Roddick Gates, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
N 45° 30.249 W 073° 34.473
18T E 611357 N 5039945
The Roddick Gates on Sherbrooke Street Montreal are at the main entrance to McGill University, in Montreal, Quebec
Waymark Code: WMFNBA
Location: Québec, Canada
Date Posted: 11/08/2012
Views: 56
McGill University,, with its main address at 845 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0G4, was founded in 1821, although the first classes were given at
Burnside, the gated home of James McGill, Under the principalship of Sir William Dawson (from 1855) the campus grew with donations of wealthy Montrealers such as Sir William Molson, Sir William Macdonald, Sir Peter Redpath and Lord Strathcona. In Dawson's time, there was a picket fence around the hole lower campus with the gate marked off by
arched hedges. In the late 1800s the gates were of carved stone lacing. From the 1880's it became fashionable to use the gates or gatehouse as a backdrop for family portraits. In 1924, permanent and monumental
entrance gates were built by a donation from Lady Amy Redpath Roddick in memory of her husband, Sir Thomas George Roddick. Sir Thomas (Dr. Roddick) was dean of the Faculty of Medicine from 1901 to 1908 and was renown for instigating the regular practice of sterile surgery using antiseptics. The gates included a chimed clock because Sir Thomas was extremely punctual. The wrought iron gates and columns were designed by
Gratton Thompson who chose a Classical Greek style with colonnaded arms. The base and sidewalk are of Deschambault limestone, while the remainder of the stone is dark grey Indiana limestone. The design enclosed, but showcased the beautiful grounds within. The top portion bearing the crest disappeared sometime around the 1950s. One iron gate bears the crest of McGill with three martlets while the other gate features the year '1924'.