The Waddell sits nestled on the banks of the Ganaraska River in heritage-designated downtown Port Hope, Ontario. This beautifully restored historic hotel has all of the modern amenities yet still maintains its classic charm.

​

HISTORY AND ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS

​

Built in 1845, The Waddell Hotel building has had a rich history.  Sheriff Robert Waddell purchased the land from Elias Smith in 1844 and immediately sought proposals from the two leading Toronto architects of the day – John Howard (noted for building Colborne Lodge in Toronto High Park) and William Thomas who won the competition.

​

Thomas had recently immigrated after a successful career in England mostly as a church architect. He bid for the Nelson Monument project in London, but was unsuccessful, and shortly afterwards came to Canada. His first commission was for The Commercial Bank of the Midland District erected on Wellington Street, Toronto, in 1844.

​

The facade of this building has been preserved in the atrium of BCE Place in Toronto. Three commissions followed in 1845 – St. Michael’s Cathedral and St. Lawrence Hall, both in Toronto, and The Waddell building in Port Hope. Thomas went on to design over one hundred landmark buildings in Canada, many of which are still standing.

​

The building was designed to include a bank (The Waddell’s Bank of Montreal agency), two retail units facing Walton Street and a hotel on the upper floors. The bank faced Mill Street (where the present lobby is located) and the entrance was flanked by massive stone columns to impress patrons and project the image of a strong, reliable bank. The bank manager was housed in quarters above the bank. The hotel lobby was in a room located near the fireplace in the present dinning room. A stairway led to the hotel rooms above and access to the street was through a hallway to the center door on Walton Street. This entrance was also flanked by stone columns, albeit of less imposing nature than those of the bank. A massive bake oven was located in the basement.

​

The building features prominent chimneys, parapet end walls, a decorative cornice supported by brackets, and a rooftop cupola or lantern. Second storey windows have been eared architrave with a decorative cornice and the third storey windows are treated in a simpler fashion. Brickwork is of Flemish Bond design with rusticated stone quoins at the corners, one of which shows the building date of 1845. Since the intention was to add an adjacent block immediately to the west (the river was much narrower then), rafter pockets for the next building were built into the west wall. These were filled in with wood temporarily and can still be seen. James O’Neill was the most prominent retailer to occupy the premises and vestiges of his sign are visible on the west wall.