Two Guelph homes set to receive provincial heritage designation

The Dario Pagani House, named for the prominent Guelph contractor that built it in the 1930s, is believed to the first and only home designed in the Art Moderne style in the city. (Council agenda package/City of Guelph)

Guelph is poised to add two more homes to its heritage property registry.

At a planning meeting on Tuesday night, councillors approved recommendations from staff to move ahead with the process to designate an Art Moderne style home and a 159-year-old stone farmhouse under the Ontario Heritage Act.

Here’s a look at the homes:

DARIO PAGANI HOUSE

• 49 Metcalfe St.

Built in 1936 to 1937 by Guelph-based contractor Dario Pagani, this home is considered to be the first and only residence in Guelph to be designed in the Art Moderne style.

“Inspired by aerodynamic design, the Art Moderne style emphasized streamlined, curving forms, and long horizontal lines,” city staff said in a report to council.

The Dario Pagani House includes features typical of the Art Moderne style including smooth, rounded stucco walls, a flat roof with a small ledge at roofline, an asymmetrical façade, corner sash window groupings, and metal balustrades, city staff said. (Council agenda package/City of Guelph)

Pagani, an Italian immigrant, was one of Guelph’s leading building contractors from the 1930s to the 1960s.

Staff say the home represents the social and economic mobility achieved by working-class Italian immigrants in mid-20th century Guelph, noting the property stands out amid the predominantly brown yellow and red brick revival style houses that ring St. George’s Park.

“The stark white stucco walls, situation on a corner lot across from St. George’s Park, and unique Art Moderne architectural style make the residence a landmark in the neighborhood,” staff said.

"Art Moderne architecture was most frequently utilized for institutional and commercial constructions, making the Dario Pagani house a rare example of Art Moderne residential architecture," city staff said in a report. (Council agenda package/City of Guelph)

JAMES HANLON FARMHOUSE

• 331 Clair Rd. E.

City staff say this stone farmhouse, built in 1864 by James Hanlon, is a “representative example of the Ontario farmhouse form and style that was popular in the second half of the 19th century.”

It belonged to the Hanlons, an important Irish settler family in the Puslinch and Guelph area.

The farmhouse was built using coursed limestone and granite fieldstone. (Council agenda package/City of Guelph)

The rear facade of the James Hanlon Farmhouse shows a summer kitchen and side porch. (Council agenda package/City of Guelph)