Description of Historic Place

Hough House is centrally located in a park setting at Fort Malden National Historic Site. The brick building is topped by a wood shingled, high-pitched, gable roof with dormers. The main entrance to the house is defined by a projecting portico with classically inspired motifs in the wood detail. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Hough House is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.

Historical Value
Hough House is a very good example of a building that illustrates the development of Fort Malden as a National Historic Site (NHS). Originally constructed in 1861-1862 as a combined laundry and bakery, it was purchased by the federal government in 1946. The house was gradually developed into an administrative and interpretative facility for Fort Malden NHS.

Architectural Value
Hough House has a good aesthetic design. Constructed in 1861-1862 in a utilitarian fashion, it was redesigned in 1920 in a Colonial Revival style. The house imitates the popular English Colonial architecture of estates built in the 1920s, and its domestic scale and center hall plan demonstrate a good functional design. Quality construction and workmanship also characterize the building as seen in the masonry work and wood detailing.

Environmental Value
Hough House is compatible with its park-like landscape setting at Fort Malden National Historic Site and is well-known to staff and visitors.

Sources:
James De Jonge, Fort Malden National Historic Site, Amherstburg, Ontario, Federal Heritage Building Review Office, Building Report 91-181;Hough House, Fort Malden National Historic Site, Amherstburg, Ontario, Heritage Character Statement, 91-181.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Hough House should be respected.

Its elements of the Colonial Revival style, good functional design and good craftsmanship, for example: the domestic scale of the two-and-a-half storey structure with a single storey sunroom; the high pitched gable roof with symmetrical, front and rear dormers; the symmetrical five bay façade with classically inspired motifs that include the cornice and front portico, and the sash and Palladian windows; the interior centre hall plan and principal partitions; the detailed brick masonry accented by stone sills and lintels; the use of wood, including the wood shingle roof, the wood trims and the formal, elaborate, interior staircase.

The manner in which Hough House is compatible with the character of its park-like landscape setting and is a well-known building at Fort Malden National Historic Site, as evidenced by: its domestic scale, Colonial Revival style, and stone and wood materials which harmonize with its park-like landscape at the National Historic Site; its relationship to the enclosing fort embankments; its high visibility and familiarity given its prominent, central location; its use by visitors and staff as a museum and interpretative centre.

Heritage Character Statement

Disclaimer - The heritage character statement was developed by FHBRO to explain the reasons for the designation of a federal heritage building and what it is about the building that makes it significant (the heritage character). It is a key reference document for anyone involved in planning interventions to federal heritage buildings and is used by FHBRO in their review of interventions.

Hough House was constructed as a combined laundry and bakery in 1861-62. It may have been designed by Kivas Tully, a well known 19th century architect, and was renovated c.1920 into a residence by architect Harold McEvers. Subsequent alterations involved removal of chimneys and the sunroom balustrade. The property was purchased by the federal government in 1946, and gradually developed as an administrative and interpretative facility for the Fort Malden National Historic Site. Parks Canada is the custodian. See FHBRO Building Report 91-181.

Reasons for Designation

Hough House was designated Recognized for its architectural importance and for its environmental and local significance.

Hough House is a good example of a utilitarian building reworked according to the principles of the Colonial Revival style. It imitates English Colonial architecture, which was a popular style for estates built in the1920s. The building is domestic in scale, with symmetrical elevations and a conventional center hall plan. Quality construction and workmanship characterize the exterior and the interior. The house retains its park-like setting which was created in the 1920s. The building is a highly visible part of the park and familiar as a museum and interpretation center for visitors.

Character Defining Elements

The heritage character of Hough House resides in the building's form, its overall proportions, its features and materials related to Colonial Revival style, its surviving interior layout and finishes, and its relationship to the site and setting.

Hough House is a two-and-a-half storey brick structure with a single storey sunroom. It is distinguished by its symmetrical five bay facade with classically inspired motifs concentrated at the front and rear entrances, and by the high-pitched gable roof with symmetrical dormers front and rear. The roof profile, the massing, and footprint should not be altered.

The simply detailed brick masonry is accented by stone sills and lintels and set on a cut stone foundation. The wood trims incorporate classical motifs in the cornice details, and in the slightly projecting front portico with its prominent Palladian window above.

These are typical features of Colonial Revival style and should be carefully conserved. The wood shingle roof is a distinguishing feature; this finish should be maintained. The exterior materials merit an on-going maintenance program. Masonry should be monitored for damage by the ivy.

The current multi-paned sash windows are in keeping with the Colonial Revival character of the design and should be retained. Based on early photographs, the original front door was panelled, and the rear door was glazed and multi-paned, with flanking sidelights and fanlight above. The current metal-framed and glazed front door uses inappropriate materials, and the rear door lacks the level of detail typical of the original design. When the doors are at the end of their service life, they should be replaced with units compatible with original design intent. Windows blocked off by air conditioning units should be reinstated and a better integration of mechanical requirements sought.

The original center hall plan with its formal, elaborate staircase has been maintained, and principal interior partitions are intact. The installation of modern ceilings, and the removal of interior door, window, and fireplace trims have altered the residential character somewhat. Surviving early interior finishes and trims should be documented, preserved and incorporated into any rehabilitation project. It is possible that original plaster ceilings survive above the dropped ceilings.

The footprint of the building and its relationship to the enclosing fort embankments should be retained. The simple park-like landscape with dirt paths recalls the original cleared site, and should be maintained.