L.H. Timmins House(8/1911-11/1914)
4686 Westmount Avenue [4 Park Crescent], Westmount, QC, Canada
Residential, Urban house [detached, basement, 2 floors, attic]; brick wall bearing

Client: L.H. Timmins
Architect: E. & W.S. Maxwell

Description: L. Henry Timmins, was the brother of Noah A. Timmins, a mining operator, who was born at Mattawa, Ontario. The brothers acquired the La Rose mine at Cobalt in 1903. Six years later they developed with their associates the Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines in Porcupine County amassing a large fortune. In 1911, L. Henry Timmins, engaged the Maxwell brothers to design his urban house in Westmount, Quebec. In the two decades after 1902, the Maxwells’ office became more influenced by William and his design philosophy. William had a stronger artistic discipline, whereby the enrichment of a design was frequently the collaborative work between artist and craftsman. In some projects, sculptors from Europe and New York were brought to Montreal. The Timmins residence is a good example of William’s mastery of Beaux-Arts design. The elevations of the front brick façade show a mansion developed with neo-classical details. A projecting portico with a balustrade and two giant Ionic pilasters marks the main entrance. The main wing of the house follows a symmetrical composition under a gable roof crowned by a balustrade and segmental dormers. French windows with shutters are aligned horizontally and vertically. The whole composition is enhanced with pediments and stone pilasters at the corners of the building. The plan is composed of two rectangular wings. The main wing was built following the Maxwells’ formula of articulating the layout around a spacious hall that opens onto a dining room, drawing room, and library. Both the drawing room and dining space have bow windows, which open onto a south-facing verandah. The adjacent wing, capped with a gambrel roof with flat dormers, contains the service facilities including the kitchen, servants’ hall, pantry, and an immense billiard room. Both wings are joined together through the conservatory located at the south side. The spacious first floor contains six bedrooms and four bathrooms. Special care was given to the columns for the verandah and porte-cochère as well as the window’s transoms and keystones, which were designed following a strict detailing method. Other remarkable details of this house are the fireplaces, especially the elaborate mantelpiece for the dining room, composed of classical details, which include pilasters, garlands, floral ornaments, and mahogany panels.

Holdings: Urban house (detached, basement, 2 floors, attic); brick wall bearing
88 Drawings: 74 ink on linen; 2 ink on paper; 4 pencil on paper; 8 blueprints
1 Survey drawing: property plan
9 Working drawings: floor plans, attic floor plan, elevations, section
78 Detail drawings: property plan, floor plans, attic floor plans, elevations, sections, vestibule, conservatory, billiard room, library, dining room, drawing room, wine room, store room, coal room, washrooms, entry, structure, columns, staircases, fireplace, mantelpieces, chimneys, flues, dormers, doors, radiator seats, furniture, radiator screens, railing, fittings, fixtures, finishes, brickwork, woodwork, plate glass mirrors, leaded glass, ornamentation, porte cochère, fountain