Description of Historic Place

The Defensible Lockmaster’s House is located on a promontory overlooking the Rideau Canal near the lock at Old Slys Lockstation, as part of the Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada. Built of rough-faced masonry blocks, it is a compact, functional structure of square plan with a hipped roof. The front façade is symmetrical, with a central single doorway flanked by casement windows. A closed, gable-fronted porch protects the front entrance. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Defensible Lockmaster’s House is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value
The Defensible Lockmaster’s House is a very good example of a building associated with the Rideau Canal and its maintenance, and as such, it played an important role in the transportation of military traffic on the canal during the 19th century as part of the military defence strategy for Canada. The Defensible Lockmaster's House at Old Slys Lockstation was built as a defensible residence in support of the military defence role of the Rideau Canal. The construction of the Old Slys lockstation prompted the development of several mills and a small community in the vicinity.

Architectural Value
The Defensible Lockmaster’s House is valued for its good aesthetic design and is one of the few defensible lockmasters' houses retaining the simple defensible design. Amongst the earliest of its type constructed on the Rideau Canal, the house represents the canal’s formative period. The interior plan reflects good functional design of this type of dwelling, as designed by the British military. Good craftsmanship can be seen in the handling of the stonework, which reflects the careful craftsmanship of the Royal Engineers.

Environmental Value
The Defensible Lockmaster’s House reinforces the historic character of its park-like setting at Old Slys Lockstation and is a familiar local landmark.

Sources: James De Jonge, Twenty Nine Buildings, Central Area, Rideau Canal, Ontario, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Building Report 91-072 to 91-081; Defensible Lockmaster’s House, Old Slys Lockstation, Rideau Canal, Ontario, Heritage Character Statement 91-075.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Defensible Lockmaster’s House should be respected.

Its good aesthetic, functional design and quality craftsmanship and materials, for example: the simple compact, one-storey massing; the hipped roof, the original roof framing and the chimney; the exterior thick limestone walls, constructed of rough-faced masonry blocks, the placement of doors and windows; the configuration of the interior.

The manner in which the Defensible Lockmaster’s House reinforces the historic character of Old Slys Lockstation and is a familiar landmark, as evidenced by: its simple design and stone masonry walls that complement the lockstation; its role as a prominent component of the lockstation that makes 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 Defensible Lockmaster's House was built at Old Slys Lockstation in 1838 by the Royal Engineers in support of the Rideau Canal system. Modifications to the interior were undertaken in the 1960s. The Canadian Parks Service is the custodial department. See FHBRO Building Report 91-75.

Reasons for Designation

The building was designated Recognized as a result of its historical associations, its functional design and craftsmanship, and the character of the site.

This defensible lockmaster's house is one of the few on the canal still retaining its original single-storey defensible design, reflecting the military role of the Rideau Canal in the defence of the united Canadas during the nineteenth century. Among the earliest of its type constructed on the Rideau Canal, the house represents the canal's formative period. The construction of the Old Slys lockstation prompted the development of several mills and a small community in the vicinity.

The house contributes significantly to the historic character of the setting.

Character Defining Elements

The heritage character of this structure is defined by its defensible design, its materials and craftsmanship, and its contribution to the environment.

The Old Slys Defensible Lockmaster's House exhibits the functional form of its building type as designed by the British military -- a single-storey, hipped-roof stone structure, with simple cubical massing and a symmetrical front facade. The building retains its original thick limestone walls and original roof framing, attesting to the military function of the structure and to the careful construction associated with the Royal Engineers.

The buildings, in a pleasant park-like setting, retains its original orientation to the canal. As a prominent component of the lockstation, it is a local landmark. The overall form, historic materials, and setting of this property should be maintained.