A Gothic Revival House in Red River
Maple Grove is described as a 2½-storey stone house with simple Gothic Revival styling. In a region where many early stone houses followed more restrained Georgian forms, Maple Grove stood out as something more current and fashionable for its time. Manitoba’s Historic Resources Branch notes that, by Red River standards, its design was notably progressive, while Historic Places describes it as a simpler local version of the Gothic Revival style then seen elsewhere in eastern Canada and Britain.
The Gothic Revival character of the house can be seen in its irregular lines, steeply pitched roof, and multiple gables. Rather than the strict symmetry often associated with earlier Georgian design, Maple Grove presents a more varied silhouette and a more romantic, picturesque appearance. Those qualities helped make the home visually distinctive within the Red River settlement landscape.
Built of Local Stone
One of Maple Grove’s most striking features is its masonry. The house was built of light-coloured stone, carefully laid in rough horizontal courses, with substantial walls that still give the house its sense of permanence and strength. Historic Places identifies Maple Grove as an exceptional example of the increasingly rare vernacular fieldstone structures once common in the former Red River Settlement, and credits stonemason Duncan McRae as the builder.
Its setting is also part of its significance. The house stands between River Road and the Red River, in a corridor where several important historic buildings remain, including St. Andrew’s-on-the-Red Anglican Church and the Rectory. Seen in this context, Maple Grove is part of a larger historic landscape rather than an isolated landmark.
Exterior Details
The heritage description of Maple Grove highlights several character-defining exterior elements: its multi-gable roof, cedar shingles, double-hung windows, and wooden casings painted green in contrast with the pale stone walls. The window openings are accented by rough limestone lintels, adding texture and craftsmanship to the façade. Together, these details give the house a dignified but still practical appearance, suited to a prosperous family home in 19th-century Red River.
Although the house was expanded in the 1920s, the original 1866 section remains central to its heritage value. The historic record distinguishes the earlier box-shaped volume with Gothic Revival features from the later addition, allowing visitors to see how the house evolved over time while still preserving its original identity.
Inside the House
Inside, Maple Grove combines modesty with refinement. Historic Places notes features such as a winding staircase with a carved balustrade, mouldings, and metal heating grates, while the site pamphlet explains that the main-floor rooms are furnished to suggest how they may have looked during the 1870s and 1880s, when Captain William Kennedy and his family lived there.
The furnished rooms are described as representing a combination of period styles, rather than a single rigid decorative scheme. This is important, because homes like Maple Grove were not showrooms; they were lived-in spaces that reflected changing tastes, available goods, practical needs, and the personal lives of the people who occupied them. Textiles, furnishings, and household objects together help create an impression of late 19th-century Red River domestic life.
