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J.E. Seagram's Distillery Administration and Maintenance Buildings

83, Erb Street W., City of Waterloo, Ontario, N2L, Canada

Reconnu formellement en: 1997/02/03

The west elevation of the Administration Building, depicting the gothic arched attic window, 2007.; Lindsay Benjamin, 2007.
West Elevation of the Administration Building
Photograph of Joseph E. Seagram the founder of J. E. Seagram's Distillery, circa 1880.; City of Waterloo Website, circa 1880.
Photograph of Joseph E. Seagram
View of the north and west elevations of the J. E. Seagram Distillery Administration Building, 2007.; Lindsay Benjamin, 2007.
Northwest Corner of the Administration Building

Autre nom(s)

83 Erb Street West
Granite Mills and Waterloo Distillery
J.E. Seagram's Distillery Administration and Maintenance Buildings
Seagram, Randall and Roos

Liens et documents

Date(s) de construction

1851/01/01

Inscrit au répertoire canadien: 2009/03/11

Énoncé d'importance

Description du lieu patrimonial

J. E. Seagram's Distillery Administration and Maintenance Buildings is located at 83 Erb Street West, on the southeast corner of Erb Street West and Euclid Avenue, in the City of Waterloo. The buildings were designed in the industrial architectural style and were constructed in 1851 and 1858 respectively.

The buildings were designated, for their historic and architectural significance, by the City of Waterloo, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 97-11).

Valeur patrimoniale

J. E. Seagram's Distillery is associated with one of Waterloo's pioneering families. Members of the Seagram family played important roles in the history of Waterloo, as industrialists, politicians and philanthropists. The patriarch of the family, Joseph E. Seagram, moved to Waterloo from Hespeler to look after the business interests of his wife's uncle, William Hespeler. At the time the business was owned by Hespeler, George Randall, and William Roos and named the Granite Mills and Waterloo Distillery. In 1883, Seagram purchased the business from the original owners and renamed it, “J. E. Seagram's Distillery”. Seagram later closed down the flour mill and dry goods store that had been part of the business since its inception, to focus his attention on whisky making, as it had become the most profitable product.

The Seagram Company had a long-standing tradition in Waterloo. From 1857 to 1992 the distillery operated continuously, on the corner of Erb and Caroline Streets, in the heart of Waterloo. As one of the community's leading industries, the Seagram plant provided regular employment to as many as 250 local citizens. Though the family is no longer in the alcohol distilling business, the Seagram name is known around the world.

The two-storey administration building was used as a coopers shop with barrel and lumber storage before being converted to a machine shop in 1950. The building was renovated, in 1981, to house the administration offices for the distillery. The one-storey maintenance building has also been used as a foundry, stables, storage, cooperage, and lastly as a machine shop.

Both the administration and maintenance buildings are unique representations of early industrial architecture. The administrative building is a two-storey structure with brick detailing and gothic arched attic windows. The building fronts the highly travelled and historic Erb Street. The maintenance building is a one-storey brick building with engaged pilasters, corbelling and spandrels with segmented arched double-hung windows.

Sources: City of Waterloo By-law 97-11; City of Waterloo Heritage Designation Notice, City of Waterloo; City of Waterloo Building Description, LACAC; City of Waterloo Website. History of the Seagram Plant in Waterloo.

Éléments caractéristiques

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of J. E. Seagram's Distillery Administration and Maintenance Buildings include their:
- impressive masonry, on the Erb Street façade and Euclid Avenue elevation
- brick detailing on the exterior of the buildings
- arched Gothic windows
- segmented arched windows
- engaged pilasters, corbelling, and spandrels surrounding the windows and the entrance

Reconnaissance

Juridiction

Ontario

Autorité de reconnaissance

Administrations locales (Ont.)

Loi habilitante

Loi sur le patrimoine de l'Ontario

Type de reconnaissance

Désignation du patrimoine municipal (partie IV)

Date de reconnaissance

1997/02/03

Données sur l'histoire

Date(s) importantes

1997/01/01 à 1997/01/01
1883/01/01 à 1883/01/01

Thème - catégorie et type

Économies en développement
Exploitation et production

Catégorie de fonction / Type de fonction

Actuelle

Commerce / Services commerciaux
Bureau ou édifice à bureaux

Historique

Industrie
Centre de production d'aliments et de boissons

Architecte / Concepteur

s/o

Constructeur

s/o

Informations supplémentaires

Emplacement de la documentation

City of Waterloo 100 Regina Street South Waterloo, ON, N2J 4A8

Réfère à une collection

Identificateur féd./prov./terr.

HPON07-0244

Statut

Édité

Inscriptions associées

s/o

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