I think I've painted myself into the proverbial corner, attempting to create a parallel with a situation I have recently sleuthed out on Princess Street in Kingston.
But you be the judge.
parapet wall on gable end, stone corbel |
During our last couple of visits to Kingston's wonderful old downtown, my guy and I have attempted to figure out a new/old building being constructed on Princess Street.
We've wondered about the build, pondering what was there, as you do when a tree is suddenly absent from the landscape, and you feel the loss, ashamed that you didn't properly appreciate it when it was standing.
The before picture used to be available on Streetview, sadly the site was updated in 2018 to capture this new Streetview; the address is 101 to 109 Princess Street. So now you're oriented. A photo of the demolition in progress used to be available, Gone too. Revisionist architectural history.
What finally drove me online, checking out newspaper articles about the property, the heritage debate, the new building, was seeing it from a new vantage point at the corner of Wellington Street, fresh from admiring parapet walls of several early buildings. On the roof I noted bright new lumber being formed into the unmistakable shape of parapet walls. Or pretend ones.
Here's a definition of a parapet, by the inestimable Peter John Stokes in the very useful glossary (because the memory isn't what it used to be) of The Settler's Dream: the extension of a wall above the roof line, usually at the gable end.
At some point, most towns enacted regulations requiring fireproof walls between town buildings, extending far enough above the roof-line to reduce the chances of fires spreading across roof-tops.
Above, with the lilacs, is a lovely example...I'm wondering if the end window might have been a temporary indulgence, as the owners waited for someone to build next door...or a happy add-in when that became unlikely. The other photos in this post are parapet walls in various Kingston locations.
the delightful Pan Chancho building |
Here, as they say, is the rest of the story. Turns out this location has been the focus of a heritage debate for some time. Here's the short story. At issue is a grouping of early c19 stone buildings, covered in an ill-conceived 1960s/70s modernization, using stucco and countless nails which destroyed the stone, preventing it from being reused. And a bank that wanted the site.
Most links with stories about the debate have gone dark, and I've removed them.
Fortunately, these few remain active.
Here is the story of the decision, a regular Sophie's choice.
If you are a real heritage terrier, here are the Municipal Heritage Committee discussions.
I'm not alone in mourning the loss. Here's an interview with the president of the Kingston Heritage Foundation, an organization to which I belong, and whose work I salute.
So. Only one question remains. New and shiny? Or old and magic?
Sophie's choice, indeed. I agree with the mayor: the rebuild is the better choice, creating a building that may be regarded as a heritage site in 2117.
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