Description of Historic Place

The Swine Showcase Building No. 91 is located at the Central Experimental Farm (CEF) in Ottawa. The structure is a T-shaped building comprising three parts. Its long elevations are dominated by a low, medium-pitched gable roof, carried across the entire building, with large dormers, access doors to the attic storey, and rooftop ventilators. The walls with wood trimmed, multiple-paned windows are clad in board and batten siding. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Swine Showcase Building No. 91 is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.

Historical Value
The Swine Showcase Building No. 91 is associated with the dual role of the Experimental Farm Service in undertaking agricultural research and in promoting sound farming practices across Canada, through the construction and operation of model farm buildings. The building is intimately connected with the work of the Division of Animal Husbandry in carrying out swine experiments and in providing models for their optimum care and housing. Increasing emphasis on the importance of a healthy, sanitary environment for pigs led the Division to make recommendations concerning types of construction, layout and ventilation and to embody these in its own swine housing. Constructed during the second phase of development of the CEF (1911-1919), the building is also associated with a period of rapid expansion, reorganization and intense construction. The building was expanded during the third phase of development at the CEF (1920-1936), when increasing attention to precision in experimentation played and important part in the determination for building specifications.

Architectural Value
The Swine Showcase Building No. 91 is valued for its very good aesthetic design. Its exterior cladding, window treatment and wood trim, conforms to the modified Shingle Style utilized for early service buildings at the CEF. The massing of its long elevation, however, is dominated by a utilitarian medium-pitched roof and low eave line that cover both axis of the building. Of good functional design, the building’s construction and appearance closely follow requirements promoted by the Division of Animal Husbandry for animal housing to ensure warmth, dryness, sanitation, sunlight and ventilation of both animals and feed. As such the building demonstrates very good, solid construction techniques and materials.

Environmental Value
The Swine Showcase Building No. 91 reinforces the agricultural character of its experimental farm setting. The building is used as part of the Agriculture Museum and is familiar to visitors and employees of the farm.

Sources: Laurie Smith, Contentworks Inc., Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Ontario, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Building Report, 95-030; Swine Showcase, Building 91, Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Ontario, Heritage Character Statement, 95-030.

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements of the Swine Showcase Building No. 91 should be respected.

Its very good aesthetic design, good functional design and very good materials and craftsmanship, for example: the low massing of its long elevations, dominated by a utilitarian medium-pitched roof, with dormers and access doors to the attic storey, and the low eave line that covers both axis of the building; the board and batten siding, multiple-paned windows, shingled roof, large dormers, and roof ventilators; the functional requirements for a healthy and sanitary piggery promoted by the Division of Animal Husbandry, as embodied in its solid construction, concrete foundation, many large windows, and natural ventilation system, including air ducts in the hayloft and ventilators on the roof; extant features which speak to its original function as a working piggery, including the location of small doors leading from individual pens to exterior pig runs, the hayloft doors in the gable ends and dormers, and the interior space allotted to the hayloft.

The manner in which the Swine Showcase Building No. 91 reinforces the agricultural character of its farm setting and is a well-known landmark, as evidenced by: its low scale, massing, roof profile and materials, which harmonize with the other farm buildings, including the Little Piggery (Building 91A) and the Main Barn (Building 88); its visibility to many people, given its role as part of the Agriculture Museum which makes it familiar, especially among those who visit the museum.

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.

Building #91 is a T-shaped building comprising three parts. The north section of the north-south wing was constructed in 1911 as the Main Piggery for the Central Experimental Farm (CEF). It replaced an earlier piggery (1891-1910) on the same site. The east wing and the south section of the north-south wing were added in 1934-5. CEF staff were likely responsible for the design of the 1911 section. The plans for the 1934-5 extensions were drawn up by staff in the CEF Draughting Room in co-operation with the Dominion Animal Husbandman. The interior of the building, some exterior portions, and the surrounding landscaping were altered in 1982-4 and again in 1995. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAF) is the custodian. The building is presently part of the Agriculture Museum operated by the National Museum of Science and Technology Corporation. The structure is a Level 1 cultural resource located within the Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site.

Reasons for Designation

Building #91 has been designated “Recognized” because of its historical, architectural, and environmental significance:

Historical Significance

Building #91 illustrates the dual role of the Experimental Farm Service in undertaking agricultural research and in promoting sound farming practices across Canada through the construction and operation of model farm buildings. Building #91 is intimately connected with the work of the Division of Animal Husbandry and its predecessor in carrying out swine experiments and in providing models for their optimum care and housing. Increasing emphasis on the importance of a healthy, sanitary environment for pigs led the Division to make recommendations concerning types of construction, layout and ventilation and to embody these in its own swine housing. Building #91 was constructed during the second phase of development of the CEF (1911-19), a period characterized by rapid expansion, reorganization and intense construction. It was expanded during the third phase of development at the CEF (1920-36), when increasing attention to precision in experimentation played an important part in the determination of building specifications.

Architectural Significance

In its exterior cladding, window treatment and wood trim, Building #91 conforms to the modified Shingle style utilized for early service buildings at the CEF. In the massing of its long elevations, however, it is dominated by a utilitarian medium-pitched roof and low eave line that cover both axis of the building. The building’s construction and appearance closely follow requirements promoted by the Division of Animal Husbandry for animal housing, namely, to ensure warmth, dryness, sanitation, sunlight and ventilation of both animals and feed through solid construction techniques and materials, large windows, passive ventilation systems, a slightly raised ground floor, and purpose-designed interior fittings. Farm staff contributed to the design of the both sections, thereby ensuring that practical concerns were integrated into the design.

Environmental Significance

The building site has been altered by changes in the size and configuration of the building itself, and by changes in the surrounding landscape. Pig-runs, hog sheds and unsurfaced barnyards are now paved roads, surfaced yards and grassed lawns. The original landscape has been further altered by the disappearance of adjacent buildings, the construction of newer buildings, and the alteration of the landscape from a working farm to a museum park. Its role as part of a museum has given Building #91 more visibility to a broader group of people, especially among those who visit the museum.

Character-defining Elements

The heritage character of Building #91 resides in the following character-defining elements:
- Its board and batten siding, multiple-paned windows, shingled roof, large dormers, and roof ventilators.
- The low medium-pitched gable roof carried across the entire building, punctuated by dormers with access doors to the attic storey.
- The functional requirements for a healthy and sanitary piggery promoted by the Division of Animal Husbandry, as embodied in its solid construction, concrete foundation, many large windows and natural ventilation system, including air ducts in the hayloft and ventilators on the roof.
- Extant features which speak to its original function as a working piggery, including the location of small doors leading from individual interior pens to exterior pig runs, the hayloft doors in the gable ends and dormers, and the interior space allotted to the hayloft.
- The original farm landscaping and the relationship of the piggery to other farm buildings,
including the Little Piggery (Building #91A) and the Main Barn (Building #88).
All maintenance and repair work, as well as future interventions, should respect these character-defining elements.