E.M. Renouf and W.S. Maxwell House(9/1908-7/1909)
1548-1550 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC, Canada
Residential, Urban house [2 semi-detached, basement, 2 floors and attic each; 1 unit: 4 bedrooms, 1 maid's room; second unit: 6 bedrooms]; brick and stone; wall bearing

Client: E.M. Renouf and W.S. Maxwell
Architect: E. & W.S. Maxwell

Description: Col. Edward Michael Renouf was born in Saint-John’s, Newfoundland in 1860. He became an important bookseller and publisher. In 1881, he joined Dr. S.E. Dawson, whom he eventually succeeded in business. In 1909, Renouf and William Maxwell built their own urban semi-detached houses in the Golden Square Mile. The result were distinctive houses with an apparent symmetry on the front façade, but totally different in the layout and program. Both houses are unified by a steep pitched roof and two projecting bay windows that correspond to the library room in the Maxwell house and to the drawing room in Renouf’s house. Flanking the bay windows, the entrance doors for each house are differentiated by broken, stone pediment crowning detail in Maxwell’s house, while in Renouf’s house small projecting shingle eaves protect the front door. Another distinctive feature that brings unity to the front façade is the different tones of yellow brick from light beige to a dark burnt orange. The brick was laid out in particular checkerboard patterns that contrast the smooth sandstone dressings. Each plan is the reflected version of the other and is separated by a masonry wall that includes the fireplaces of both houses. Although the houses each with four bedrooms are compact in nature, the rooms on the main floor are spacious. Both houses use the same principle of articulation for the plan that consist of a central hall opening onto a drawing room, dining room, library, and kitchen. Small variations regarding the location and size of the spaces differentiate the layout from one another. The spaces located at the rear living room and dining room in the Maxwell house, and the library and dining room on the Renouf side, have a splendid view of the City of Montreal. Both houses were designed with large libraries. These rooms were characterised by their cosy atmosphere. It is the most appealing area in the house, which retains some of the original furniture, ornaments, and fittings. This was William Maxwell’s favourite room and he spent a lot of time there reading and working on his designs. The charming space of the library was enhanced with wood panelling on the walls and the leaded windowpanes inset with antique European stained glass. The fireplace was designed with a prominent mantelpiece of hand-carved animal and plant forms in dark wood, contrasting with the smooth grey of the English marble surround. The first floor of each house contains the same layout of the four bedrooms and a spacious bathroom; the only difference is the location of the staircase. William Maxwell and his family became members of the Bahá’í faith, and Abdul-Bahá, a son of the faith’s founder stayed in their house for several days during 1912. Since then, their house on Pine Avenue became a national Bahá’í shrine.

Holdings: Urban house (2 semi©detached, basement, 2 floors and attic each; 1 unit: 4 bedrooms, 1 maid's room; second unit: 6 bedrooms); brick and stone; wall bearing
34 Drawings: 29 ink on linen; 5 pencil on paper
2 Sketch drawings: property, structure
11 Working drawings: foundation plans, floor plans, attic floor plans, roof plans, elevations, section
21 Detail drawings: floor plan, elevations, hall, kitchen, pantry, entry, structure, stairs, mantelpieces, chimneys, windows, bays, dormers, door, radiator screen, fittings
Comment: One of these semi-detached houses was occupied by W.S. Maxwell and his family. It became a centre for the Baha'i faith in Montreal and has subsequently been declared a Baha'i shrine.

Comments: One of these semi-detached houses was occupied by W.S. Maxwell and his family. It became a centre for the Baha'i faith in Montreal and has subsequently been declared a Baha'i shrine.