WINGHAM – The Wingham and Area Historical Society had a very successful fundraiser – Celebrate Wingham’s History – at Sacred Heart Church, Wingham on Saturday, Nov. 18.
The crowd of about 50 enjoyed delicious desserts and the splendid piano playing of Mary McIntosh while checking out a table of books for sale and many donated items in a silent auction.
The keynote speaker, architect John Rutledge, gave a very interesting, illustrated talk on the architecture of Josephine Street. He pointed out a great number of features that most of us would unknowingly walk past: truncated gables, vitriolic glass panels, transoms (both obvious and hidden), Queen Anne vs. Italianate styles, prismatic glass to throw light into dark interiors, and many other features.
For example, did you know that the maximum width of 20 feet in Wingham blocks/stores is due to the size of the trees available in Victorian times in Huron County? Rutledge noted that some buildings in Wingham have had “sympathetic”/suitable additions and renovations, while others have been less so. He pointed out that Wingham has red bricks, which are the most uniform in colour of any he has seen, and also that red bricks typically have red mortar, which is more expensive than plain mortar used for yellow (“white”) brick buildings. Rutledge also noted the precise geometrical and mathematical calculations required for the overlapping, decorative semi-circles that bricklayers created at the top of a few buildings on Josephine Street. And one entrance has a vaulted ceiling made of planks tapering lengthwise. Victorian bricklayers and carpenters were no slouches.
The afternoon ended with a lively trivia quiz with some very challenging questions. The high interest level and knowledge of those attending was obvious from the scores of nearly all participants.
The Wingham and Area Historical Society would like to thank all those who attended the fundraiser, as well as those who supported the silent auction through donations or bidding.
The next monthly Wingham and Area Historical Society meeting will be on Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. at the Alice Munro Library. The theme of the meeting will be “A Victorian Christmas,” featuring artifacts from the Huron County Museum.
Wingham and Area Historical Society Chairman Bill Farnell presents prizes to trivia contest winners Jackie Gowdy (teacher at Wingham Public in 1955), Susan Adams, and Jim Pattison. (Submitted photo)
