65 Champlain Road - Bulkley Division
The Robert Gardiner House was the first summer cottage constructed in St. Andrews. Originally a two storey colonial cottage, later additions of Maxwell design in 1908 and by others in the 1950s contribute to its unique architectural style. The veranda supported by doric columns, octagonal two-storey turret, second storey projection over the entrance and large stained-glass windows are a notable features. An adjacent Greek Revival carriage house carries some of the same exterior qualities.
The Robert Gardiner House is also recognized for its association with early owners. Mr. Robert Gardiner was born in Troy, New York, in 1842. In 1873, he moved to Boston, and in 1883 he started the Rand Avery Supply Company, which printed railway tickets and menus. He and his family had spent many summers in St. Andrews, usually staying at the Argyll Hotel. One summer, Mr. Gardiner and Mr. F. W. Cram, manager of the New Brunswick Railway, came up with the idea of making St. Andrews as a summer resort. As a result, the Algonquin Hotel Company, the Chamcook Water Company, and the St. Andrews Land Company, of which Mr. Gardiner was Vice President, were formed. Mr. Gardiner played a major role in the development of St. Andrews: he was the one who started the golf course and he personally donated the clubhouse. It is also rumoured that Mr. Gardiner, with his connections to railroad companies obtained though his work, was the one that convinced Sir William Van Horne to spend his summers in town.
Mr. Gardiner hired the Winslow and Wetherell architects from Boston, and in 1893 the first summer cottage in St. Andrews, named Hillside, was complete. He continued to summer there until he died of a stroke on March 8th, 1899. After his death, one of his three daughters, Mrs. Alice T. Payne, continued to summer in St. Andrews until the house was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gill of Ottawa in 1908.
Mr. Robert Gill immediately hired the Maxwell architects of Montreal to modify the house. The modifications include an octagonal addition, a new rectangular wing, and the central hip-roofed bay. The Gill Family enjoyed their time in St. Andrews, in a house that they had renamed Gillcairn, and they visited regularly until it was sold in 1956 to General and Mrs. James A. Van Fleet. General Van Fleet also made modifications to the Robert Gardiner House, and while the family was waiting for the work to be completed, the General bought Curtis Wells house at Dominion Hill. General Van Fleet, born in 1892, was raised in Florida and became a soldier serving in World War II. After the War, he was stationed in Frankfurt, and during the Korean War, from 1951 to 1953, he commanded the United Nations forces. He lived to see his 100th birthday, before passing away in September 1992. The house then became the property of the General’s daughter, Dempsie Catherine, and her husband Major General J. A. McChristian.
The character-defining elements of this residence include:
Other Names: Hillside, Gillcairn
Sources: Willa Walker "Summers in St. Andrews"; John Leroux "St. Andrews architecture 1604-1966"; Charlotte County Archives
The Robert Gardiner House is also recognized for its association with early owners. Mr. Robert Gardiner was born in Troy, New York, in 1842. In 1873, he moved to Boston, and in 1883 he started the Rand Avery Supply Company, which printed railway tickets and menus. He and his family had spent many summers in St. Andrews, usually staying at the Argyll Hotel. One summer, Mr. Gardiner and Mr. F. W. Cram, manager of the New Brunswick Railway, came up with the idea of making St. Andrews as a summer resort. As a result, the Algonquin Hotel Company, the Chamcook Water Company, and the St. Andrews Land Company, of which Mr. Gardiner was Vice President, were formed. Mr. Gardiner played a major role in the development of St. Andrews: he was the one who started the golf course and he personally donated the clubhouse. It is also rumoured that Mr. Gardiner, with his connections to railroad companies obtained though his work, was the one that convinced Sir William Van Horne to spend his summers in town.
Mr. Gardiner hired the Winslow and Wetherell architects from Boston, and in 1893 the first summer cottage in St. Andrews, named Hillside, was complete. He continued to summer there until he died of a stroke on March 8th, 1899. After his death, one of his three daughters, Mrs. Alice T. Payne, continued to summer in St. Andrews until the house was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gill of Ottawa in 1908.
Mr. Robert Gill immediately hired the Maxwell architects of Montreal to modify the house. The modifications include an octagonal addition, a new rectangular wing, and the central hip-roofed bay. The Gill Family enjoyed their time in St. Andrews, in a house that they had renamed Gillcairn, and they visited regularly until it was sold in 1956 to General and Mrs. James A. Van Fleet. General Van Fleet also made modifications to the Robert Gardiner House, and while the family was waiting for the work to be completed, the General bought Curtis Wells house at Dominion Hill. General Van Fleet, born in 1892, was raised in Florida and became a soldier serving in World War II. After the War, he was stationed in Frankfurt, and during the Korean War, from 1951 to 1953, he commanded the United Nations forces. He lived to see his 100th birthday, before passing away in September 1992. The house then became the property of the General’s daughter, Dempsie Catherine, and her husband Major General J. A. McChristian.
The character-defining elements of this residence include:
- large Doric columns supporting a wide verandah
- 2nd storey projection, above front entrance, supports a small wooden railed balcony
- 9 over 1 vertical slide wood framed windows flank balcony door
- doric pilasters support a pediment above balcony entrance
- shingles form a diamond design in tympanum of pediment
- brackets along roof-line over the verandah
- large stained glass windows
- two storey turret with belt cornice dividing the stories. Belt cornice is supported by Doric pilasters
- gabled, hipped, and gambrel roofs
- small saw-tooth design (shingle width) over rear windows
- many original multi-paned windows
- wooden doors
- wood shingle cladding
Other Names: Hillside, Gillcairn
Sources: Willa Walker "Summers in St. Andrews"; John Leroux "St. Andrews architecture 1604-1966"; Charlotte County Archives
