The Ritz Hotel
27 Main Street North
The Ritz Hotel's original building was a two-storey Folk Victorian and Italianate stylized hybrid. Following a fire, the new Ritz Hotel was built in accordance with Modernist principles of Functionalism. The building has aesthetically evolved to include other vernacular features typical of the area. The property is protected under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act within the Bayfield Heritage Conservation District. It is located at the north end of Bayfield's Main Street North, and it serves as a virtual high school.
Property Evolution
1853-1870s
The Ritz Hotel property has changed dramatically throughout its time in the village; however, it was recognized as one of the best places to visit for both out-of-town visitors and locals alike. The first project after purchasing the land in 1853 was to create a hotel. This initial attempt did not last long when it was partially disassembled in the 1870s to be utilized in the construction of the land’s subsequent hotel, and the Tippet House was being built a block down Main Street North. The new hotel strived to continue to gain local recognition during the following few decades.
1902-1923
In 1902, the hotel was turned into a boarding house for long-term residents, which required the demolition of the bar. Following a turnover in ownership and a decrease in earnings, the hotel was converted into a private residence for the second time, having already done so briefly in the early 1890s. It is assumed to have remained so until 1923, when the building was sold and reopened as a year-round hospitality establishment.
From 1890 of the second hotel building on the property. Photo provided by Bayfield Historical Society.
1947-1948
The hotel appeared to have regained its success until a devastating fire destroyed it in 1947. Unable to salvage any of the original structure, a new hotel was built in its place and opened the following year.
Taken in 1923 of the second hotel building on the property reopening as the Ritz Hotel. Photo provided by Bayfield Historical Society.
2009-Present
The facility remained a hotel and restaurant until 2009, when it was transformed into a grocery store. However, only three years later, the building was sold and renovated to serve as the Virtual High School in 2012 to the present day. Throughout its lengthy history, the property has faced numerous challenges, yet its memory as a hotel and current function is continued to be valued in the village.
1950 of the third version of the hotel on this property following the fire. Photo provided by Bayfield Historical Society.
2025 of the building now functions as the Virtual High School. Photo provided by Natalie Murdoch at Bayfield Historical Society.
Property Timeline
Heritage Value
The previous Ritz Hotel is appreciated for its contributions to the Heritage District’s historical and aesthetic values.
Bayfield Heritage Conservation District
From 1925 of the second hotel building on the property. Photo provided by Bayfield Historical Society.
The property serves as a representation of the Heritage District's historical and aesthetic values. Bayfield's industry transformation into a tourism hot spot had shaped the history of numerous properties, including the previous Ritz Hotel. As one of the four earlier hotels in Bayfield, the new industry was able to grow from the foundation of the hospitality businesses in the village. Therefore, the hotel’s legacy is valued primarily for its successful contributions to defining the district’s identity as the center of a vacationing area. Aesthetically, the current Virtual Highschool adds to the valued pedestrian experience along Main Street North by retaining a generous set-back and an open veranda at the entrance that connects the building to the street.
Folk Victorian and Italianate
The second and third versions of the hotels on this property were built in the 1870s and 1950s, respectively; their primary styles represent those later historical periods. The second structure on the property showcased the Folk Victorian and Italianate styles. These two styles have many similarities, as the Folk Victorian style emerged as a more affordable alternative to the increasingly popular Victorian era styles of the late nineteenth century, such as Italianate. The Folk Victorian style is recognized by vernacular/affordable materials, simple windows and doors, and ornate verandas. The Italianate style is distinguished by its hipped roof, curved arch window and door openings, and tower features. This version of the Ritz Hotel appears to have incorporated many of these elements, in addition to influences from other popular styles of the Victorian era. Some of the key elements include:
Horizontal clapboard wood siding completed with trim boards;
Hipped roof with wooden shingles;
Square central tower topped with a Second Empire-style mansured roof (an additional Victorian era style);
Curved arched openings with simple window and door inserts; and,
Wrap-around two-storey open veranda with ornate brackets.
Architectural Styles
Taken in 1923 of the second hotel building on the property reopening as the Ritz Hotel. Photo provided by Bayfield Historical Society.
Modern Functionism
Following the fire that destroyed the second hotel on the property, The New Ritz was built during the modernist movement which prioritized function over form. This came as a result of new technologies and an increase in mass production following World War II. It was a big shift compared to the ornate nature of the previous Victorian era styles. Some of the key elements include:
Rectangular layout;
Hipped roof with no tower or dormers;
Simple horizontal siding; and,
Standard mass-produced rectangular windows.
1950 of the third version of the hotel on this property following the fire. Photo provided by Bayfield Historical Society.
Historical Photographs
Sources
Clinton News-Record. Clinton, Ontario. June 24, 1976.
Cragoe, Carol Davidson. How to Read Buildings: A Crash Course in Architectural Styles. New York: Rizzoli, March 18, 2008.
Driftscape Inc. Main Street Walking Tour (interactive map). Accessed August 30, 2025. https://webapp.driftscape.com/map/9c9bd198-76fb-11e9-8000-b0cf3db2a64e.
Gillians, Dave. For the Love of Bayfield: The Events and Special People Who Shaped This Village. Bayfield, ON: Bayfield Historical Society, 2012. Updated edition, 2016. Accessed August 30, 2025.
Heritage Resource Centre. Architectural Styles Guide. Canada: Heritage Resource Centre, 2018. Accessed August 30, 2025. https://www.therealtydeal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Heritage-Resource-Centre-Achitectural-Styles-Guide.pdf.
Historical Walking Tour. Bayfield, ON: Bayfield Historical Society, n.d. Accessed August 30, 2025.
Huron Historical Notes: 1913; Huron Historical Notes: Bayfield; Huron Historical. Updated edition. Goderich, ON: Huron Historical Society, 2009.
Jones, Will. How to Read Houses: A Crash Course in Domestic Architecture. New York: Rizzoli, March 25, 2014.
Municipality of Bluewater. 2024. Bayfield Heritage Conservation District Plan and Guidelines: Final Report. Bayfield, ON: Municipality of Bluewater. Published September 2, 2024. Accessed August 30, 2025. https://www.municipalityofbluewater.ca/media/4ykav1qo/20240902-final-report-bayfield-hcd-plan-and-guidelines-sept-2-2024.pdf.
Parks Canada. Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada: A Federal, Provincial and Territorial Collaboration. 2nd ed. Gatineau, Québec: Parks Canada, 2010. Accessed August 30, 2025. https://www.historicplaces.ca/media/18072/81468-parks-s+g-eng-web2.pdf.
Parks Canada. Writing Statements of Significance—A Guide to Heritage Value. Ottawa: Parks Canada, 2011. Accessed August 30, 2025. https://www.historicplaces.ca/media/5422/sosguideen.pdf.
The Buildings of Canada. Canada: Reader’s Digest, 1980. Accessed August 30, 2025. https://www.historicplaces.ca/media/7173/buildingsofcanada.pdf.
Van Ginkel, Daniel H.P. “Architectural History: 1914–1967.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Published November 16, 2005. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/architectural-history-1914-1967.
External Links
-
Heritage Conservation District Plan