Established | 1862 |
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Location | 15372 Yonge Street, Aurora, ON. L4G 1N8 |
Coordinates | 44°00′10″N79°28′07″W / 44.002803°N 79.468628°W |
Public transit access | GO Transit |
Website | Hillary House |
Designated | 1973 |
Hillary House, the Koffler Museum of Medicine, is a house built in the Gothic Revival style, now in use as a museum. Built in 1862, Hillary House in Aurora, Ontario, [1] is recognized by the National Historic Sites and Monuments Board as one of the best examples of Gothic Revival architecture in Canada. The building contains a collection of medical instruments, books, papers, household furnishings, and equipment dating from the early nineteenth to the late twentieth century. It has been owned by the Aurora Historical Society since 1981 and is open to the public as Hillary House, the Koffler Museum of Medicine. [2]
Four doctors have lived in Hillary House with their families. They worked from home; operating their medical practice out of the dispensary and consulting room located in the front of the house. The doctors also spent a significant amount of time travelling to the homes of their patients via horse and buggy, serving Aurora and the surrounding area. Each doctor became an important part of the fabric of the community, and the Hillary family descendants would live in the home for over 100 years.
Nora Hillary, daughter of Robert Michael, would live in the home until 1993.
In the 18th century, a growing spirit of Romanticism and interest in the Medieval past led to a revival of Gothic styles in Britain. The style made its way to Canada in the early 19th century. As the style became accepted and popular, architects became more willing to experiment and modify its conventions. [4] Gothic Revival spread throughout the country, appearing on buildings of all types, from civic buildings to churches to rural homes such as Hillary House and ultimately becoming part of Canadian Nationalism. Hillary House, completed in 1862, has many elements of the Gothic Revival style which was widely used in Canada at the time. These elements include a highly vertical emphasis on the structure; ornate decorations on the gables and bargeboards; the incorporation of classic Gothic trefoil forms; and lancet windows and door frames. These features are found on the exterior of the home and throughout the interior; appearing on staircases, wainscoting and more. The building’s architecture was the cause for its designation as a National Historic Site in 1971.
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Aurora is a town in central York Region in the Greater Toronto Area, within the Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario, Canada. It is located north of the City of Richmond Hill and is partially situated on the Oak Ridges Moraine. In the Canada 2021 Census, the municipal population of Aurora was the 92nd largest in Canada, compared to 95th for the 2016 Census and 97th for the 2006 Census. Aurora is twinned with Leksand, Sweden.
Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly serious and learned admirers of the neo-Gothic styles sought to revive medieval Gothic architecture, intending to complement or even supersede the neoclassical styles prevalent at the time. Gothic Revival draws upon features of medieval examples, including decorative patterns, finials, lancet windows, and hood moulds. By the middle of the 19th century, Gothic had become the preeminent architectural style in the Western world, only to fall out of fashion in the 1880s and early 1890s.
Victorian architecture is a series of architectural revival styles in the mid-to-late 19th century. Victorian refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), called the Victorian era, during which period the styles known as Victorian were used in construction. However, many elements of what is typically termed "Victorian" architecture did not become popular until later in Victoria's reign, roughly from 1850 and later. The styles often included interpretations and eclectic revivals of historic styles (see Historicism). The name represents the British and French custom of naming architectural styles for a reigning monarch. Within this naming and classification scheme, it followed Georgian architecture and later Regency architecture, and was succeeded by Edwardian architecture.
Alexander Jackson Davis, or A. J. Davis, was an American architect, known particularly for his association with the Gothic Revival style.
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Gothic Revival architecture in Canada is an historically influential style, with many prominent examples. The Gothic Revival was imported to Canada from Britain and the United States in the early 19th century, and rose to become the most popular style for major projects throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
William Turner was an English painter who specialised in watercolour landscapes. He is often known as William Turner of Oxford or just Turner of Oxford to distinguish him from his contemporary, J. M. W. Turner. Many of Turner's paintings depicted the countryside around Oxford. One of his best known pictures is a view of the city of Oxford from Hinksey Hill.
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The William G. LeDuc House, also known as the LeDuc Historic Estate, located at 1629 Vermillion Street in Hastings, Minnesota, United States, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built over several years, and completed in 1865, by William Gates LeDuc who came to Minnesota in 1850 from Ohio. He was an attorney who represented a party to a suit involving Vermillion Falls, 1,500 feet (457 m) southeast of the homesite. As payment for his services, Le Duc received the land where he built his house. LeDuc was a Civil War veteran and U.S. Commissioner of Agriculture under President Hayes (1877–1881).
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The Erland Lee Museum is a National Historic Site of Canada located on the ridge of the Niagara Escarpment in Stoney Creek, Hamilton, Ontario. Originally a farmhouse belonging to Erland and Janet Lee, the museum is recognized as the birthplace of the first Women's Institute, an international organization formed in 1897 to promote the education of isolated rural women.
James Keys Wilson was a prominent architect in Cincinnati, Ohio. He studied with Charles A. Mountain in Philadelphia and then Martin E. Thompson and James Renwick in New York, interning at Renwick's firm. Wilson worked with William Walter at the Walter and Wilson firm, before establishing his own practice in Cincinnati. He became the most noted architect in the city. His Old Main Building for Bethany College and Plum Street Temple buildings are National Historic Landmarks. His work includes many Gothic Revival architecture buildings, while the synagogue is considered Moorish Revival and Byzantine Architecture.
The East River Road Historic District is a historic district located along East River Road near the Grosse Ile Parkway in Grosse Ile, Michigan. The district includes eleven structures, including seven houses, two outbuildings, St. James Episcopal Church, and the Michigan Central Railroad depot. The district stretches from St. James Episcopal Church on the south to Littlecote on the north. The district was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1972 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The historically significant 1870s customs house was moved into the district in 1979.
The George M. Brown House is a historic residence in Provo, Utah, United States, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built as a home for a "polygamous wife" of lawyer George M. Brown. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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The Propylaeum, also known as the John W. Schmidt House or as the Schmidt-Schaf House, is a historic home and carriage house located at 1410 North Delaware Street in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. The Propylaeum was named after the Greek word "propýlaion," meaning "gateway to higher culture." The property became the headquarters for the Indianapolis Woman's Club in 1923, as well as the host for several other social and cultural organizations. It was initially built in 1890-1891 as a private residence for John William Schmidt, president of the Indianapolis Brewing Company, and his family. Joseph C. Schaf, president of the American Brewing Company of Indianapolis, and his family were subsequent owners of the home.
The Ermatinger Clergue National Historic Site is a historic site and museum located in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.