Description of Historic Place

The Foundry is located on an island in the Rideau River, at Merrickville Lockstation of the Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada. The rectangular, one-and-a-half storey building has a gable roof and is constructed of rubblework. Solid and sturdy in appearance, the building has simple detailing with voussoirs and dressed stone sills at the openings. The gabled façade has regular, symmetrically placed openings. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

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

Historical Value
The Foundry is a very good example of a building associated with the development of early Canadian industry, specifically iron manufacturing, and is associated with late-19th-century industrial development in Merrickville. The Foundry also has some significance because of its association with Henry Merrick (1837-1927), a local entrepreneur and politician, who redeveloped the local foundry business following his retirement from politics. It is currently used as an interpretive centre.

Architectural Value
The Foundry is valued for its good aesthetic design as seen in its utilitarian appearance reflected in the functional design similar to other industrial and milling buildings of the 1850s. Functional considerations determine the appearance, for example the symmetrical gable with upper loading doors. The functional open interior has allowed the adaptation of the interior into an interpretive centre. Good craftsmanship can be seen in the handling of the stonework and in the use of local stone and wood building materials.

Environmental Value
The Foundry reinforces the historic character of its park-like setting at the 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 Reports 91-072 to 91-081; Foundry, Lockstation Buildings, Merrickville, Ontario, Heritage Character Statement 91-078.

Character-Defining Elements

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

Its good aesthetic, functional design and quality materials and craftsmanship, for example: the simple compact, one-and-one-half storey massing; the gable roof, clad with wood shingle; the exterior walls of rubblework, the placement of the simply detailed door and windows, with voussoirs and dressed stone sills; the gabled façade with symmetrical openings, and the regular rhythm of window openings on the sides; the wooden, multi-paned double-hung windows and wood-plank doors; the simple open interior with exposed masonry walls, wood roof framing, and natural wood plank floors.

The manner in which the Foundry reinforces the historic character of its park-like setting at the Merrickville lockstation and is a familiar landmark, as evidenced by: its simple design, scale and masonry walls that contribute to the evocation of an early industrial landscape and complement its surrounding grounds; its dominant scale, and its role as an interpretation centre within the group of structures comprising the lockstation complex, that makes it familiar to local residents and visitors.

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 Foundry was probably constructed during the 1850s. The designer is unknown. Its stone masonry walls, two-and-a-half storeys high, were reconstructed in the late 1980s by Parks Canada. It is currently used as an interpretive center. Parks Canada is the custodian. See FHBRO Building Report 91-78.

Reasons For Designation

The Foundry was designated Recognized because of its historical associations and environmental significance as well as its architectural importance.

The construction of the foundry reflects the development of early Canadian industry, specifically iron manufacturing, and is associated with late-19th-century industrial development in Merrickville. The foundry also has some significance because of its association with Henry Merrick (1837-1927), a local entrepreneur and politician, who redeveloped the local foundry business following his retirement from politics.

The foundry contributes significantly to the evocation of an early industrial landscape because of its dominant scale in relation to other extant buildings. The park-like setting and surrounding grounds reinforce the importance of the building. The building is a familiar landmark to area residents and visitors in its current use as an interpretive center.

The utilitarian design of the foundry is similar to that of other industrial and milling buildings of the 1850s, with functional considerations determining in a large part the appearance of the building, such as the symmetrical gable with upper loading doors. The utilitarian use of the building is reflected in its unadorned forms, small scale, and use of local materials, stone and wood. The 1980s reconstruction maintained the early industrial requirement for open interior areas.

Character Defining Elements

The heritage character of the foundry resides in its overall form, proportions, construction materials, utilitarian architectural details, simple planning and volume, and site relationships.

The rectangular one-and-a-half storey gable-roofed building presents a simple massing and profile. The open interior areas reflect the early manufacturing functions, and the clarity of this expression should be maintained. The gabled elevation with symmetrical openings, and the regular rhythm of window openings on the sides, reinforce the utilitarian character of the design and should be respected.

The solid, sturdy appearance of the building derives from facades having few small openings in randomly laid rubble stone walls. The masonry is simply detailed, with voussoirs and dressed stone sills at the openings. The stone textures and the fine-scaled patterns of the windows and doors provide colour and textural contrasts. The wood shingled roof is a prominent feature. The utilitarian design is continued in the uncomplicated details of the wood shingle roofing, fascia, and soffits and this should be respected. The exterior materials merit conservation expertise and an on-going maintenance program.

The early 1980s reconstruction work included re-creation of traditional wood multi-paned double-hung windows and wood-plank doors following historical precedent. These should be maintained.

The simple open interior was reintroduced in the 1980s. The utilitarian, functional design of the interior is expressed with exposed masonry walls and wood roof framing, and natural wood plank floors. This character should be maintained.

The simple planting scheme which reflects the undeveloped low-scale landscape of the early industrial site is obscured on the northside by the clipped hedges. They are over-scaled and obscure the windows. When at the end of their life they should be replaced with smaller scaled plantings. The visual relationship of the foundry to the waterfront should be maintianed.