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Bethune Memorial House National Historic Site of Canada

235 John Street North, Gravenhurst, Ontario, P1P, Canada

Formally Recognized: 1997/09/22

General view of Bethune Memorial House showing the simple L-shaped asymmetrical massing and modest scale of the house, 1995.; Parks Canada Agency / Agence Parcs Canada, B. Morin, 1995.
General view
Front facade of the Bethune Memorial House emphasizing the vertical emphasis of its design, enhanced by a steeply pitched roof, 1995.; Parks Canada Agency / Agence Parcs Canada, B. Morin, 1995.
Facade
Detail view of the Bethune Memorial House showing the longstanding features which enrich its design (symmetrical window placement, bay windows, ornamental porch and vergeboard), 1995.; Parks Canada Agency / Agence Parcs Canada, B. Morin, 1995.
Detail

Other Name(s)

Bethune Memorial House National Historic Site of Canada
Bethune Memorial House
Maison Commémorative Bethune

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1880/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2007/07/20

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

Bethune Memorial House National Historic Site, the original manse of Knox Presbyterian Church, is located in the older residential district of Gravenhurst, Ontario.

Heritage Value

Bethune Memorial House National Historic Site of Canada was commemorated in 1996 because:
- as a memorial, it embodies and interprets the national historic significance of Dr. Norman Bethune,
- as a memorial, it embodies and interprets his ancestral roots, formative years as a minister's son in small-town Ontario, love of the outdoors and restless mobility, and
- as his birthplace, a site valued and revered in China, it captures the symbolic significance of Dr. Bethune to the Chinese.

The heritage value of this site resides in its associations with Dr. Norman Bethune and its illustration of his childhood environment. The Bethune family only lived in this house a short time (1890-1893) before moving on to a new parish in another small Ontario town. Dr. Norman Bethune is revered by the Chinese for the time he spent in China serving on battlefields, training medical personnel, and setting up medical programs and hospitals. He is considered a role model by Chinese society.

Source: HSMBC Minutes, June 1996.

Character-Defining Elements

The features of the house which remain consistent with the Bethune period of occupancy (1890-1893), including:

- the simple L-shaped asymmetrical massing and modest scale of the house,
- the vertical emphasis of its design, enhanced by a steeply pitched roof,
- the longstanding features which enrich its design (symmetrical window placement, bay windows, ornamental porch and vergeboard),
- the modest original wood materials of the exterior (clapboard siding, wood details, windows),
- the intact original features of the house interior (layout around an entrance hall and stairs, undisturbed surfaces of most rooms),
- its setting in a small scale residential neighbourhood with tree-lined streets,
- the continuity of the memorial's setting which has changed little since Dr. Bethune was born there.

Recognition

Jurisdiction

Federal

Recognition Authority

Government of Canada

Recognition Statute

Historic Sites and Monuments Act

Recognition Type

National Historic Site of Canada

Recognition Date

1997/09/22

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

1890/01/01 to 1893/01/01

Theme - Category and Type

Governing Canada
Canada and the World
Building Social and Community Life
Education and Social Well-Being

Function - Category and Type

Current

Community
Commemorative Monument

Historic

Residence
Single Dwelling

Architect / Designer

n/a

Builder

n/a

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

1722

Status

Published

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Façade

Bethune House

Sited in a landscaped garden amongst mature trees in a residential Gravenhurst neighbourhood, Bethune House is an attractive L-shaped, timber structure. Its gable roof is steeply…

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