55: 540 Lakeshore Rd. West, Appleby College

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1 1. Description of Property Municipal Address Name (if applicable) Legal Description Location of Property Ownership Access Current Use Existing Designation General Description Priority Level 55: 540 Lakeshore Rd. West, Appleby College 540 Lakeshore Rd. West Appleby College PT LT 19 & 20, CON 4 TRAF SDS AS IN TW12702, TW21288, TW23166, TW28644, TW30882 & S&E PTS 1,2 & 3, 20R S/T TW21288; LTS 19 & 20, CON 4 TRAF SDS AS IN TW30882, T/W TW TOWN OF OAKVILLE The property is located on the south side of Lakeshore Rd. West and extends south to Lake Ontario. It is bounded by Fourth Line to the west and Dorval Drive to the east. Private Access was granted by Appleby College. Site inspection completed August 27 th, 2015 (AB, CU, ES) Accompanied by Jewel Kennedy and Innes van Nostrand, Appleby College Staff. Educational. Private Boarding School Listed on the Register of Properties of Cultural Heritage Value of Interest (NOT Designated). Description: Appleby College: This property has potential cultural heritage value as a cultural heritage landscape associated with a historic institution. It includes: Appleby Alumni House (c. 1923), Colley House (c. 1911), Appleby Memorial Chapel (c. 1919), Powell s House (c. 1919), Appleby Headmaster s House (c. 1911); Old Barn (c. 1913). Appleby College is an independent day and boarding school founded in 1911 by Sir Edmund Walker and his son-in-law John Guest. The large property is arranged with buildings at the core and sports fields around the perimeter. There are about 20 buildings used for administration, teaching, staff housing and student residences. These are linked by roads and paved walking paths and surrounded by five large sports fields and amenities such as tennis courts. The oldest buildings on the site are: Appleby School House ( Colley House, built 1911), Principal s Residence ( Appleby Headmaster s House, built 1913), the Barn (built 1914), the John Bell Chapel (built ), and Alumni House ( E.V. Brown House, built c and altered 1989). Newer buildings and facilities (built between 1961 and 2007) have been integrated into the site. Low Figure 1: Appleby College (Colley House). (CU, 2015) 55-1

2 Barn Tennis Courts Original Gate Chapel Maple Row Principal's House Lake Ontario Suffolk Ave. Lakeshore Rd. W. Suffolk Ave. Lakeshore Rd. W. Barn Tennis Courts Original Gate Chapel Corporation of the Town of Oakville 1225 Trafalgar Rd Oakville, ON L6H 0H3 Appleby College Cultural Heritage Landscape Inventory Map LEGEND Assessment Boundary Maple Row Building CHL Study Area Heritage District Principal's House Heritage Trail Parkland Lake Ontario Park Trail Road Site Structures Watercourse Woodlot Cemetery Drawing not to scale

3 2. Key Recommendations Priority = Low Rationale for priority level: Current cultural heritage resources are being used and maintained; however, Potential vulnerabilities for future development. Recommendations for future action: Correct errors in the listing on the municipal heritage register, and expand it to include aspects of the cultural heritage landscape of the campus; Refer to the property in municipal planning documents such as the Official Plan and secondary plans; and Protect natural features through by-laws governing conservation of natural resources. 3. Documentation and Inventory of Built Form List of Built Features: 1. Colley House ( Appleby School House built 1911), a large, four-storey, red-brick building with decorative brick work. A modest, one-storey, brick addition has been added at the northwest corner to create an entrance and staircase. Principal's Residence ( Appleby Headmaster s House, built 1913 and renovated 1987), a two-storey house with a hip roof, overhanging eaves and several chimneys, clad in lake stone and shingles. 2. Barn (built 1914) with a gambrel roof, two lanterns, wood siding and a stone foundation. It replaced an earlier barn lost in a fire. 3. A wooden outbuilding in the southeast corner of campus, believed to have been built c.1920 by a previous owner, Judge Snider. 4. John Bell Chapel (built , enlarged 1968), a one-and-a-half-storey, Gothic-Revival-style chapel, made with stone from Lake Ontario, and stained-glass windows dating from 1928 to A large stone structure at the southeast corner contains the bell. The west elevation was enlarged in 1968 and the three original gables were increased to five Alumni House ( E.V. Brown House, Kucey Family Admission Office, built c.1929, altered 1989), a one-and-a-halfstorey building with a steeply sloped, gable roof, stucco exterior and wooden window units. It was converted to administrative space in 1989.Memorial Classroom Building (built 1949), a large, two-storey brick building, with projecting front entrance, flat roof, and large window openings. 6. Walker House (built c. 1961, enlarged 1976), a two-storey, red-brick, student residence. 7. A sports complex, renovated in 2006 and comprising the J.S. Gairdner Arena (built 1969), a swimming pool (1970), and a Library and Science wing addition (built 1972). 8. Two faculty houses (built c. 1970), of similar design in the southeast part of the property. 9. Nicolas Art Centre (built 1985), a two-and-a-half-storey building with stucco-and-brick exterior. 1 ERA,

4 10. Baillie House (built 1993), a large, two-storey building with hipped roof, dormers and gables. 11. Faculty housing (built in 1996), three, two-and-a-half-storey duplexes with gable roofs and wood-shingle siding, in the northeast part of the campus. 12. Powell s House (built 1997 to replace a 1918 building of the same name and location), a two-and-a-half-storey building with stucco-and-brick exterior. 13. John Guest Student Commons (built 2007), a large building with red-brick, stone and glass exterior. It replaced the original John Guest Hall and is the largest building on campus, integrating several previous buildings including the Gymnasium, built c.1956). 14. Memorial Hal (built in 1949, entrance built in 1956), a two- storey brick building with flat roof, the central block at the core and a large entrance added with four brick pillars. 15. Raymond Massey Learning Centre, a two-storey building with a crescent-shaped footprint and a brick-and-vinyl exterior, that connects the Nicolas Art Centre, Memorial Hall, and John Guest Student Commons. 16. Additional Built Features located throughout property, including: Original stone gates on the south side of Lakeshore Rd. W.; Artwork and sculptures; New stone entranceway with wooden gazebo (built 2002); Benches, tables, chairs and sitting areas throughout the property; Tennis courts; Full size artificial turf; Five sports fields with goal posts and sports equipment; A wooden footbridge spanning a creek in the southwest part of campus; A 75th anniversary totem pole in the "art garden"; and An Inukshuk monument directed by a First Nations artist, with stones from around the world. 4. Documentation and Inventory of Natural Form List of Natural Features: Layers of old and new plantings, including Silver Maple, Pine, Spruce, Black Locust, Linden, Oak; An early-20 th century line of trees along the old entrance road (originally the east property line) and at the old entrance gates; Mature trees in the southeast part of campus (a forest is evident on 1930s aerial photo); A mature treeline above the playing field seating area (post-1930 as it is not in 1930's photos); A Spruce row between Alumni House and the Nicolas Art Centre; Mature specimen trees throughout the property; An arboretum project begun in the 1990's; Recent deliberate planting of Carolinian species in a forested area (early photos show bare land); Aggressive Ash removal along the water s edge; Forest trails and dugouts built during the First World War on the west part of the property; A floodplain on the west side of property; A creek rerouted by the founding headmaster and teachers to allow a larger playing field; A maintained mulch path on the west bank of the creek valley; Soccer fields along the creek, dating to 1911; Audience seating on the hill, in its original location; 55-4

5 A gathering space beside the chapel, once used as a marching ground for cadet corps, was regraded and rebuilt in ; A recent rock garden behind the Principal's House (early photos show a terrace and veggie garden); and Colourful annual flower plantings throughout. 5. Design (Typology) X all that apply X X X Categories of Cultural Heritage Landscape Designed Landscape Organically Evolved Landscape Relict Landscape (Evolved Landscape) Continuing Landscape (Evolved Landscape) Associative Cultural Landscape Description clearly defined landscape designed and created intentionally by man. results from an initial social, economic, administrative, and/or religious imperative and has developed in its present form in response to its natural environment in which an evolutionary process came to an end at some time in the past. retains an active social role in contemporary society closely associated with the traditional way of life, and which the evolutionary process is still in progress. justifiable by virtue of the powerful religious, artistic, or cultural associations of the natural element rather than material cultural evidence, which may be insignificant or even absent. 6. Historical and Thematic Associations The property was patented to the McCraney family in 1839 and it was farmed for 70 years. The 1877 Map of Trafalgar shows Mrs. R. McCraney and George K. McCraney on Lot 20, Concession IV (Broken Front), south of Lakeshore Road. The McCraney family home survives at 549 Lakeshore Rd. W. on the opposite side of the road. Appleby School was founded in 1911 by Sir Edmund Walker and his son-in-law, John Guest. The school was built on lakefront farm land, selected for its natural landscape features. A creek was relocated to create the lower playing field and a stone wall was built along Lakeshore Road West with stones from the campus. A 1912 map shows orchards along the northern part of the property. 2 The oldest building on campus is Colley House, built in 1911, which originally served as the residence, classrooms and refectory. First known simply as the School House, it was renamed Colley house in 1949 after long-time Headmaster and teacher, Thomas B. Colley. Today it is used as a boy's residence. 3 The John Bell Chapel was built on the site of the McCraney barn, which was lost in a fire the chapel took nine years to build and stained glass windows continued to be added until An upturn in the number of students enrolled in the 1940s and 1950s led to the acquisition of additional land and the construction of new buildings in the 1960s and 1970s, coincident with the suburban growth of the Town of Oakville. 5 2 ERA, Plaque found on site. 4 ERA, ERA,

6 Appleby was a boys school for the first 80 years, but became co-ed in the 1990s. New housing and teaching space were built to serve the additional enrollment of girls. Some of the new construction expanded and connected existing buildings with breezeways and corridors. Earlier administrations focused on developing the landscape to create gathering place for students and families. Currently, the focus is on incorporating native perennials. Sir Byron Edmund Walker ( ) Sir Byron Edmund Walker was a banker, philanthropist and patron of the arts. He worked his way up in the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, serving as President from 1907 to He supported higher education and fine arts, acting as a Toronto Board of Education trustee and serving as trustee, senator, governor, chairman of the board of governors and chancellor of the University of Toronto between 1891 and He was responsible for the creation of the Art Museum of Toronto (now the Art Gallery of Ontario) in 1900 and the Royal Ontario Museum in He co-founded the Champlain Society in 1905 and was a key figure in the development of the National Gallery of Canada. He frequently provided advice to Liberal governments on banking, commemorations and the arts, and was knighted in 1910 for his many services to Canada. 6 He provided financial support and encouragement to his son-in-law John Guest in setting up Appleby College in John Sherratt Hill Guest ( ) John Sherratt Hill Guest was a teacher at Upper Canada College in Toronto and headmaster of its Preparatory School. Supported by his father-in-law, he organized and founded Appleby College, personally overseeing all aspects of construction of Colley House and other early buildings. He served as headmaster for 23 years, growing the college from one building to nine, and from 29 students to 90 students. 7. Contextual Associations The school is surrounded by residential subdivisions that postdate it, on the north, east and west sides. Lake Ontario is located directly south. The wooded area, lower fields and flood plains to the west have remained virtually unchanged since the creek was moved during the early years. 8. Evaluation (O. Reg 9/06) O.Reg.9/06 Criteria 1. The property has design value or physical value because it, i. is a rare, unique, representative or early example of a style, type, expression, material, or construction method, ii. displays a high degree of craftsmanship or artistic merit, or iii. demonstrates a high degree of technical or scientific achievement. Criteria Potentially Met (Y/N) Y N N Potential Justification Several of the earlier buildings may be considered rare or representative examples of a style, type or construction method, although later alterations have likely diminished their integrity as stylistic or typological examples. Not shown. Not shown. 6 Kimmel, David, Sir Byron Edmund Walker, in Dictionary of Canadian Biography at Accessed November

7 O.Reg.9/06 Criteria 2. The property has historical value or associative value because it, i. has direct associations with a theme, event, belief, person, activity, organization or institution that is significant to a community, Criteria Potentially Met (Y/N) Y Potential Justification The property is associated with the founding and operation of Appleby College, a wellknown and long standing educational institution in Oakville. The property is associated with first headmaster John Guest. The property is associated with Sir Edmund Walker, who was significant at a national level as well as within the Toronto area. ii. yields, or has the potential to yield, information that contributes to an understanding of a community or culture, or iii. demonstrates or reflects the work or ideas of an architect, artist, builder, designer or theorist who is significant to a community. 3. The property has contextual value because it, i. is important in defining, maintaining or supporting the character of an area, ii. is physically, functionally, visually or historically linked to its surroundings, or N N Y N Not known. Not known. The large property is a defining feature of along the south side of Lakeshore Rd. West. Not shown. iii. is a landmark. N The property is not a landmark. 55-7

8 9. Photographic Documentation Figure 3: North elevation of Colley House (at left) with new one-storey entrance (at right). (AB, 2015) Figure 4: North elevation (at left) and south elevation (at right) of Principal's Residence. (AB, 2015) 55-8

9 Figure 5: South elevation of barn, built (AB, 2015) Figure 6: South and east elevations of John Bell Chapel, built in and enlarged in (AB, 2015) 55-9

10 Figure 7: West elevation of Alumni House, built 1929 and altered (AB, 2015) Figure 8: Faculty housing in the northeast part of the property, built in (AB, 2015) 55-10

11 Figure 9: North elevation of Powell s House. (AB, 2015) Figure 10: Rear elevation of Memorial Hall where it meets Raymond Massey Learning Centre. (AB, 2015) 55-11

12 Figure 11: New pathways and seating with Memorial Hall in the background. (AB, 2015) Figure 12: Sports fields on the west side of the property. (CU, 2015) 55-12

13 Figure 13: Lower fields, with wooded area on the west side of the property. (AB, 2015) Figure 14: Tree lined creek and bridge separating the north and south fields. (CU, 2015) 55-13

14 Figure 15: Lake Ontario shoreline facing east with stone seating areas. (CU, 2015) Figure 16: Stone gate posts and metal fence along the south side of Lakeshore Rd. West. (AB, 2015) 55-14

15 10. Analysis & Recommendations Potential Heritage Value: The cultural heritage value or interest of the property lies primarily in its historical associations with Appleby College. It is an evolved cultural heritage landscape that reflects the changing needs and programs of the college over 100 years. It is unlikely that any of the buildings would be considered individually rare or representative examples of a style, type or construction method later alterations have diminished their integrity as stylistic or typological examples. The one exception might be the barn. Natural landscape elements such as trees, fields, the creek, gardens, etc. have been inserted into the landscape or moved within it in response to program needs. The property as a whole is also associated with founding headmaster John Guest, and with his father-in-law Sir Edmund Walker, who was a key figure in Canadian public life in the late-19 th and early- 20 th centuries. The property is a defining feature of this section of Lakeshore Road West but may not be considered to have achieved landmark status. Actions: The property is listed on the Municipal Heritage Register. Some of the information is no longer accurate and should be corrected (i.e. dates of construction, and replacement of Powell s House). The listing might also usefully refer to the cultural heritage landscape of the campus, including natural features, walkways, the arrangement of buildings, and historic features such as gates, walls and fences. The college has developed a Master Plan to manage use and development of the campus and has a robust interpretation program to mark significant features and interpret their history. The Town might want to support the college s management of its assets by referring to the property in municipal planning documents such as the Official Plan or secondary plans. Natural features such as the woodlot might be more appropriately protected through by-laws governing conservation of natural resources. A low priority level is recommended for the following reasons: Current cultural heritage resources are being used and maintained; however, Potential vulnerabilities for future development. 11. Sources ERA Architects Inc. Appleby College: A Century of Campus Evolution. April Report provided by Town of Oakville Staff. John Sherratt Hill in Appleby College: Fascinating Minds at Accessed November Kimmel, David, Sir Byron Edmund Walker, in Dictionary of Canadian Biography at Accessed November Personal communication with Appleby College Staff, Jewel Kennedy and Innes van Nostrand. August 27 th,