Ruthven

Last Friday we visited two large, but very different houses - the first was the Gothic manor, Auchmar, in Hamilton and the second was the Classical mansion, Ruthven in Cayuga, Ontario.

This large estate was built for David Thompson in 1845-1847 in a stately Classical style.  The house faces the river and is framed by a wooden temple front of the Doric order with a few flourishes.  Regular and square in plan, on both the exterior and the interior, Ruthven is completely up to date with upper class houses of the time in both Canada and in England.

The interior is elaborately decorated with Classical plaster moldings  and, most impressively, a spiraling central staircase.

The entire home is remarkably well-preserved and maintained as it is a National Historic Site - one that can be visited and toured by the public.  This is a definite must-see for anyone interested in 19th-century architecture in Ontario.