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J. Fred Johnston House

McCraney RM 282, Saskatchewan, Canada

Formally Recognized: 1992/08/12

View of the house from the southwest, 2009.; Clint Robertson, 2009.
South and West Facades
No Image
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Other Name(s)

J. Fred Johnston House
Johnston Homestead Residence

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2010/03/22

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

The J. Fred Johnston House is a Municipal Heritage Property located in the Rural Municipality of McCraney No. 282, immediately adjacent to the Village of Bladworth’s northern boundary. The Edwardian-era house is a large, two-storey, red-brick structure with wraparound verandas, designed in the Classical Revival style.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the J. Fred Johnston House lies in its association with its first owner, The Hon. John Frederick Johnston (1876-1948). Johnston was a prominent citizen in Bladworth’s early history, and later served as a Member of Parliament and Senator for the area. Johnston and his wife Ida (1879-1967) settled in Bladworth in 1905, where he opened a hardware and implement business before becoming more involved in a land, loans and insurance business in Bladworth, as well owning a string of rural general stores. Johnston also became well-known as a purebred livestock breeder, raising Clydesdale and Hackney horses and Shorthorn cattle. Johnston was elected Member of Parliament for the area in 1917 under the Union party banner, and later represented the seat as a Progressive (1921-26) and as a Liberal (1926-30, 1935-39). He served as Party Whip for the Progressives in 1924 and as the Deputy Speaker of the House from 1926-30. From 1943 until his death in 1948, Johnston served as a Senator.

The J. Fred Johnston house is also of heritage value for its architecture, being one of the largest and most sophisticated houses of its era in the area. The house has subtle Classical Revival-style influences, and is distinguished by its high-quality construction, being faced with red brick, leaded transom lights, and stone detailing in the window sills and keystones. Double-level, wraparound verandas were dominant features of the original design. The substantial size and impressive architecture of the house, combined with its location along a busy provincial highway, make the house a well-known landmark.

Source:

R.M. of McCraney No. 282 Bylaw No. 4/92.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the J. Fred Johnston House resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements of the building related to its architecture, such as its two-storey, square form, red-brick exterior with stone trim (sills and keystones), hip roof with flat top and lower cross gables, metal rooftop cornice and cresting, fenestration with segmental arched windows containing one-over-one wooden-sash windows combined with some leaded upper sashes, a cut-away bay window, and the double-level, wraparound verandas;
-those elements related to the landmark status of the house, such as its placement on its original location immediately adjacent to the Village of Bladworth and its prominent location along the highway.

Recognition

Jurisdiction

Saskatchewan

Recognition Authority

Local Governments (SK)

Recognition Statute

Heritage Property Act, s. 11(1)(a)

Recognition Type

Municipal Heritage Property

Recognition Date

1992/08/12

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Peopling the Land
Settlement

Function - Category and Type

Current

Historic

Food Supply
Farm or Ranch
Residence
Single Dwelling

Architect / Designer

n/a

Builder

n/a

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

Saskatchewan Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport Heritage Resources Branch 1919 Saskatchewan Drive Regina, SK File No: MHP 1479

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

MHP 1479

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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