Architectural Research

Hamilton Period

The Hamilton period at Willowbank has left us with a very fine example of early 19th Century Greek Revival architecture.  John Latshaw, carpenter, master builder, and architect, was responsible for its design and construction.  He represents exactly the tradition that Willowbank seeks to revive – a person who embodies the intimate connection between theory and practice, between design and build, between historical understanding and contemporary reinterpretation.  Letters between Alexander Hamilton and Latshaw provide insight into the design’s evolution, and the influence of the Jarvis House in Toronto, the family home of Alexander’s young wife.  The Greek Revival detailing carries throughout the exterior and interior, providing a wealth of period detail and the fine sense of proportion characteristic of this style.  Original paint finishes – deep greens and reds – and examples of the dark varnished trim survive as do some hand-drawn plaster cornices.  

The formal eastern landscape, with its curving entrance drive winding up the hill from Queenston Road, survives virtually intact. 

Bright Period

The Bright period introduced a more open and expansive aesthetic, both in the architecture and the landscape.  The western part of the site, originally barnyards and gardens and orchards, became the formal front lawns of the reoriented house. This was the era of the classic automobile, and the Brights were famous for their 1934 Cord and a collection of other vehicles.  Inside, architect A.E. Nicholson maintained most of the Latshaw detailing, including the original mantles and baseboards and casings, but opened up the floor plan with interconnected rooms and lighter colours throughout.  

 The Bright period at Willowbank is remarkable because it represents a completely new way of inhabiting the site, with all the generosity of spirit for which the family was known, without undermining the essential integrity of the Hamilton legacy.  The 1920s and 30s were a period when the Colonial Revival aesthetic was at its height, and Willowbank provided a genuine laboratory for exploring this early 20th Century fascination with  late 18th and early 19th Century taste.