Reflections

By Susan Bidgood

LACAC Research Assistant

for Stratford Perth Archives

16-20 Shrewsbury Street

Stratford's Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC) is appointed by City Council with the mandate of advising Council about buildings of local heritage significance. LACAC files are stored at the Stratford Perth Archives where they are used by LACAC Members, the Archives staff and are accessible to the public. The resources of LACAC and the Archives are used as part of the research for this column. The Archives, located at 24 St. Andrew Street, is open from Monday-Saturday, 9.00am to 5.00pm. Stratford's designated properties are being featured in this column in their chronological order, as it relates to the history and development of the town. The next series of articles will focus on Stratford's Italianate architecture.

Stratford has many beautiful Italianate structures. They are familiar by the buff coloured brick and the asymmetrical composition of the building. The style usually presents a large, formal, square or L-shaped imposing building. Hip roofs may have a belvedere (widow's walk), together with tall chimneys. Under the projecting roof eaves will be the distinguishing decorative cornice brackets. The brickwork in this area is usually of a buff colour with accentuated corner detailing, known as quoins. The windows will be the large paned sash-type and bay windows are another Italianate feature.

16-20 Shrewsbury Street, known as the "Windermere" Home, was constructed in two stages. The left side, or southern portion, was erected in 1871 by local contractor and land surveyor, John Holmes, who also built St. James Church. This portion was originally a two and one half storey single dwelling house built in the Italianate style with a decorated storm porch and verandah. In 1872 James Brotherhood, a civil engineer with the Grand Trunk Railway, purchased the north part of the lot from Holmes. The right side, or northern portion of the building was constructed in 1882 as a large three storey addition in the Empire style. This addition also expands across the rear of the building. Since then two verandahs have been added. Built at a later time period these circular corner bays were constructed at each end of the front facade of the building.

The property was designated in May 1985. Of special importance is the living-room located at the south end of the building. This ground floor room has a plaster cove and ceiling rondel, which is a circular piece of window glass. It is also notable because of the hand-applied colour scheme and intricate stencil work, which is accented with gold and inlaid bordered panels that cover all plasterwork on the walls and ceiling. Interior artwork, signed by one of the former residents, Peter Dierlamm, has remained for many years inside the home. Although the exterior features of the building are designated, the above mentioned living room elements signified LACAC's first interior designation.

James Brotherhood lived with his family here until about 1891 when they moved to New York. They returned to Stratford for a while before moving to Montreal. In 1899 James rented the house to T. Willard Ready, a Chicago chemist. He converted the large home into the Windermere Dry Hot Air Hospital, which promised a cure for rheumatism using hot air treatments. Full page advertisements appeared in the Beacon and Herald newspapers guaranteeing to "cure rheumatism or money refunded". Within 10 days there were 30 patients at the Windermere Hospital.

Within two years Ready ran afoul of his creditors and the dubious local medical profession. After numerous court cases, including an assault charge for bashing a local chemist over the head with a glass twine holder, he fled Stratford for Toronto. In Toronto he announced the opening of a large Canadian mail order house. Within two months he "flew the coop" again leaving unhappy creditors in his wake.

After this fiasco "Windermere" was taken over by Peter Dierlamm and it became known as the Windermere or Stratford Sanitarium. Peter was a Canadian artist and portrait painter who also practiced hypnotism. He advertised that cases of rheumatism and nervous afflictions would be treated with hot air, massage, electric, magnetic and medical treatments. As Peter worked closely and consulted with the local medical profession, the establishment became more reputable than before. It was frequently referred to as the "rescue home". Among the diseases which they would attempt to relieve was monomania, which was an exaggerated fondness or irrational enthusiasm for something.

In 1907, James Brotherhood sold his property to two spinsters, Elizabeth and Jessie Scott. After Peter Dierlamm left in 1908 the building was used as a house once more. The sisters divided the property into two separate residences and over the years moved back and forth between 20 and 16 Shrewsbury Street. They always rented out the other half of the building to a variety of different tenants. Over the years the property was two separate houses and apartments were added later on the top floor. For further information on designating a property under the Ontario Heritage Act, contact Bernie Weber, City Hall, Building Department at 271-0250, Ext. 218