Strathcona Anatomy & Dentistry Building

In 1907, disaster struck McGill University. A fire gutted the Old Medical Building, leaving the Faculty of Medicine without a home. The Strathcona Anatomy and Dentistry Building stands as a testament to the resilience and generosity that followed this tragedy. Donald Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona, a long-time benefactor of McGill, stepped forward with an offer to fund a new building. He purchased land across from the Royal Victoria Hospital, a fitting location given the close ties between the hospital and the Faculty of Medicine. The Strathcona Anatomy and Dentistry Building, designed by David Brown and Hugh Vallance, opened its doors in 1909. Lord Strathcona’s influence ensured a design where no detail was overlooked. The building, a four-story stone edifice, mirrors the layout of the Royal Victoria Hospital across the street. It features a central bay with two flanking wings connected by corridors. Inside the Strathcona Anatomy and Dentistry Building, a grand central gallery once housed an ethnological museum showcasing human evolution and primitive cultures. This space, originally covered by a stunning stained-glass dome, offered natural light and a unique learning environment. On the third floor, a student reading room remains preserved in its original state. You can still admire the stained-glass skylights, the leather-upholstered oak doors, the delicate chandeliers, the long oak tables, and the small green reading lamps. In 1921, the renowned physician Sir William Osler donated his extensive medical library to McGill. The Osler Library was then constructed within the Strathcona Anatomy and Dentistry Building to house this valuable collection. Interestingly, the library also held Osler’s heart, placed within the central wall. Later, the Osler Library was moved to the McIntyre Medical Sciences Building. The Strathcona Anatomy and Dentistry Building also boasts a collection of plaster coats-of-arms and memorial tablets. These honor the full professors of the old School of Medicine and Dentistry, including Sir William Osler. Notably absent is a coat-of-arms for Maude Abbott. As a woman in that era, she was unable to achieve the rank of full professor. Today, the Strathcona Anatomy and Dentistry Building is home to the Faculty of Dentistry and the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology. It also houses the Electron Microscopy Laboratory and the Maude Abbott Medical Museum, a fitting tribute to a pioneering woman in medicine.