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Cornerstones Of Order: Courthouses And Town Halls Of Ontario, 1784-1914

1982

by Marion MacRae And Anthony Adamson. Published with Clarke Irwin Inc., 1982.

Cornerstones of Order: Courthouses and Town Halls of Ontario 1784-1914 by Marion MacRae and Anthony Adamson was the second volume in the Society’s publication series. The Society was delighted to be associated in this publication with these two distinguished authors, who had already left their mark on the socio-architectural history of Canada. Cornerstones is a volume of enduring interest and beauty, a visual treat, accompanied by a text which places Ontario’s public buildings and courthouses fully within the context of evolving events and traditions.In this study of our socio-architectural traditions and in the splendid accompanying photographs by Emel Erkan and others, a unique and vital aspect of our past comes alive again for our enjoyment and appreciation.

Reviews of Cornerstones Of Order: Courthouses And Town Halls Of Ontario, 1784-1914

Cornerstones of Order is a handsomely crafted study of local authority in nineteenth-century Ontario, composed by artisans adept at extracting the richness and even some fun, from a stern-sounding subject.... Court watching was entertainment; likewise this book.... Dip in anywhere for a lucid synopsis in a few paragraphs .... Cornerstones of Order induces speculative thoughts about generic Ontario, cheerfully carrying one further along the detective's path towards unveiling the essence of the place. Thomas F. MacIlwraith, Canadian Historical Review, vol 66, 1985
At once an affectionate and authoritative history of Ontario's legal administration buildings, Cornerstones of Order will be especially welcome by those whose working life was spent in one or more of Ontario's town halls and courthouses .... MacRae's meticulous research is brought alive by anecdotes and historical vignettes .... The result is a book that is at once academically sound and easy to read. Paul Heron, Canadian Lawyer, vol 7, 1983

Marion MacRae

Marion MacRae was a leading architectural and design historian known particularly for series of books on the history of architecture in Ontario written in collaboration with Anthony Adamson: The Ancestral Roof, Hallowed Walls, and Cornerstones Of Order. For her work on these books Ms. MacRae was awarded a Governor General’s Literary Award (1975), a Lieutenant… Read more »

Anthony Adamson (1906 – 2002)

Anthony Patrick Cawthra Adamson was a leading expert in Ontario’s architectural heritage. He began his career as an architect, but proceeded to work as a professor at the University of Toronto (1955-1965), a town planner and a municipal reeve for the Township of Toronto (now Mississauga). He was the chief designer of Upper Canada Village… Read more »

Contents:

CONTENTS

Preface vii

ONE The Law and the Empty Land 3
TWO A House for the Court 19
THREE The Gentlemanly Art of Building 37
FOUR Reform and Rebellion: A Tale of Three Cities 67
FIVE The Topless Towers of Upper Canada 93
SIX The Grand Manner in Canada West 121
SEVEN A Question of Taste 157
EIGHT Grass Roots Conservatives 199
NINE Confident Ontario 219

Commentary 255
Glossary 277
Acknowledgments 279
Index 281