Description of Historic Place

The Dr. Ernest Luthi Residence is a Municipal Heritage Property located within the Village of Punnichy at 112 1st Avenue. The property features a 1 1/2-storey, wood-frame residence constructed in 1938.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Dr. Ernest Luthi Residence lies in its association with well-known Saskatchewan artist Dr. Ernest Luthi. Luthi was born in Switzerland in 1908 and came to the Punnichy district with his family in 1914. In 1938, Ernest constructed the home which he resided in for the rest of his life. Although an avid painter, he spent his early years in the community in other professions before dedicating himself to art in 1955. By the time of his death in 1983, Luthi painted more than 3,000 paintings and had established himself as one of Saskatchewan’s foremost landscape painters. His paintings are widely displayed both nationally and internationally, and his contribution to Saskatchewan art was recognized in 1975 when the University of Regina awarded him an Honourary Doctorate of Laws. The home was converted into a gallery for Dr. Luthi’s work in the later 1990s in order to honour his artistic contribution to the community and the province.

Source:

Village of Punnichy Bylaw No. 5-1996.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Dr. Ernest Luthi Residence resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements that reflect the property’s association with Dr. Ernest Luthi, including its position on its original location, its rectangular form, limited massing, wood window and door frames, kitchen cabinets, wood floors and siding, and hip-roof with front dormer, the open space for the display of the works of Ernest Luthi, and the collection of his paintings.