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• 1 2022-02-22T13:00:20-08:00 The Waterworks: Ornament 3 Examining the Classical Features of the Exterior plain 2022-03-16T13:17:57-07:00
  Taking a close look at the exterior of the Carleton Place Waterworks, one notices the influence of classical architecture. Composed of two simple rectangular shapes, the Waterworks building has a symmetrical main façade, and large rectangular windows frame the centre door, all of which are separated by engaged columns that reach from the bottom of the windows to the architrave. The columns and windows are raised off the ground slightly, and an architrave and cornice wrap around the top of the building. A sign above the door reads, ‘Carleton Place Waterworks 1914.’ These components wrap around the entirety of the structure, providing an ornamental and classically inspired exterior to a utility building. As demonstrated in other 19th and 20th century Canadian civic buildings, the classical style holds symbolic meaning, and the Waterworks building is no exception. To explore this idea, we will now examine how structures such as the Waterworks are understood in its classical form.  
• 1 2022-02-22T12:59:57-08:00 Bringing it Together 2 Riverside Parks: Cultural Landscape plain 2022-03-16T13:31:00-07:00 Slightly down the river from the Carleton Place Waterworks, and connected by a trail, is the main portion of Riverside Park. Within the landscape, the park and Waterworks exist alongside one another with the Waterworks situated on the outskirts of the park. As we have seen, Canadian cities and towns introduced parks as a response to industrial progress as parks serve as quick escapes from the city, which provide space for leisure, community gathering, and scenic viewing. In Carleton Place, the park space is used for fundraisers, tree-planting, sporting events, and more. Visitors to the park act upon the land in such a way that Riverside Park becomes part of the town’s cultural landscape, building a sense of community.
  
  The Waterworks structure down the trail represents the town’s growth and prosperity as well, albeit in a different manner. Crucially, the Waterworks provides infrastructure and service to various buildings throughout the town. Although the impact of the Waterworks building to the cultural landscape is unseen, its classical exterior is emblematic of town prosperity. A large sum of money was at stake when McAllister brought the Waterworks to life (The Citizen, October 18, 1907), and a workforce of immigrants was introduced to the town to complete the work expediently (Carleton Place Local History). These were grand decisions for the town, so an equally grand style was used, similar to the RC Harris Water Treatment Plant in Toronto. This style also lends itself to maintaining the pleasant scenery promoted by the park, by disguising the function of the Waterworks within a classically inspired structure. It is ultimately through the classical exterior that the Waterworks building is able to sit alongside Riverside Park and be a part of the cultural landscape that the park promotes and performs.