ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Over the years, the industries created by Francis R. Clergue came to be regarded as the nexus of local industrial enterprise. Although most of the buildings associated with the industries were dramatically altered or expanded in order to keep pace with growth and development, the buildings of what was formerly the Consolidated Lake Superior Company but is now St. Mary's Paper remain standing. The buildings were constructed of red sandstone that was excavated from the Canadian lock during its construction phase. The Office Building is the most prominent of the remaining buildings. It is a two and a half storey structure with a full basement and a hipped roof. It was constructed of squared rubble sandstone and incorporates a number of architectural styles. The main facade has a three bay window arrangement on the first and second storeys. Large gable-end dormers project from the east and west from the roof. The north and south walls have multi-storey projecting bays comprising of single bays flanked by a central four bay section topped with a single hipped dormer and large projecting eave. The base of the building projects out slightly from the wall plane which is carried out around the entire building. There is a band of large stones at the top of this base which forms the sill of all the first storey windows. Above the front door there is a half-round fan light window that consists of a single pane of glass. The front door is flanked by two large stone pilasters. Each pilaster is supported by rounded stone corbels that project out of the stone band. They extend upward to the level of the sills on the second floor and are topped by rounded stones. The main story windows are decorated in the same manner as the front door. Below the spring of the arch is a bay window element with a central pane and two smaller side elements angling in towards the inner wall. The second floor windows are arranged symmetrically but are of an entirely different design. Each large window is divided into three rectangular elements by two stone mullions. There is a transom bar creating small square windows above each rectangular one. Other buildings which remain on the site include the Blacksmith Shop, the Machine Shop and the Sulphite Mill. Built in 1900, the Machine Shop is a two-storied building measuring one hundred and fifty feet by one hundred feet. It features large projecting turrets at each corner and large round arch windows on the first floor of each turret. These turrets were originally topped with battlements which have since been removed. The roof is flat. The Blacksmith Shop is attached to the Machine Shop at the southwest comer. It was probably built at the same time as the Machine Shop or shortly thereafter. It is a single storey building with a monitor roof. The west facade consists of three bays, the centre one large enough to accommodate the movement of large machinery and equipment. The arch above the central bay is decorated with radiating voussoirs. Above the arch on the gable end of the roof section are four rectangular windows decorated by plain stone lintels and a continuous sill. Each pilaster is topped by a stone block and topping the bay itself is a pediment-like parapet. This building has been greatly altered. It is now surrounded by sheds as well as additions to the building itself The Sulphite Plant has also been significantly altered. Originally, it was a large and stately sandstone building that towered over the other buildings. The mill building was divided into three sections: a tall multi-storied section with a three storied section attached to one side and a two-storied section attached in a step-like fashion. The tower was subsequently divided into two sections. Each section was of equal height however the fenestration and decoration of the south tower is smaller. The north tower is decorated by two monumental round beaded stone arches that extend up three levels to the fourth storey. The fifth level is very tall and consists of three central bays of two blind windows each. At each comer is a slightly projecting crenellated turret. The top of the building is also crenellated. A row of stone corbels is placed between the fourth and fifth levels. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Apart from their historic significance, the St. Mary's Paper buildings with their Gothic-Romanesque decoration are unique examples of industrial architecture. In an age when most industrial buildings are plain and merely functional, these buildings create a stark contrast. Each building on its own is worthy of preservation. Taken as a collectivity, however, the number of buildings, the individuality of each, the harmony as between them and the repetition of the decorative motifs gives St. Mary's Paper a special place in the field of industrial architecture in Ontario. Before the Arrival of Francis H. Clergue | The Industrialization Process | The Collapse of the Clergue Industrial Empire | Architectural Description