Elmcroft
1907 postcard of Elmcroft
Alternative namesThe Frost Residence, Ketchum House[1]
General information
TypeManor
Architectural styleQueen Anne Revival
LocationSmiths Falls, Ontario
AddressChambers Street
Coordinates44°53′57″N 76°00′53″W / 44.89925°N 76.01478°W / 44.89925; -76.01478
Completed1895
Design and construction
Main contractorW. B. Taylor

Elmcroft is a 19th-century house in Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada, built in 1895 by the town's mayor, Francis Theodore Frost, who also served as director of the local Frost & Wood foundry, as a Member of Parliament and as a senator. It is an example of Queen Anne Revival architecture.[2]

Architecture

The house, initially built by W. B. Taylor's construction firm,[3] boasts two halls, a dining room, two staircases, a library and stables.[4] The house was featured in The Canadian Architect and Builder in 1896.[5] It used to also have a sweeping circular staircase in the front entrance and a rotunda which led to the ballroom, but these were removed by later renovations.[6]

The Carriage House at 97 Chambers St is adjacent and was built for Frost's groundskeeper; 65 Chambers St was built for Frost's brother Edwin, and 69 Chambers St was built for a cousin of Frost's, who founded the Rideau Record newspaper in 1887.[7][8]

History

Elmcroft was featured in the March 1911 edition of The Canadian Horticulturalist, with a photo of its 27’ x 15’ canna beds.[9]

The Canadian prime minister Wilfrid Laurier visited the house along with the future prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, taking tea with the Frost family.[6] The Roper family of Alton, Illinois, were similarly noted in the media as guests at Elmcroft for a week in 1889.[10]

The house was burgled in July 1907, when a thief carried off all the jewellery in the house.[11] Upon Frost's unexpected death inside the house in 1916,[12] his widow remained in the house for a decade before leaving it vacant.[13]

In 1938, the vacant house was purchased by J. Clark Ketchum (alternately named J. A. Ketchum), the founder of Rideau Beverages, who paid $1 for the property[13] and removed the top two storeys, citing water damage[4] (though others claim it was to reduce property taxes).[6][13][2]

Grounds

Panoramic of Elmcroft, taken sometime between 1890 and 1910.

The property initially ran to Elmsley Street, but a later owner sold off the property's southwest lawn, on which three other homes were subsequently built, and Chambers Street was built through the old property, obstructing the view of Elmcroft from passersby.[4][6] In 1987, owner Bill Murphy stirred controversy by announcing his plans to build 10 garden homes at the foot of the property.[14]

Recent history

The property was purchased for $200,000 in 2008,[13] and briefly operated as a 3-room bed and breakfast.[15] In 2012, new owners converted Elmcroft back to a private residence. The house was issued a heritage certificate by the Municipal Heritage Committee[16] and the neighbourhood was designated the Frost Mansion Row.[8] The property has been featured as part of the Doors Open program in Lanark County.[17]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Elmcroft.
  1. ↑ "Elmcroft Bed & Breakfast". Tripadvisor. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  2. 1 2 Must, Chris (March 15, 2017). "Smiths Falls urged to recognise Frost family legacy". Hometownnews.ca. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  3. ↑ Stiles, H. M., ed. (1924). Who's who: A complete compendium containing facts and figures, in story and illustration, of the town of Smith Falls and its inhabitants, showing its present status and potential possibilities as an ideal place in which to live, thrive and be happy, and an unrivalled location for prospective manufacturing concerns to establish and prosper, p. 47. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 "The Legacy of Frost & Wood: Outstanding in Their Field". Heritage House Museum. Virtualmuseum.ca. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Canadian Architect and Builder Vol IX Issue 3". digital.library.mcgill.ca. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Kelly, Tonia (March 31, 2011). "Passion, elbow grease and steak sauce: a recipe for a beautiful B&B". Smiths Falls This Week, pp. 7–8. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  7. ↑ Harford, Evelyn (March 23, 2017). "Heritage committee wants 'Frost Row' listed on registry". Smiths Falls Record News, p. 33. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  8. 1 2 arlenestaffordwilson (2022-10-17). "Elmcroft Mansion, Smiths Falls". arlene stafford wilson. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  9. ↑ Marshall, J. Wycliffe (March 1911). "The Canna". The Canadian Horticulturalist, p. 59. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Additional Locals", Smiths Falls Record News, June 6, 1889.
  11. ↑ "Frost's Jewellery: Smith's Falls Rather Surprised to ...", The Globe, July 10, 1907.
  12. ↑ "Provincial and General News". Lillooet Prospector, September 1, 1916, p. 4. BC Historical Newspapers. University of British Columbia. Retrieved February 19, 2018.]
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Heritage homes receive accolades". Renfrew Mercury, November 5, 2009. Insideottawavalley.com. Retrieved February 19, 2018.]
  14. ↑ Fisher, Susan (February 4, 1987). "Residents say planned housing will ruin Smiths Falls landmark". Ottawa Citizen, Section C.
  15. ↑ "Elmcroft Bed & Breakfast". Lanark County – North Leeds Business Directory. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Heritage committee has a number of ongoing projects". Smiths Falls Record News, February 2, 2012. Insideottawavalley.com. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Travel Back in Time". Carleton Place – Almonte Canadian Gazette, May 26, 2011. Cambridgetimes.ca. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
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