Van Horne Mansion

Last updated
Van Horne Mansion
French: Maison Van Horne
Sir William C. Van Horne house, Sherbrooke St. at Stanley St., Montreal, QC, about 1890.jpg
The Van Horne Mansion, c. 1890
Van Horne Mansion
General information
TypePrivate house
Architectural style Italianate
Location Golden Square Mile
AddressSherbrooke Street, Montreal, Quebec
Construction started1868
Completed1869
Demolished1973
ClientJohn Hamilton
Landlord John Hamilton
Sir William Van Horne
Technical details
Floor count3
Design and construction
Architect(s)John William Hopkins and Daniel Berkley Wily

The Van Horne Mansion (French : Maison Van Horne) was a classic greystone house on Sherbrooke Street at the corner of Stanley Street in Montreal's Golden Square Mile. It was built in 1869 for John Hamilton, President of the Merchant's Bank of Montreal, Quebec. [1]

Contents

In 1889, Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, President of the Canadian Pacific Railway, purchased the property and it remained in his family until it was controversially demolished in 1973. Despite the public outcry over its proposed destruction, Mayor Jean Drapeau declared that it could not be preserved for cultural reasons as it was not part of Quebec's culture, its history being Anglo Canadian, not French Canadian. With Drapeau's support, it was bulldozed in the middle of the night by developer David Azrieli, who replaced it with a concrete tower block. The Sofitel Hotel today stands at the spot once occupied by the Van Horne mansion. [2]

History

Van Horne House, c. 1900 Van Horne House, Montreal.jpg
Van Horne House, c. 1900

Van Horne hired Bruce Price's architectural firm, who had done much of the work for the Canadian Pacific Railway, to enlarge the old Hamilton's Italianate house to fifty-two rooms. Hamilton had hired architect John William Hopkins (also with Daniel Berkley Wily) and was completed in 1869. [3]

It was Edward Colonna (died 1948), an architect who had previously worked for Louis Comfort Tiffany before being hired by Price, who carried out the alterations to the Van Horne house. Colonna redid the entire ground floor and possibly much of the first floor, creating a spacious area with well-proportioned rooms and plenty of wall-space for Van Horne's art collection. The interior of Van Horne's house, from its fireplaces, ceilings and gold leaf walls, was the first example of Art Nouveau in Canada. [4] Van Horne claimed to like homes "big and bulky like myself", [5] but he had one of the best private art and pottery collections in North America and wanted a house he could share with it. The building was damaged by a fire on Monday, April 3, 1933, which led to the loss of part of Van Horne's private art collection.

Van Horne Art Collection

As a child, Van Horne collected fossils. He was also an excellent violinist and artist in his own right. When he was older, Van Horne was not just a serious collector, he had a passion for art: "A picture that you feel you do not really want is always an incubus and a source of dissatisfaction". [4]

He started collecting on his business trips around the world in the 1880s. By 1892, he had confidence enough in his knowledge to catalogue his most prized possessions, now found in the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. He not only built up the most important collection in Canada, but added to it a comprehensive library on art history. He was meticulous in not just his choice of paintings, but also in his studies into the lives of the artists too. His collection featured the works of Velázquez, Hals, Rembrandt, Hogarth, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Constable and Turner. [6] He also collected many modern works, and in his catalogue of 1892, all but two of the forty nine works listed were from the 19th century. [4] In 1926 Caroline Pierson, the granddaughter of Allard Pierson, visited his daughter Adeline van Horne, and after viewing the collection, she wrote a letter describing what she saw, mentioning 4 Rembrandts, 4 Frans Hals, and a Bol and a Fabricius in the "red room". [7] In April 1933 a fire damaged some of the paintings, but the same year Frits Lugt paid a visit to an exhibition of the collection and made notes about several of the same paintings, indicating they were not all lost. [7] In 1972 Ernst van de Wetering and Professor Levie, as representatives of the Rembrandt Research Project, paid a visit to Margaret (Hannon) Van Horne, widow of grandson Billy van Horne, to inspect the 4 Rembrandts. [7] One was stolen before they could inspect it, and of the remaining three, they only authenticated "The Young Rabbi". [7]

The treasures in the Van Horne mansion also included one of the best collections in North America of ancient Japanese porcelain and pottery. Typically, Van Horne became an expert on the art of firing and judging the overall finish of a specimen. His knowledge and collection earned him an invitation to visit Japan as the personal guest of Meiji, Emperor of Japan. [8]

Demolition

Sofitel Montreal Golden Mile Sofitel Montreal Golden Mile 01.JPG
Sofitel Montreal Golden Mile

The building was controversially torn down by developer David Azrieli in 1973 under the mayoralty of Jean Drapeau, who declared that it was impossible to preserve it for cultural reasons because it was not part of Quebec's culture - Hamilton and Van Horne being Anglophone Quebecers (Hamilton was from Ontario and Van Horne was American).[ citation needed ] It was replaced by a sixteen-storey concrete tower. The mansion's destruction sparked the creation of the heritage preservation group Save Montreal. [9] Journalist William Weintraub includes the house and its demolition in his 1993 documentary, The Rise and Fall of English Montreal , identifying the significance of the building to the local Anglo community's heritage.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Drapeau</span> Quebec politician and mayor of Montreal (1916-1999)

Jean Drapeau was a Canadian politician who served as mayor of Montreal for 2 non-consecutive terms from 1954 to 1957 and from 1960 to 1986. Major accomplishments of the Drapeau Administration include the development of the Montreal Metro entirely underground mass transit subway system running on 'whisper quiet' rubber wheels, a successful international exposition Expo 67 as well as the construction of a major performing arts centre, the Place des Arts. Drapeau also secured the hosting of the 1976 Summer Olympics and was instrumental in building the Olympic Stadium and then world's tallest inclined tower. Drapeau was responsible for securing a Major League Baseball franchise, with the creation of the Montreal Expos in 1969. Drapeau's main legacy is Montreal's attainment of global status under his administration. He was the longest serving mayor of Montreal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Cornelius Van Horne</span> American-Canadian businessman and art collector (1843–1915)

Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, was an American businessman, industrialist and railroad magnate who spent most of his career in Canada. He is famous for overseeing the construction of the first Canadian transcontinental railway, a project that was completed in 1885, in under half the projected time. He succeeded Lord Mount Stephen as president of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in 1888. Van Horne was responsible for launching the sea transport division of the CPR, which inaugurated regular service between Vancouver and Hong Kong in 1891. He also presided over the expansion of the CPR into the luxury hotel business in the 1890s. Van Horne was also a prominent member of the syndicate that created the Cuba Railroad Company in 1900. He lived at the Van Horne Mansion in Montreal's Golden Square Mile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phyllis Lambert</span> Canadian philanthropist, member of the Bronfman family (born 1927)

Phyllis Barbara Lambert is a Canadian architect, philanthropist, and member of the Bronfman family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McCord Stewart Museum</span> Museum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

The McCord Stewart Museum, formerly known as the McCord Museum of Canadian History, is a public research and teaching museum. The Museum’s Archives, Documentary Art, Dress, Fashion and Textiles, Indigenous Cultures, Material Culture and Photography collections, containing 2.5 million images, objects, documents and works of art, position it as the custodian of a remarkable historical heritage. It is located directly across the street from McGill University, in the downtown core of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Square Mile</span> Neighbourhood in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

The Golden Square Mile, also known as the Square Mile, is the nostalgic name given to an urban neighbourhood developed principally between 1850 and 1930 at the foot of Mount Royal, in the west-central section of downtown Montreal in Quebec, Canada. The name 'Square Mile' has been used to refer to the area since the 1930s; prior to that, the neighbourhood was known as 'New Town' or 'Uptown'. The addition of 'Golden' was coined by Montreal journalist Charlie Lazarus, and the name has connections to contemporary real estate developments, as the historical delimitations of the Golden Square Mile overlap with Montreal's contemporary central business district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Azrieli</span> Israeli-Canadian entrepreneur (1922–2014)

David Joshua Azrieli was an Israeli-Canadian tycoon, real estate developer, architect, and philanthropist. With an estimated net worth of US$3.1 billion in March 2013, he was ranked by Forbes as the ninth-wealthiest Canadian and the 401st wealthiest person overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenwood House</span> Country house in Hampstead, London

Kenwood House is a stately home in Hampstead, London, on the northern boundary of Hampstead Heath. The present house, built in the late 17th century, was remodelled in the 18th century for William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield by Scottish architect Robert Adam, serving as a residence for the Earls of Mansfield until the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montreal Museum of Fine Arts</span> Art museum in Montreal, Quebec

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is an art museum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the largest art museum in Canada by gallery space. The museum is located on the historic Golden Square Mile stretch of Sherbrooke Street west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John A. Hammond</span> Canadian artist

John Hammond, was a Canadian adventurer, photographer, artist, printmaker and art educator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Alexander Drummond</span> Scottish-Canadian businessman and politician

Sir George Alexander Drummond, was a Scottish-Canadian businessman and senator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Arrell Browne Widener</span> American businessman (1834–1915)

Peter Arrell Browne Widener was an American businessman, art collector, and patriarch of the Widener family of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sherbrooke Street</span> Street in Montreal, Canada

Sherbrooke Street is a major east–west artery and at 31.3 kilometres (19.4 mi) in length, is the second longest street on the Island of Montreal, Canada. The street begins in the town of Montreal West and ends on the extreme tip of the island in Pointe-aux-Trembles, intersecting Gouin Boulevard and joining up with Notre-Dame Street. East of Cavendish Boulevard this road is part of Quebec Route 138.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Porter Wood</span> Canadian businessman and philanthropist (1882 - 1955)

Frank Porter Wood was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He is best remembered for his many gifts and bequests of artworks to the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Fish (architect)</span> Canadian architect and urban conservationist

Michael James S. Fish is a Canadian architect and urban conservationist, best known for his attempts to preserve heritage buildings in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Heritage Montreal is a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the architectural, historic, natural, and cultural heritage of Greater Montreal. Architect Phyllis Lambert founded Heritage Montreal in 1975. It was preceded by Save Montreal, a volunteer group co-founded by Michael Fish after the controversial demolition of the Van Horne Mansion by developer David Azrieli in 1973. Heritage Montreal played a key role in efforts to halt demolition and redevelopment in the McGill Ghetto, also known as Milton Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Ross (Canadian businessman)</span> Scottish-born Canadian civil engineer, businessman and philanthropist

James Leveson Ross, of Montreal, was a Scottish-born Canadian civil engineer, businessman and philanthropist. He established his fortune predominantly through railway construction, notably for the Canadian Pacific Railway, of which he was the major shareholder, and advising Lord Strathcona on railway projects in Argentina and Chile. He oversaw the electrification of street railways in Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Saint John, Birmingham (England), Mexico City and São Paulo. He was president of the Dominion Bridge Company, the Mexican Power Company etc. He was Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of the 17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars and Governor of McGill University and the Royal Victoria Hospital. He was an avid collector of the Old Masters and president of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. He owned several yachts including two named Glencairn and became the first Canadian to be made a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron. He funded the construction of the Ross Memorial Wing at the Royal Vic; the Ross Memorial Hospital and Nurse's Home at Lindsay, Ontario; and the Protestant Hospital for the Insane at Verdun, Quebec. He lived in the Golden Square Mile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maison Alcan</span> Building complex in Montreal, Canada

Maison Alcan is a building complex located on Sherbrooke Street in the Golden Square Mile district of Montreal, Canada. The complex was used to house the world headquarters for Alcan, now part of Rio Tinto Alcan, until 2015. Completed in 1983, the complex's integration of new construction with restored or renovated buildings marked a turning point in corporate Montreal's approach to development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Meredith House</span> Historic mansion in Montreal, Quebec

Lady Meredith House, also known as the H. Vincent Meredith Residence, is a historic mansion located at 1110 Pine Avenue West on the corner of Peel Street, in what is today known as the Golden Square Mile of Montreal, Quebec. It was originally named Ardvarna and is now owned by McGill University. The building was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada on November 16, 1990. The house is situated at an altitude of 129 m.

Jean Dumontier was a Canadian-Quebecois architect and artist. He is best known for having designed the Montreal Metro stations Jean-Drapeau and Longueuil-Université-de-Sherbrooke. He was also the first architect of the subway to have himself created the works of art for the stations of his own design, those being the four concrete walls of the dock of the station Jean-Drapeau.

References

  1. Van Horne Mansion at IMTL.org
  2. John David Gravenor (2008-04-03). "Rubens, Rembrandt, Velasquez — Up in flames on Sherbrooke Street". Coolopolis. Retrieved 2008-04-05.
  3. "Hopkins, John William | Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada".
  4. 1 2 3 From Telegrapher to Titan: The Life of William C. Van Horne - Valerie Knowles (2004)
  5. The Square Mile (1987), by Donald MacKay
  6. See Finding aid for Van Horne Family "Fonds CA OTAG SC065" on Art Gallery of Ontario website
  7. 1 2 3 4 De Van Horne collectie: Montreal 1926, 1933 en 1972 by Mary Eggermont-Molenaar
  8. Canada's Entrepreneurs: From The Fur Trade to the 1929 Stock Market Crash - Andrew Ross & Andrew Smith (2012)
  9. Germain, Annick; Damaris Rose (August 2000). "A Metropolis in Transition; Montreal's Built Form — French Heritage, Victorian Legacy and Modernist Ambitions" (PDF). Montreal, The Quest for a Metropolis. Wiley. p. 88. ISBN   978-0-471-94907-7.[ permanent dead link ]

45°30′04″N73°34′38″W / 45.5011°N 73.5772°W / 45.5011; -73.5772