Paterson Matheson House Heritage Site

The splendid Paterson-Matheson House is one of Manitoba’s finest late nineteenth century houses.

The house was built for George A. Paterson in 1893 by Brandon’s William Bell and Sons.

The 1893 brick-veneer structure, with its large 1904 addition, occupies a narrow corner lot in an area that retains its heritage character.

It is a rare example of a Queen Anne Revival design with Eastlake detailing.

And, a good illustration of a brick-veneer dwelling turned into something quite extraordinary through the use of ornamental details.

A magnificent stained-glass window entitled Listening, designed by noted Winnipeg artist John Allward, is a unique feature of the dwelling’s rich interior.

Norman A. Matheson, the owner, donated the house to the Western Region Alcoholism Foundation of Manitoba in 1969.

– Manitoba Historic Resources Branch

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Key elements of the Queen Anne Revival design and Eastlake detailing that make the Paterson Matheson House a local landmark include:

the asymmetrical form of the 1893 structure, with elements such as:

• the complex hip roof with steep cross-gable roofs

• angled front verandah

• tower balcony with a conical roof at the southwest corner

• the two-storey gabled bay on the west facade

the 1904 north addition with a steep cross-gable roof

• gabled dormers on two sides

• a two-storey gabled bay in the northwest corner

the abundance of wooden Eastlake ornamentation, including

• the elaborately turned posts, ball spindles, curved brackets and spindle work in the verandah,

• the circular tower balcony with turned posts, the tower finials, ornate gingerbread trim with semi-circular decorations within the gables.

the number and variety of windows, including

• tall rectangular openings with arched heads

• decorative keystones on all four elevations

• small rectangular openings in the dormer and gable ends

the variety of materials and details, including

• light red-brown brick wall surfaces

• limestone window sills,

• a stringcourse that wraps around the structure’s second floor

• tall brick chimneys with chimney caps.

Key elements of the dwelling’s rich interior character include:

the spacious expanded layout, based on a side-hall plan with

• large living and dining rooms, kitchen, den and small sitting room on the main floor

• a grand open staircase to the second-floor hallway and bedrooms.

the richly detailed oak staircase, with a fine curved balustrade and the Allward stained-glass window in an oak casing on the second-floor landing

elaborate fireplaces in walnut or oak surrounds, each with tile inlay and mirrored overmantels, in the sitting room, den and second-floor hall

fine stained-glass windows in the dining and sitting rooms

• leaded-glass openings in the living room and den and a small coloured-glass window under the main staircase

many original features, including

• classically detailed, dark-stained oak door and window casings with elaborate heads

• high oak baseboards, oak pocket doors in the hall between the living and dining rooms,

• free-standing carved Corinthian columns that flank the sitting room doorways

• the oak front- and second- floor doors with oval windows of bevelled glass,

• oak flooring at the front entrance, maple floors in the dining room, hall and den.

– Canada’s Historic Places

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