08. The Regency

I have put off working on the Regency style because, frankly, I am puzzled. There appears to be 2 or 3 stages to this house that I don't fully understand.

1.

In Canada's early years some emigrants arrived who had money or started companies that quickly blossomed and grew. Not for them were the 'average' homes of the time. They wanted a house that could be used for meetings, but more importantly, they wanted one that reflected their wealth and power. While these structures each appeared unique, a number of these homes began as 'Regency' structures. Later they would be called 'Picturesque', a topic I'll cover at site # 70.

8a. Regency/Picturesque (L'Orignal) 1833. This house is identical at both the front and back. The front, where most of the travel took place, was the Ottawa River. The back, shown here, faced in the direction of he road that connected Montreal and the little lumber town of Ottawa.

2.

The term 'Regency' is supposedly named after the Prince Regent of England. This gentleman did considerable travel in the tropics and attempted to bring back to Britain some of the architectural styles that he had seen.

Many of Canada's earliest settlers had been British soldiers who had served in the hot climates. They wanted architecture that allowed the wind to blow through and cool the house in the summer. They opted for the small Regency.

The style was also used by manufacturing companies who wanted small urban homes for some of their workers. (That's why a great number are found in places like Guelph, Brantford and Stratford.)

8b. Regency (Woodstock)

8c. Regency (Guelph)

8d. Regency (Preston, Cambridge)

8e. Regency (Galt, Cambridge)

8f. Regency (n. of Simcoe)

8g. Regency (Elora)

What to look for (clues)

- A very balanced (symmetrical ) home.

- Normally a single storey (but this was sometimes altered over time).

- Very large windows or French doors at the front. Matching sets of windows or doors exist at the back to let the air blow through.

- Attractive shutters have frequently been added to enhance the windows.

- Later versions sometimes added a gable over the front door that somewhat resembles the gables on the Loyalist Cottage.

- There is normally a shallow hipped roof that tilts 4 directions and creates a small level spot at the top.

- Over time larger Regencies were developed using the same style.

Where to find it

- Industrial towns in South West Ontario.

3.

Altered Houses

The Regency House , through time, was sometimes altered into an entirely different style. Here are two examples to show you what I mean. Both buildings began life as Regencies!

8h former Regency (Guelph) 'Wyoming'

8i. 'Classical Revival now' (Paris) 'Hamilton Place'

8h. in 1860 began life as a one-storey Regency cottage. In 1881 it was remodeled into the stately Second Empire structure that you see here and renamed 'Wyoming'. If you look closely you can still see the large Regency windows on the first floor.

8i. was, I believe, a Regency Villa when constructed in 1844. The exterior was covered with cobblestones brought up from the nearby Nith River. ( A gentleman from Albany brought this unusual finish to the area. Paris has 14 cobblestone buildings.) The house gained a wraparound veranda and square Doric pillars to change it into a Classical Revival. (Note the belvedere on the roof.) The structure gained the name, Hamilton House'.