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Roselawn National Historic Site of Canada

421 Union Street West, Kingston, Ontario, K7L, Canada

Formally Recognized: 1969/10/23

General view of Roselawn, 1993.; Parks Canada/Parcs Canada, 1993.
General view
General view of Roselawn, 1993.; Parks Canada/Parcs Canada, 1993.
General view
General view of Roselawn, 1993.; Parks Canada/Parcs Canada, 1993.
General view

Other Name(s)

Roselawn National Historic Site of Canada
Roselawn
Roselawn
The Donald Gordon Centre
Centre Donald Gordon

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1841/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2009/07/07

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

Roselawn National Historic Site of Canada is a two-storey Classical Revival house located in Kingston, Ontario. Once the centre of a grand estate, the house is situated within spacious landscaped grounds. This elegant, hip-roofed, limestone residence has a projecting frontispiece and a wide centrally placed gable over the main entrance. Classical details of this balanced design include an open porch with columns, dentillation at the eaves and symmetrically placed windows and chimneys. The designation refers to the original house and its grounds at the time of its designation in 1969.

Heritage Value

Roselawn was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1969 for the following reasons:
- it stands as a reminder of the days when affluent Kingstonians erected magnificent country homes just beyond the city;
- it reflects the then popular Classical Revival style.

Built by architect William Coverdale for David John Smith in 1841, Roselawn stands as a reminder of the days when affluent Kingstonians erected magnificent country homes just beyond the city. Its proportions, roof pediments and arched openings reflect the then popular Classic Revival style. Between 1851-1868 it was the home of Sir Henry Smith Jr., who served as Solicitor General for Upper Canada, then Speaker of the House of the United Canadas. Later, from 1948 to1969, it became the official residence of the Commandant of the National Defence College. In 1970 it was purchased by Queen’s University, then substantially renovated and expanded to open in 1974 as the University’s Centre for Continuing Education. In 1997 it was again renovated to serve as the Donald Gordon Conference Centre.

Sources: Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Minutes, October 1969, May 1974.

Character-Defining Elements

Key features contributing to the heritage value of this site include:
- its location in the historic city of Kingston;
- the setting of the residence within landscaped grounds;
- the rectangular massing of the historic portion of the building under a hipped roof with broad double chimneys;
- the symmetrically organized three-bay facade with central projecting frontispiece under a wide gable;
- its evenly spaced tri-partite windows flanking a central entrance on the ground floor facade;
- the columned portico over the central entry door with sidelights;
- its Classical Revival features including the wood window and door surrounds, decorated roof verge, and columns;
- its limestone construction and the craftsmanship of its masonry;
- surviving evidence of its domestic interior layout;
- surviving original furnishings and fittings, including staircases, moldings, mantlepieces, early hardware, and wood trim;
- continuity of any plantings and pathways surviving from the gardens of the pre-1970 era.

Recognition

Jurisdiction

Federal

Recognition Authority

Government of Canada

Recognition Statute

Historic Sites and Monuments Act

Recognition Type

National Historic Site of Canada

Recognition Date

1969/10/23

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

1841/01/01 to 1970/01/01

Theme - Category and Type

Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
Architecture and Design

Function - Category and Type

Current

Education
Post-Secondary Institution

Historic

Residence
Estate

Architect / Designer

William Coverdale

Builder

David John Smith

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

National Historic Sites Directorate, Documentation Centre, 5th Floor, Room 89, 25 Eddy Street, Gatineau, Quebec

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

406

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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