WELLAND ARCHITECTURE

Welland Architectural Gems

An Essay by Izzy Sommers of Welland, Canada, for November, 2005

A walk down any old street in Welland is a treat. In Europe and Asia, permanent urban structures have been preserved for hundreds of years. Notre Dame in Paris, France, St. Paul’s Cathedral in Rome, Italy, The Sacred Palace in Beijing, China and Der Unterbrucke in Berne, Switzerland, are but a few of the famous landmarks. Before 1800, no permanent structures were built in Merrittville, the embryonic Welland, as far as I know. Native Canadians who lived here, lived in portable, mobile housing, mainly teepees, for following the buffalo and avoiding enemies. Thus, all of Welland’s urban structures are “recent.”

Nevertheless, gems of architectural styles are abundant. A short walk on Dorothy Street, followed by extended walks on Hellems, Young and Division Streets, provide plenty of visual treats for the person who appreciates the artistry of buildings. A style of house seen in the early 19th century features beautiful brick arches. Two such wonderfully kept-up houses are seen opposite the Welland Farmers Market, itself a pretty example of old styles. I can just imagine the original bricklayer standing back and admiring his artistry. Another is “hidden” on Elmview Street, East, possibly on the oldest house in Welland. There are wonderful octagonal towers, here and there, inspiration for Frank Lloyd Wright, or perhaps visa versa. Evidence of original coach houses and erstwhile, second story, servants’ quarters, is detectable. Many store fronts, with typical frontal, rectangular, carved stone, above the roof, announcing the builder and/or owner, are reminiscent of the wild west, in USA and Canada, as portrayed by many cowboy movies.

On Aquaduct, there’s a large, black and white, wooden house with a wrap-around porch, reminiscent of more southern, or eastern, mansions, has been well-preserved. The same can be said of the Welland Club, in white and green. On Young Street, there’s a large wooden house in sad need of repair, but, nevertheless, still providing a roof over someone’s head, and still a great example of late 19th century beautiful dwellings. The hand-carved wood work is spectacular. I’m not sure, but some folks may find this the only example of Scandinavian, or Swedish, Colonial style, in the entire Niagara Peninsula.

As you walk around the streets of Welland, keep an eye out for some original leaded glass windows, some hand-carved dark cedar shingles, some original red brick from Welland made in 1850, where the Welland Tennis Club now stands and features the exactly same red clay. Under the asphalt of Main Street is a wonderfully preserved brick, cobblestone road, which is visible only when the asphalt is torn up. It may still even have a 19th century set of railroad tracks from the days of the horse-drawn street cars. You can see the cobblestone exposed in a short street intersecting with the intersection of West Main and Prince Charles Streets.

I’m sure the folks that have lived in Welland for many years can reel off many more great examples of interesting architectural features, that I may have missed. A professional photographer and a professional reporter, armed with some old-fashioned cameras, real film, original blueprints and original plats, might make a nice feature some day, in the Tribune, or any newspaper or magazine.
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