Ardvarna

Lady Meredith House, originally known as Ardvarna, is a historic mansion situated at 1110 Pine Avenue West in the Golden Square Mile of Montreal, Quebec. Constructed between 1894 and 1897, the residence was commissioned by Vincent and Brenda Meredith and designed by the prominent architect Edward Maxwell. The building exemplifies the Queen Anne Revival architectural style, featuring a substantial floor area of over 1,200 square meters. It stands on land that was once part of the extensive estate of fur trader Simon McTavish before being subdivided and developed by the influential Allan family in the mid-nineteenth century.

The property holds significant historical value due to its association with the Meredith family, particularly H. Vincent Meredith, who became the first Canadian-born president of the Bank of Montreal and was later created a Baronet. The site was gifted to Brenda Meredith by her father, shipowner Andrew Allan, upon her marriage in 1888. The house joined a cluster of family residences in the area, including those of Vincent's brother and cousin, reflecting the concentration of wealth and power in this district during the late Victorian era. In recognition of its architectural and historical importance, the building was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in November 1990.

Today, the former private residence serves a new purpose as part of McGill University, which currently owns the property under the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning. While it began as a grand home for one of Canada's most notable banking families, it has been adapted for institutional use, housing university offices. Despite this change in function, the structure remains a preserved landmark within Montreal's urban landscape, maintaining its status as a key example of late nineteenth-century domestic architecture and a testament to the city's financial history.