Castle Kilbride

       Recently, we went to visit an interesting site near Kitchener called Castle Kilbride. It was the residence of  James Livingston who was born in Scotland in a town called Kilbride who moved to Canada. This is how it got its name.
       It was constructed in Baden, Ontario in 1877. Its major feature is the interior decorative murals done in the style of the Italian Renaissance. A technique called trompe-l'oeil is used which gives the murals a 3-D effect by means of painted shadows.
       Livingston and his brother John grew flax which was used in hemp for clothing and in linseed oil for oil based paints. Because of the Civil War in the States, a lot of cotton had been used for uniforms and linens, causing a shortage of cotton, so the flax was needed as an alternative.
       The two brothers started a company called 'J&J Livingston Dominion Linseed Oil Company'. It was from the proceeds of this venture that money was available to build the castle. With the development of latex paints, linseed oil was not in demand and so the company failed.Eventually, the castle was sold to the Township of Wilmot. It became a National Historic Site of Canada in 1988.
       The castle is located west of Kitchener in a small town called Baden. The address is 60 Snyder's Road West.