By Susanna McLeod
Special to Ontario Construction News
Set on the rise of the Township of Wilmot property, Castle Kilbride is regal with stately architectural elements. A peek through the front door envelops the viewer in breathtaking art and colour in the Renaissance tradition. Designed by architect David Gingrich, and with works by local professional artists, the home is an architectural jewel.
Immigrating to Canada in 1855, James Livingston (b. 1838 Scotland) and his brother John laboured as farm hands in flax fields of southern Ontario. Advancing into business, the men worked their way to the top. Eventually buying out competitors, the Livingstons became industry magnates with their own business, Dominion Linseed Oil Company.
Owning farms and mills, they also owned a portion of the village of Baden, too. James Livingston entered politics, serving as local reeve, a member of the Ontario Legislative Assembly, and later, Member of Parliament. The industrialist and his wife Louise needed more than an average house; they envisioned a home surrounded by gardens, constructed in the finest architecture.
David W. Gingrich (1829-1913) was engaged in 1877 to design and oversee the 10,000-sq. ft. home’s construction. Gingrich was one of the first professional architects in the Waterloo County region, according to Robert G. Hill in Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada 1800-1950.
“Catering to the German-speaking community in Berlin, Ont. (later named Kitchener) he succeeded in obtaining commissions for public, institutional and commercial buildings, as well as private residences…” Gingrich’s advertised portfolio included bridges, churches, and town halls.
Designing a large Italianate-style home on a 1.2-hectare parcel, Gingrich’s plans use a centre hall plan leading to the main house and two wings. The design included a tall belvedere, a lovely turret-like room overlooking the landscaped property and the endearing heart-shaped circular driveway. The belvedere crowned “the hipped roof, a centre gable, wide overhanding eases, with paired bracketing,” said Canada’s Historic Places.
Constructed of brick on a fieldstone foundation, the symmetrical façade had projecting bays with frieze and paired brackets. A dramatic staircase led to the second floor and “a two-storey verandah on the east elevation, of the first wing… supported by turned posts with brackets.” Prepared for a houseful of people, a two-door privy was similar to the house design, with bracketing details, frieze, and quoining. The right side was reserved for women and children, and men used the left side.
Fireplaces composed of imported Venetian marble warmed the castle’s 15 rooms. Illuminating the rooms, lamp fixtures were fuelled by gas and electricity. Smoothly coated with plaster, the walls took several months to cure before finishings could be applied.
Livingston commissioned local German artist Henry Scharstein in about 1879 to create extraordinary artwork throughout the home.
Specializing in trompe l’oeil art, Scharstein’s paintings depicted three-dimensional images on several walls and ceilings throughout the home. “These interior paintings are one of the finest examples of artwork in a domestic home from the mid-Victorian Era in Canada,” said Castle Kilbride. “Found within the paintings at the Castle are a number of hidden images and classical motifs.”
Hallways, walls, and ceilings were adorned with magnificent art, such as an “elaborate and brilliantly coloured mural painting in the library, which includes a border of real and faux plaster work containing a series of painted lunettes, gilt-framed medallions with allegorical figures representing the four seasons,” and much more, according to Castle Kilbride National Historic Site. Twenty-four karat gold added luxurious touches to some paintings. Statues and paintings by other artists were added to the opulent decor, and the Livingstons displayed works by one of their children.
The extravagant home had a domed skylight with stained glass on the second floor. Interior windows had folding shutters of cherry wood and the artistry continued under their feet, with main floor halls exquisitely painted to give the impression of linoleum flooring.
Castle Kilbride’s heritage value was formally recognized in November 1988, the first designation by the Township of Wilmot. In November 1993, the Castle received further significant status with designation as a National Historic Site of Canada for both the architecture and interior elements.
With no expense spared, the home was durable, remaining in the Livingston family for three generations from 1877 to 1988. Household goods were sold at public auction, and three hundred acres and the home were sold to a development firm. Renovations began but could not be sustained.
The Township of Wilmot purchased the Castle in 1993, and added a large administration wing at the rear. “In 1993/94 an intensive interior and exterior conservation project was commenced,” stated Castle Kilbride. “The goal was to restore the Castle to her former glory.” Restoration of the elegant home is ongoing.
Opening as a museum in 1994, Castle Kilbride at 68 Snyders’s Road West, Baden, Ontario is a treasured example of the blending of architecture and art in the Victorian era.
© 2023 Susanna McLeod. McLeod is a Kingston-based freelance writer specializing in Canadian History.