Hart House (University of Toronto)


Hart House is a student activity centre of the University of Toronto on its St. George campus in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1919, it is one of the earliest North American student centres, being the location of student debates and conferences since its construction. Hart House was initiated and financed by Vincent Massey, an alumnus and benefactor of the university, and was named in honour of his grandfather, Hart Massey. The Collegiate Gothic-revival complex was the work of architect Henry Sproatt, who worked alongside decorator Alexander Scott Carter, and engineer Ernest Rolph, and subsequently designed the campanile at its southwestern corner, Soldiers' Tower. In 1957, the house hosted future U.S. President John F. Kennedy.

History

As an undergraduate, Vincent Massey read history and English at University College in the University of Toronto, and then completed graduate studies in history at Balliol College, Oxford. Upon his return to Canada, he sought to bring a unifying, communitarian spirit to the highly independent colleges of the University of Toronto, inspired by the social and recreational life that he observed at Oxford's colleges. Massey, who in 1908 had become a trustee of his family estate, offered to establish a structure devoted to extracurricular activities at the university, an idea that was embraced by the university's governors. The land on which the building exists was close to the McCaul's pond, which was buried along with Taddle Creek in 1886.
When construction began in 1911, the trustees of the Massey estate had budgeted $300,000 for the project. Working without a master plan, Massey and his architect continued to adopt new ideas and expand existing ones as construction progressed. By the time of its completion in 1919, the cost of the building had soared to $2 million.
Hart House was built during the Gothic Revival era. Originally, Gothic architecture was associated with cathedrals. The Gothic cathedral was built at a large scale. When the style had first gained its momentum in England and France, the large churches were encrusted with decoration. This decoration depicted biblical events through images so that even the illiterate could dwell in the ideals of religion. Originally, the church developed universities. Hart House is intended to evoke that history. The building is made up of corridors flanked by rooms with high ceilings and sculptural detailing.
Massey's donation stipulated that the building was to be used only by men, as he felt that a coeducational facility would ruin the sense of collegiality that he hoped to create. Beginning in the 1950s, this restriction created much controversy, as women demanded admission. Until the end of his life Massey stood by his original conditions, although some progress did occur. In 1954 the Arbor room coffee shop was constructed, which was the first co-educational space in Hart House. Additionally, in 1958 the first debate was held which women were allowed to attend, although they were segregated behind a rope and not allowed to speak. After Vincent Massey's death in 1967 the Stewards and administrators of Hart House had Massey's deed of gift altered to allow women to become members. Since 1972, women have been able to fully participate in the House's activities.
During John F. Kennedy's debate with Stephen Lewis at Hart House on 14 November 1957, Kennedy said "I personally rather approve of keeping women out of these places." He also said, "It's a pleasure to be in a country where women cannot mix in everywhere".

First Commonwealth Conference

The first unofficial Commonwealth conference was held at Hart House from the 11-21 September 1933 organised by the Canadian Institute of International Affairs and the UK Royal Institute of International Affairs at the invitation of one of the delegates Vincent Massey. Chaired by former Canadian Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden with Arnold Toynbee as Recorder. All the then Commonwealth nations were present with 77 international delegates. There were seven Commonwealth countries at the time: Canada, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa and the Irish Free State. There is a photograph of the delegates in the Debating Chamber of the building. These conferences then occurred irregularly around the Commonwealth in succeeding years until the official Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings began.

Architecture

Hart House is large in comparison to the buildings surrounding it such as Wycliffe College and the Stewart Observatory. In keeping with the Gothic form, the building is presented as larger in height than in width, which gives an even greater sense of grandeur to those standing at its base. From the exterior, a repetition of large windows can be seen along the northern and southern sides, matched with stout exterior protrusions accentuating the end of one section of the building and the beginning of another. The contours of the building are jagged, emphasizing the Gothic form and giving Hart House the profile of an academic institution of that time period.
A variety of intimate details can also be found in the interior. Below grade, backstage, at the rear wall of the theatre, there are scars formed by service ammunition, giving the building a sense of character. There are also elements forged into the walls of the building, like the first occupants of the house, who are remembered on the south façade, as well as carvings over the bay windows of the map room which depict the principal units that were stationed there during the war. The Great Hall holds another souvenir, inconsistent with the Gothic setting: one of the stone corbels has been carved to represent an officer cadet of 1916 in uniform, carrying his field pack and rifle.
Hart House is an example of Gothic Revival architecture as it is asymmetrical with pointed arches and windows, extensive ornamentation, steeply pitched roofs and a tall tower. It is also a late collegiate Gothic building because of its late erection date, 1919. The building consists of four wings around a quadrangle with a four-peaked tower extended from the south west corner. Although Hart House appears to be of masonry construction, it is actually structural steel and precast concrete with grey sandstone cladding. The roofs are barrel vaulted wood beams. Wood and stone are the main materials used in this building.

Composition

The majority of elements within Hart House hint at the Perpendicular style of Gothic architecture and thus generally line up in a row. Arches and vaults are the dominant structural form, however, there are parts of the building that employ lintels to create open spaces with flat ceilings. The ceilings in the corridors and many rooms such as the Upper Gallery of the Great Hall are vaults with ridge ribs, but of particular emphasis is the treatment of the library ceiling that uses decorative Lierne ribs, which can also be seen in the entrance vaults. The general shape of the frontispieces and what appear to be Tudor-like archways mirror the shape of the chimney arches, while the decorative cinquefoil shapes used for the windows can also be seen in the woodwork of doors and trusses. The main entrance on the south side, the entrance on the west side, and the entire east wall is treated with a Perpendicular style parapet of battlements. The Gothic nature of the structure is emphasized through the structural systems, layout, and ornamentation, while the weight of stone is de-emphasized through its decoration, and its contrast with the thin stained-glass windows.
Close to the Romanesque-building style, Gothic, or Gothic-revival style uses stone masonry to build. The use of rocky dark sandstone and limestone materials contrasted greatly with the smooth brick lining inside, the pointed-arch shape dominating the windows and doors and hallways. The porch is another Gothic-revival element that architect Henry Sproatt added, a protected space in front of the main entrances for people to hide in case of bad weather. The addition of decorated wooden arch-braces and ceilings act like an acoustical amplifier for the Hart House Orchestra.
Even though the detail of the Gothic style is much simpler than the Romanesque style, it still has decorative stone and wood carvings inside and outside the building. On the south side of the building there is a line of miniature human head sculptures made out of stone near the top of the building. There are also stone lions and monkeys that are on the outside of the main doors one at each side. The arch braces on the flat roofs of the east hall ways have carved decorations on them. The windows have clover like decorations near the top. Even the school crest and motto is carved onto the façade of Hart House. These carvings are a beautiful addition aesthetically to the building.

Governance

"Hart House's system of governance is based on a commitment to collaborative and democratic decision-making." It is governed by the Board of Stewards, a deliberative body composed of the student secretaries of the standing committees of the House; a representative from the Finance Committee; the University of Toronto campus student governments; the chair of the Alumni Committee; a senior member from Recreational Athletics; the President of the University ; two appointees of the President; one appointee of the Governing Council; and the warden, who serves as the chief administrative officer of the house. In October 2022, Sherry Kulman was appointed Interim Warden, succeeding John F. Monahan. The Board of Stewards is responsible for the use of space in the house, approving the House's finances, and working with the warden to determine the strategic vision of Hart House. Students are a majority of the members of the Board of Stewards.

List of wardens

  • Walter F. Bowles
  • J. Burgon Bickersteth
  • * seconded to duties in England with first Canadian Army HQ in England and later the British Army advising on troop training
  • Nicholas Ignatieff – died from a heart attack
  • Joseph McCulley
  • E. Arnold Wilkinson
  • J. G. Langelle
  • Richard M. H. Alway
  • Paul McCann
  • Peter Turner
  • Margaret Hancock
  • Louise Cowin
  • Bruce Kidd
  • John F. Monahan
  • Sherry Kulman
  • David Kim