Description of Historic Place

Located on one of the many islands on Big Rideau Lake, the Cottage on Colonel By Island overlooks rolling lawns that slope down to the water. The International Style building is a single storey, flat roofed bungalow with large fieldstone chimneys and a strong horizontal massing emphasised by deeply projecting eaves. Floor-to-ceiling windows stretch along the main elevation. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Cottage is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value
The Cottage is a very good example of a building associated with the development of Canadian tourism. Built for wealthy American entrepreneur Daniel Arnstein, the cottage is an excellent example of a Canadian summer home of wealthy and prominent Americans situated in a rural setting. As such it is associated with the development of tourism and the evolution of recreation-oriented areas. The building was later acquired by Parks Canada and is now used as a caretaker's residence and public washrooms.

Architectural Value
The Cottage is valued for its very good aesthetic design. As a relatively early and very good example of the International Style, the building displays many of the characteristics of the style in its residential design on both the exterior and interior, and also in some of the adaptations such as the use of regional materials for a cottage locale. It is characterized by strong horizontal massing with intersecting elements, a prominent roofline, tapering piers and the use of stone and wood. The large uninterrupted interior spaces and clearly expressed volumes exhibit very good functional design. Very good craftsmanship can be seen in the handling of the fieldstone masonry of the chimneys.

Environmental Value
The Cottage maintains an unchanged relationship of its lakeside site, is compatible with the present rural, recreation oriented character Colonel By Island, and is a familiar landmark to local residents, vacationers, and visitors.

Sources: Shannon Ricketts, Cottage, Colonel By Island, Rideau Canal, Ontario, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Building Report 88-148; Colonel By Island Cottage, Big Rideau Lake, Rideau Canal, Ontario, Heritage Character Statement 88-148.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Cottage should be respected.

Its very good aesthetic, very good functional design and very good quality materials and craftsmanship, for example: the single storey, horizontal massing and the tripartite composition; the post and beam construction method with curtain walls; the flat, stepped roof and the deeply projecting eaves; the exterior walls of fumed, grained plywood; the large floor to ceiling windows along the main elevation; the two large fieldstone chimneys that provide interior spatial divisions; the interior’s open plan configuration in three main elements - service area, bedroom wing and the public spaces, the interior finishes and built in furnishings.

The manner in which the Cottage on Colonel By Island maintains an unchanged relationship to its lakeside site, is compatible with the present rural, recreation oriented character of Colonel By Island, as evidenced by: its ongoing relationship to the rolling lawns that slope down to the water; its overall scale, design and materials that complement the recreational/lakeside setting; its role as accommodation for Parks Canada employees, and its use as washrooms and its historical associations that make it a local landmark.

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.

The cottage at Colonel By Island was constructed in 1949 as a vacation retreat by Daniel Arnstein to designs prepared by Horace Roberts. The building was later acquired by Parks Canada and is now used as a caretaker's residence and public washrooms. The Environment Canada Parks Service is the custodian of the building.
See FHBRO Building Reports 88-148 and 88-148 (supplementary).

Reason for Designation

The building was designated Recognized because of its historical associations, its architectural significance, and its environmental qualities.

The cottage is an excellent example of a Canadian summer home of wealthy and prominent Americans situated in a rural setting. As such it is associated with the development of tourism and the evolution of recreation-oriented areas.

A relatively early and very good example of the International Style, the building displays many of the characteristics of the style as found in residential design on both the exterior and interior, including some adaptations, through the use of materials, to a cottage locale.

The site, practically unaltered, retains most of its original character.

Character Defining Elements

The heritage value of Colonel By Island Cottage resides in the quality of its International Style architecture and planning, the materials of its construction and in the quality of its environment.

The cottage is a single storey building with strong horizontal massing with intersecting elements placed at right angles in both plan and elevation. The building's horizontality is emphasized by its linear, stepped roof planes, deeply projecting eaves and the terrace. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows stretch along the main elevation. Two large fieldstone chimneys provide contrast in form, composition and materials.

The architecture of the interior - planning, layout, finishes, details and fittings - is as significant as that of the exterior. The building plan has three main elements - service area, bedroom wing and the public spaces. The focal point of the interior is the living room/dining room area one space running into the other, typical of International Style planning. The massive fieldstone fireplaces are the major architectural features in this area and provide the major spatial divisions.

The cottage employs fine craftsmanship from its period. The use of some regional materials - fieldstone masonry, fumed grained plywood, subtly refer the building to the locale and the cottage function for which it was built.

It is important that both the overall design and individual elements of the building be carefully protected as an integrated expression of International Style architecture with its characteristic massing, planning and materials. Original materials including the walls, windows, interior finishes and remaining built-in furnishings should be conserved and repaired with priority given to the preservation of original fabric. The interior of the building would be considerable enhanced by the reinstatement of original colours.

The environment of the Colonel By Island cottage is characterized by cleared, rolling lawns which slope down to the water offering fine views from the large glazed public rooms of the building.