Two homes in Guelph to receive provincial heritage designation

A pair of homes in Guelph were recently approved for provincial heritage designation.

A planning meeting was held on Tuesday and city council unanimously approved the recommendation.

The two houses that received approval are located at 49 Metcalfe St. and 331 Clair Rd. E.

Heritage planner Jack Mallon said the residence on Metcalfe was recognized due to its architectural significance and the representation of the social mobility of Italian immigrants in the mid-20th century.

It’s the only art moderne house in the city and it was designed by Italian immigrant and Guelph-based contractor Dario Pagani.

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Mallon said the design is a type of art-deco architecture, commonly seen in the United States.

“He actually built 49 Metcalfe to be a showroom that he could use to show prospective clients what type of buildings he could do,” Mallon said.

“It’s common in the southwestern United States and the southeastern United States, but it’s definitely a rarity, not only in Guelph but in the province of Ontario.”

The second home is the James Hanlon farmhouse, built over 100 years ago.

Mallon said the farmhouse remains in remarkable shape.

“There’s a proposal to build a townhouse development on that site. So, we’ve been working with the property owners to come up with a plan to conserve the house and to allow for housing to be built on the properties,” he said.

He said the house will be moved elsewhere on the property and act as an amenity space for future condo development.

Right now, there are no plans regarding the Pagani-designed house as the owners are content where they are.

Guelph will be losing its municipal register due to changes in the Heritage Act through Bill 23, resulting in 1,700 properties losing their heritage protection at the end of 2024.

Mallon said the city will be doing many more designations in the coming years and try to do as many as it can.