materials common to the University of Saskatchewan campus. The walls and piers are built primarily with local greystone (Figure 1). Indiana limestone is used for cut stone trim and decoration (Figures 3 and 4). (For further information on building stones used at the U of S, refer to Appendix: Stone.) The cenotaph panels, which list the names of the deceased soldiers, are also made of Indiana limestone. The carved names were originally to be filled with lead, but this specification was never carried out. The gates themselves are constructed of bronze, and are suspended from four stone piers (Figure 5). The gates were manufactured in Cheltenham, ngland and were shipped to Canada. They each measure roughly 4.5 x 2.9 metres, and weigh over a thousand kilograms. Although weathered, the bronze components are in excellent condition. A base and a set of bollards are made of grey granite (Figure 6). Figure 5. Bronze gates. Figure 6. Granite bollard. Memorial Gates 7-381

Figure 7. Sketch by University Architect David Brown showing the symmetry of the design. Photo A-8523. retrieved from http://scaa.sk.

This assessment noted that a combination of differential settlement and water ingress has caused cracking and spalling in many of the Indiana limestone elements (Figure 3).

Attempts at repair have been undertaken with inappropriate materials (Figure 1). Cleaning and repairs were undertaken in 2013 to address these concerns. Figure 8.

ach gate is flanked by a pair of stone piers, about 6.4 metres tall. ach pair of gates defines an opening 5.5 metres wide, which originally formed a vehicular entrance to the university grounds.

4 Figure 7. Sketch by University Architect David Brown showing the symmetry of the design. Photo A retrieved from The physical condition of the Memorial Gates was recently assessed by the Facilities Management Division. This assessment noted that a combination of differential settlement and water ingress has caused cracking and spalling in many of the Indiana limestone elements (Figure 3). Surface staining and corrosion as a result of pollution and the build-up of organic materials is evident (Figure 4). Mortar joints are substantially deteriorated and require repointing. Attempts at repair have been undertaken with inappropriate materials (Figure 1). Cleaning and repairs were undertaken in 2013 to address these concerns. Figure 8. Gothic arch marking a pedestrian pathway. Figure 10. Keyhole arch motif. 2.2 Form & Style The Memorial Gates consist of a pair of ornate bronze gates in a low stone wall. ach gate is flanked by a pair of stone piers, about 6.4 metres tall. ach pair of gates defines an opening 5.5 metres wide, which originally formed a vehicular entrance to the university grounds. A slightly raised tablet forms the central feature of the composition, a cenotaph on which are inscribed the names of soldiers from the university killed during the war. The two outermost piers are each buttressed by a pointed arch marking a pedestrian path. The symmetrical composition of the Memorial Gates is a character-defining element (Figure 7). Figure 9. Stone pier, decorated with carved stone references to statuary niches, keyhole and gothic arches. University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register 7-382

Business Farm Residences VTRINARY COURT Agriculture Law Saskatoon Cancer Centre S O U T H S A A I C V Animal The Memorial Gates are Collegiate Gothic in style.

5 U T Y I D C A M P U S D R I V D I F Veterinary Medicine Annex Heating Plant R T B A K R. Diefenbaker O N W A Y Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Toxicology Centre M A I N T N A N P L P O TA S H C O R P WAY S C A C A M P U S D R I V C I N C P L P M Poultry Centre D R dwards School of Business Farm Residences VTRINARY COURT Agriculture Law Saskatoon Cancer Centre S O U T H S A A I C V Animal The Memorial Gates are Collegiate Gothic in style. This is most clearly apparent in the verticality of the stone piers and in the pointed arches marking the pedestrian walkways (Figure 8). Gothic motifs such as shields, buttresses, keyhole and pointed arches are all referenced in the form of the monument and in its carved stone decoration (Figure 9 & 10). Much of the cut stone decoration features flora such as cereal plants and flowers (Figure 11). Stone string courses and quoining are also characteristic features of the Gothic style (Figure 4). University Farm F A R M L A N P R S T O N A V N U Livestock Research Stone Barn Dairy Barn F A R M L A N Those features that reflect the Gothic style of architecture, such as vertical lines, symmetrical massing, Gothic stone tracery, and the decorative motif of the pointed arch are character-defining elements. As well, the craftsmanship involved in the stonework and bronze is a character-defining element contributing to the heritage value of the monument. Kirk NRC - Plant Biotechnology Institute Animal Science G Kinesiology Physical Activity Complex (PAC) 2.3 Location & Spatial Configuration John Mitchell Archaeology U M N A S I Administration M P L A C C O L L G D R I V C A M P U S D R I V The site of the Memorial Gates marks the original main entrance to the campus, in a location close to that laid out in the 1909 Campus Plan by Architects Brown and Vallance. In that plan, a preliminary version of the gates formed the beginning of a grand axis, aligned with Convocation, a monumental building proposed as the focal point of the campus, but never Thorvaldson RUH Parkade SCINC PLAC Biology R A T Curling Rink ngineering (W.P. Thompson) Arts S C R Poultry Science T Geology M D I C A L C R T Royal University Hospital P U S D R I V Rutherford Rink Physics T H B O W L Murray C A M P U S D R I V D-Wing xpansion Irene and Leslie Dubé Centre for Mental Health (Library) Nobel Plaza Qu'Appelle Palliser Garden Marquis Health Sciences Hantelman C A M Place Riel llis College Saskatchewan Voyageur Place Qu'Appelle Addition Observatory O A D R C L A R T N Athabasca V OYAGUR CRT S D Dental Clinic President's Residence Memorial Union McLean I V N C L I N I C P L A C G I Y Faculty Club L B O T T O M St. Thomas More College mmanuel & St. Chad/ Chapel G W I Little Stone School St. Andrew's College MMORIAL CRSCNT D R -Wing xpansion A D M I N P L L T A P I PRSIDNT'S PLAC ST. ANDRW'S PLAC Rugby Chapel Memorial Gates Figure 13. The location of the Gates is indicated in green on this contemporary campus map. The plan is oriented with North to the left. H O S UNIVRSITY BRIDG C O L L G D R I V C O L L G D R I V Patterson Garden Louis Beach Volleyball Stadium Parkade BOTTOMLY AV Concession Graham Huskie Clubhouse Saskatoon Field House built. Figure 12 shows the originally intended scale and location of the gates. The grand axis imagined in the 1909 Campus Plan WIGGINS AVNU Transit Hub (Saskatoon Transit and university service vehicles only) Royal University Hospital Campus ntrance Maps was eventually abandoned, and the Royal University Hospital was built on part of the land originally proposed for this feature. Figure 13 shows the location at which the gates were actually sited; very close to the original MUNRO AV plan. By 1957, a new master plan for roadways on campus had completely altered the original concept of a formal, Beaux-Arts plan, and the Memorial Gates had become the UNIVRSITY DRIV C R S C N T U M S T A CLARNC AV F I L D H O U S R O A D Saskatoon Field House Parking Lot PotashCorp Park Ball Fields Ball Field Ball Field M A P L G N D ast Stands 1 West Stands Griffiths Stadium Buildings Saskatoon Field House Parking Lot Visitors Clubhouse Ball Fields 5 6 Buildings Under Construction Underground Walkway entrance to the hospital. Ball Fields Williams 7 8 mergency Phones Campus Safety available 24 hrs ( ) Student Residence Project C U M B R L A N D A V N U Figure 11. Carved stone reliefs feature flora and shields. Information Centres Place Riel Student Centre Parking Services Royal University Hospital Information Desk -Hospital Mall P R S T O N A V N U Crop Science Test Plots Assiniboine Wollaston Seager Wheeler M c O W N P L A C Souris Mcown Park Student Residences Parking Information Pay Parking Lots 1 4 Underground Agriculture Parkade 5 Stadium Parkade 2 P Meter Parking Meter Parking Lots Mcown Park (Cumberland & 14th St.) Disabled Persons' Parking* M Motorcyle Parking* Faculty & Staf f Parking Lots* A C F G H HA K L O Q R T V Student Parking Lots* Horticulture Field F P Y U 1 4 t h S T R T *Parking permits required. Contact Parking Services at Figure 12. The gates originally planned by Brown and Vallance on the 1909 Campus Plan. Plan oriented with north to the left. Memorial Gates 7-383

Figure 14. Front elevation and plan drawing, dated 1927. Retrieved from Facilities Management Division Asset Record System, File MG-4-T.

trading posts. A trail from Moose Woods to Batoche crossed the current site of the University of Saskatchewan, where it joined the South Saskatchewan River on its way north.

6 Figure 14. Front elevation and plan drawing, dated Retrieved from Facilities Management Division Asset Record System, File MG-4-T. Before the development of the railroad system in Saskatchewan and the agrarian settlement of the province, an extensive system of overland trails connected various aboriginal communities and fur trading posts. A trail from Moose Woods to Batoche crossed the current site of the University of Saskatchewan, where it joined the South Saskatchewan River on its way north. In the 1800 s, this was a busy route travelled by Metis, Sioux and Dakota people to Batoche and to the Cree settlements near Duck Lake. The trail followed the route of what are now Broadway Avenue and University Drive. The Memorial Gates were later built at the location where this trail crossed onto the site of the university (Figure 15). Figure 15. Map of Trails Around Saskatoon as xisting in the Mid-1890 s. (Image: Saskatoon History, No. 1, John Duerkop and Michael Bourassa). In its current configuration, the gates are very much diminished from their former status as the university s formal gateway. Over time, the development of the Royal University Hospital has disconnected it from the university campus. The road networks of the hospital and the university are now separate, such that the gates no longer form an entrance to the university campus. Also, with the re-orientation of roadways to circumvent the Memorial Gates, neither pedestrian nor vehicular traffic is really served by them any longer. In the late 1980s various plans were considered to help ease the flow of traffic through the area, including moving the memorial Gates to another area of campus. The design finally adopted left the gates in their original location as a pedestrian entranceway, with traffic re-routed to the west. University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register 7-384

The location of the Memorial Gates is a character-defining element, due to their original function as the main entrance to the university, due to their relationship to the 1909 Campus Plan and due to

4 Systems As a structure, the Memorial Gates are constructed as a low stone wall, with stone piers supporting the bronze gates and a stone arch on either side.

7 The location of the Memorial Gates is a character-defining element, due to their original function as the main entrance to the university, due to their relationship to the 1909 Campus Plan and due to their position relative to the historical Moose Woods to Batoche trail. 2.4 Systems As a structure, the Memorial Gates are constructed as a low stone wall, with stone piers supporting the bronze gates and a stone arch on either side. The stone structures sit on shallow cast-in-place concrete foundations and footings. Over time, differential settlement of the concrete footings caused damage to the material integrity of the structure; however, this damage was substantially repaired in Figure 16. The Gates being used as memorial at their unveiling, May 3, Photo A-532, retrieved from sk.ca/gallery/uofs_buildings/ 2.5 Use(s) The Memorial Gates serve the commemorative purpose of remembering students and faculty members who gave their lives during the First World War. Remembrance Day services are still held at the Memorial Gates on November 11 of each year. As described in Section 2.3, Location & Spatial Configuration, the Memorial Gates were originally used as a ceremonial entrance to the university intended for use by vehicles and pedestrians. Changes to the road networks serving the hospital and the university have altered both the physical and symbolic relationship between the Memorial Gates and the university. 2.6 Cultural & Chronological Associations The Memorial Gates are most directly associated with the First World War and with the university s role in that conflict. The impact of the First World War on the university was significant. In all, three hundred and forty five students, faculty, staff and alumni served during the war, a number roughly equal to the entire first-year class of In , the ngineering Department was temporarily closed, because all of its students and faculty had enlisted. Of the soldiers who served, sixty-nine were killed, and the Memorial Gates were built in their memory. Figure 16 is a photograph of the inscribed names of the lost soldiers. An inscription on the Gates read: These are they who went forth from this University to the Great War and who gave their lives that we might live in freedom. The battles in which university men took part are listed on panels on either side of the cenotaph: Ypres, Somme, Vimy, Paschendale, Dury, Amiens, Cambrai (Figures 18 & 19). Figure 17. The gates being used by students in the 1940 s. Photo A-536, retrieved from uofs_buildings/ Memorial Gates 7-385

Figure 18. The cenotaph, listing the fallen soldiers. Figure 19. Inscription on the west side of the cenotaph. Originally, the cenotaph only had sixty seven names inscribed on it.

In 2013, the two missing names, George Israel Peters and Herbert rnest McRitchie, were added to the tablet (figure 20).

Cambridge Universities, and imported to North America in the designs of American universities such as Princeton and Yale.

A stone mason carving one of the forgetten names of the fallen soldiers onto the memorial tablet, 2013. Photo retrieved from http://news.usask.ca/wpcontent/uploads/2013/09/2013-09-13_ web.

8 Figure 18. The cenotaph, listing the fallen soldiers. Figure 19. Inscription on the west side of the cenotaph. Originally, the cenotaph only had sixty seven names inscribed on it. Research done by Professor meritus Michael Hayden in the early 2000 s revealed that two names had been missed during the original mason work. In 2013, the two missing names, George Israel Peters and Herbert rnest McRitchie, were added to the tablet (figure 20). The Collegiate Gothic style of the Memorial Gates derived from the mediaeval uropean precedents of the monastery and cloister, translated particularly through the college buildings of Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and imported to North America in the designs of American universities such as Princeton and Yale. The style declared the new university s link to an ancient academic and cultural tradition and the Memorial Gates made that declaration from the moment one entered the campus. Figure 20. A stone mason carving one of the forgetten names of the fallen soldiers onto the memorial tablet, Photo retrieved from web.pdf Frederick W.O. Haultain s ashes are buried near the gates. Haultain was the second Chancellor of the university from 1917 to 1939 and held that position when the Gates were erected. The proximity of the gravesite associates the Chancellor with the Gates. Figure 21 depicts Haultain s headstone. Figure 21. Gravesite of Sir Frederick Haultain. Photo A-8778, retrieved from ca/gallery/uofs_buildings/ University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register 7-386

3. Supporting Documents Author Unknown. (October 5, 1928). Gates of Glory. Winnipeg Free Press, pp.17. Retrieved from http:// archives.winnipegfreepress.com/ RegistrationLockdown.aspx?

9 3. Supporting Documents Author Unknown. (October 5, 1928). Gates of Glory. Winnipeg Free Press, pp.17. Retrieved from archives.winnipegfreepress.com/ RegistrationLockdown.aspx?ctl=search& returnurl=search.aspx. Duerkop, John & Lisa Dahlie Lough (1980). Along the Trails to Saskatoon. Saskatoon History, Saskatoon Heritage Society, Saskatoon. Issue No. 1, Facilities Management Division (2011). Asset Resource Database [Data File]. Retrieved from \\usask\fmddfs \files\iis\iis_public\ars Hayes, P. (September 23, 2005). Gates Were arly Campus ntrance. On Campus News 13 (3). Retrieved from news.usask.ca/archived_ocn/05-sep-23/column_ archives.shtml Lomheim, S. (2011). Gates of Glory, Saskatoon History Review, 24, Mysyk, W.K. & Kulyk, C.L. (2006). Saskatoon s Stone. Saskatoon: Houghton Boston Printers & Lithographers Ltd. University of Saskatchewan Archives. Buildings and Grounds Department 2015, 9, Memorial Gates. University of Saskatchewan Archives. President s Office Fonds, Series VI. I. Acad. And Admin. 8. VP SP. Pro. I DI and Dev. 8-3: Memorial Gates University of Saskatchewan Archives. President s Office Fonds, Series I. B. Name and Subject Files 71. Memorial Tablets and Gates ( ). Wallace, A. (2006). Memorial Gates, University of Saskatchewan Report on Physical Condition and Heritage Significance. Retrieved from Facilities Management Division, University of Saskatchewan. MacPherson, C. (September 13, 2013). Gates Repaired, Missing Names Finally Added. On Canpus News 21(2). Retrieved from uploads/2013/09/ _web.pdf Memorial Gates 7-387

4. Summary of Character - Defining lements Materials Form & Style Location & Spatial Configuration Uses Cultural & Chronological Associations greystone walls & piers cut and carved Indiana limestone

10 4. Summary of Character - Defining lements Materials Form & Style Location & Spatial Configuration Uses Cultural & Chronological Associations greystone walls & piers cut and carved Indiana limestone trim and ornamentation granite bollards and base bronze gates and hardware features that reflect the Collegiate Gothic style of architecture verticality of stone piers pointed archways symmetrical massing Gothic stone tracery Gothic motifs: pointed arches, keyhole arches central cenotaph & plaques low wing walls piers statuary niche references reliefs of local flora quoining in stonework location at original entrance to the University, location in relation to 1909 Campus Plan position on axis with University Drive pedestrian and vehicular gateways low wing walls central cenotaph Remembrance Day services wreath laying entrance to university features that relate to its function as a memorial to the university s war dead, such as the raised cenotaph with inscriptions and list of fallen soldiers gravesite of Frederick W.O. Haultain symbolic entrance to the university University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register 7-388

The Bowl University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register November 2014

The Bowl University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register November 2014 The Bowl Alternate Names Sunken Gardens Convo Lawns Architect(s) David R. Brown and Hugh Vallance, Brown and Vallance Architects, Montreal