Downtown north

This is one of the few remaining examples of the Regency-Georgian tradition as it evolved in this area from the United Empire Loyalists. A two storey frame dwelling, the house sports several features indicative of mid-nineteenth century architecture. It retains its symmetry, fine proportions, small-pane windows, low gable ends, and its doorway with sidelights and transom.

Though it does not appear on Sandford Fleming's 1846 Plan of Peterborough, the house was probably built shortly thereafter: a two storey frame house appears in the 1851 Census, owned by John Williamson, merchant tailor. In 1866, the house was sold to James Campbell, a general merchant, who maintained ownership at least until 1880. In 1882 the property decreased in value as part was sold to the Midland Railway for their branch line between Peterborough and Lakefield. By the 1890s the house was owned by William Green, a painter, and Francis Green, both of whom were grandsons of Benjamin Green, the Soap and Candle maker of the 1850s.

Much later, during the 1950s, two of the windows on the west end of the building were converted into doors and an exterior stairway leading to the second floor was added. The porch, too, was probably added at this time. The door leading onto the balcony was originally a window. The house has never been painted - it retains its original stucco finish.

The heritage value of Harstone House is in its association with the McWilliams and Harstone families of Peterborough. It also has value as a fine, well preserved, example of Queen Anne style, and of the work of local architect William Blackwell.

The house was designed for John B. McWilliams, a local businessman and politician, who had connections in forestry management and to Peterborough's lumber industry. His son, Roland McWilliams, who grew up in the house, went on to become mayor of Peterborough in 1906, and lieutenant governor of Manitoba in 1940. In 1907, Phoebe and Robert Harstone acquired the property, which was later inherited by their son, Colonel John A. Harstone. While at home in Peterborough, the Colonel practiced law before being appointed local sheriff and registrar. He served in both World Wars, with his sister taking over his duties as sheriff during World War II. The Colonel lived at Harstone House until his death in 1981, when the property was bought by the Red Cross.

This is a 2 1/2 storey, red brick dwelling with significant interior and exterior Queen Anne style features. It is an early demonstration of the work of noted Peterborough architect, William Blackwell. It remains in near original condition since construction in 1889, with an exceptionally well preserved interior staircase, stained glass windows, and moulded plaster medallions.

The heritage value of the James Miller house lies in its representation of the type of cottage inhabited by craftsmen living in Peterborough between 1860 and 1880. The stacked plank walls and hewn beam roof construction of the original house, facing Harvey Street, are an unusual building method. Blacksmith James Miller and his family were living in this roughcast plaster cottage by about 1861. Shortly after being sold in 1872 to Letitia Finlay Kidd (wife of school teacher Malcolm Kidd), another section was added facing London Street, and the entire structure was clad in brick. The property remained in the Kidd family for almost a century. This addition features a central Gothic style wall dormer on the east facade; the main entrance is in the south gable facade.

The Reverend Mark Burnham was the first owner of the property, receiving the Crown Patent in 1850. In 1854 he sold the whole half acre, together with other lands, to George Dunsford for 500 pounds. In June of 1857, Mr. Dunsford sold 4902 square feet of this land to John Britton for 64-10 pounds and the following year Henry Meyers bought it for 80 pounds. It was probably one of these early owners who built the small log house which later became the kitchen wing of the one storey Regency cottage which appears to have been erected by Henry Meyers before the property was sold to Edward Foster in December of 1859 for 120 pounds. In 1882 Frances J. Jameson's parents, who lived in Springville, bought this property from Mr. Foster's daughter as a wedding present for their son. Mrs. Jameson was Lavenia Greenwood of Cobourg, who came to Peterborough at the age of 16 to work for Wm. Hall. She died in 1959, three months before her 100th birthday. Mr. Jameson worked for The Examiner for many years, starting when he was 16 years old. He eventually became the foreman in The Examiner's office. Jessie Mein purchased the property from the Jamesons in December, 1904 and sold it to Lucy A. and Fanny Dixon in September of 1924. Fanny Dixon was superintendent of nurses at Nicholls Hospital for many years. She put a hot air gravity feed furnace into the house. The Dixon sisters were descendants of William Dixon, one of the early pioneers who settled on the Communication Road just north of the town in 1818. Their early home was the fine two storey stone house, built in 1837 on Park Street, still known as "Dixon House". One of the sisters married William F. Nelson and lived in "The Pines" at 266 Burnham Street from 1904 to 1914. The house was sold to Stanley and Hilda Redout in 1955. Mrs. Redout died in 1973 and after Mr. Redout died in 1975, their daughter, Eva Mary Bonner inherited the property.

The heritage value of the Britton House is in its representation of a mid 19th century craftsman’s dwelling, later modernized with Gothic Revival elements.

Built in 1850, the Britton house was originally a 1 storey frame structure. In the 1870s it was modernized by cladding the house with brick, and modified by adding the Gothic Revival style central front gable. The first owner, John Britton, was a cooper who emigrated from Ireland in 1847. His family occupied the house until 1918.

The Gothic Revival style is characterized by a central front facing gable, three bay façade, and half round, or lancet windows. The Britton House is very typical of Ontario Gothic Revival dwellings.

This prime river side property was acquired, by Crown Patent, by Judge George Barker Hall in 1841. The Judge owned extensive property in the area, much of which was used for speculation. This is evident on this piece of land by the number of times it was in trust, sold, repurchased and mortgaged. Judge Hall's last tie to the property was severed when he sold it to Samuel Dickson in 1860. By that date, Mr. Dickson's timber and lumber business was growing rapidly and he was acquiring all the land he could on both sides of the river for his mills, lumber yards and related activities. In 1870, while his own home at the south end of Dickson Street was in process of being built, Samuel drowned in his mill pound. His son-in-law, Thomas G. Hazlitt, became his executor and held his vast estate intact for many years.

Large homes were built on Dickson land for each of Samuel Dickson's daughters. This house at the north end of Dickson Street was built for his daughter, Elizabeth Davidson in 1877. It was held in trust for her until 1896 when she came into full possession. She lived in the house with her daughter, Laura Jane, until her death on December 4, 1932. Miss Davidson became her heir and resided in the house until her death in September 1957.

However, a Grant made in 1951 established her niece, Helen Dickson Munro as joint tenant. Helen married G. Leslie McCrea and they continued as residents until Mrs. McCrea sold it to Lloyd G. Morrow in 1969.

Early photographs of the house show it to be very similar to the house John E. Belcher built for Dr. George Burnham on the southwest corner of Water and McDonnel Street, as well as the slightly earlier house he designed for Colonel Harry C. Rogers at 266 Burnham Street. Although the dates cannot be confirmed, changes were made to the house.

First, the porch was rebuilt. Later it was glassed in and the low hipped roof was replaced by a higher gabled roof supported by brackets. Further alterations were made to the porch. The present owners have softened the hard lines of the latest porch so that it is more compatible with the style of the original house.

The heritage value of the Knapman-Turner House resides in its association with the Knapman and Turner families of Peterborough. The house was built in 1910 by John S. Knapman who came to Peterborough to set up the local branch of the Bell Telephone Company. In 1920, the house was sold to Ernest M. Turner, who worked for his father’s heating and pluming firm, W. R. Turner & Sons. It is the birthplace of John Turner, MPP. The Knapman-Turner House also has heritage value in its unique architectural elements. The bandshell style verandah is one of three left in Peterborough. It covers the first storey of the front façade, ending in a circular dome at the southwest corner of the house. The interior of the house remains an excellent example of the Edwardian style.

The heritage value of the John Haffey Cottage resides in its association with an intact 19th century streetscape in downtown Peterborough. Representative of local workingman cottages, the dwelling brings continuity to the streetscape of Waterford Street, which remains essentially untouched since the late 19th century. It was originally owned by John Haffey, a tailor, and was likely constructed by his neighbor Henry Myers. Built sometime around 1869, the cottage is a modest example of the Regency style. Of post and beam construction, the cottage retains its original roughcast finish.

The heritage value of the Smith House is that it is a good example of the front gable, 1 ½ storey dwelling typical of artisan’s housing in mid 19th century Ontario. Since its restoration, it not only contributes to the streetscape of the neighborhood, but also has become an outstanding individual property. The house is one of three contemporary houses built by Henry Lawson. Built sometime before 1865, the house is one of the oldest remaining houses in the neighborhood.

The heritage value of the William Lee House resides in its associations with one of Peterborough’s earliest pioneer families. William Lee, the builder of the house, was the grandson of the first Lee in Peterborough who arrived with the Colony Settlers in 1818. William and his brother John built at least 6 houses in the neighborhood of George Street and Parkhill Road, which used to be known as ‘Lee’s Corners’. The house was originally occupied by William Lee and his family, but became a rental property by 1885.

Built in 1926, the Sutton Deyman House is a well-preserved interpretation of the Tudor Revival. While the style was popular in the 1920s and 1930s, few examples were built in Peterborough and nearly all of these were built by the local architect, Walter R. L. Blackwell. Walter was the son of William Blackwell, one of Peterborough’s first well-known
architects. He later became a partner in his father’s architectural firm, later known as Craig, Zeidler & Strong.

The heritage value of the Dumble Hinton house resides in its well-preserved state, and in its association with the noted 19th century Peterborough architect, John E. Belcher. Constructed for David Dumble in 1890, the house was built as a speculative investment, and remained a rental property until 1918. The architect is assumed to be John E. Belcher, one of 19th century Peterborough’s foremost architects. It is very similar in style to several neighboring houses designed by Belcher, and owned by Dumble. There have been no significant alterations to the house since its construction.

The heritage value of the Robert Graham House lies in its representation of small brick houses built in Peterborough during the 1850’s. Dating from an early period in Peterborough’s history, the house was built in 1856 for Robert Graham, a local merchant, on land purchased from James Wallis. The cottage remained in the Graham family for over 60 years.

The heritage value of the dwelling at 110 Antrim Street is as an excellent example of the Arts and Crafts style, also known as ‘Craftsman’, or ‘Mission’ style, which is rare in Peterborough. The building is also distinguished by its jerkin head roof, in which the gable ends are slightly clipped to create a small hip at the eaves. The house has retained many of the Arts and Crafts interior features. Built in 1924 for G. Clarke Staples and his wife Elizabeth, the property is very well preserved.

The house at 269 Edinburgh Street is both architecturally and historically significant. It was constructed, probably in 1847 or 1848, for John Edmison, one of the first settlers in Peterborough, who accompanied Adam Scott on his search for a mill site in 1819. By 1857 it was the home of Mossom Boyd, the noted lumber merchant from Bobcaygeon, although Boyd may well have inhabited it as early as 1851. Sometime in the mid-1870s Boyd leased it to his niece Clementina and her husband, John E. Belcher, who added a wing to the house and made numerous changes to both the exterior and interior of the original house.

Belcher was Peterborough’s most important architect in the last quarter of the nineteenth century and designed many houses and notable civic and commercial buildings, including the Market Hall, the Morrow Building on George Street North, St. John’s Anglican Church parish hall, the former Carnegie Library, the Pagoda Bridge, and the chapel
at Little Lake Cemetery. Many of his downtown commercial buildings have been demolished, including the Bradburn Building and Opera House north of the Market Hall, razed for the construction of Peterborough Square.

Built in 1875, 664 George Street North has both historical and contextual value. The house has strong historic value in its association with the Eakins family of Peterborough, who owned the house for over a century, and controlled the future development of their large landholding. The original owner, James Eakins, was an Irish immigrant who worked for the Dickson Lumber Company. His wife, and then his daughters in turn, inherited and occupied the house until 1976.

A Regency-style Cottage, built 1855-1860. Once covered in roughcast plaster, the building is now clad in wood siding. Built as a single-family home between 1855 and 1860, the house was renovated into a double dwelling in 1912. At this point in time, the windows and entrances of the front facade were re-arranged, and a stacked plank dividing wall was created in the interior of the house.

Built in 1870 for Thomas Gladman, the bookkeeper at the local Adam Hall Stove Company, the house was sold to Frances L. Jameson in 1896. Three generations of the Jameson family occupied 544 Harvey Street for over ninety years. The house is a good example of a home occupied by the 19th century middle management class. It retains many original features including soffits, fascia, and fenestration that were once commonly found on homes of this era throughout the City of Peterborough.

Built in the late 1880’s, it is one of three houses built by Benjamin Shortley, who was the proprietor of the Peterborough Saddlery and Harness Warehouse at 373 George Street North. The house is a relatively intact Victorian home with Italianate features. The trelliage trim on the verandah, the cast iron fencing at the sidewalk, and the coloured etched glass in the front door are all unique elements of the house.

Built in 1885, the historical value of 558 Harvey Street resides in its association with John Kincaid, who was a noted contractor/carpenter, as well as a building assessor. The architectural value of this 2 storey red brick building resides in the unusual front porch, which is likely a result of Kincaid’s skill as a carpenter.

The Hazlitt House has excellent cultural heritage value in its associations with a prominent 19th century Peterborough family, and their connection to one of early Peterborough’s most important industries. It is also an extremely well-preserved example of the Italianate composite architecture likely developed by local architect John E. Belcher.

The house was built between 1875 and 1880 for Thomas Hazlitt, who had worked for Peterborough’s lumber baron, Samuel Dickson, and also married one of Dickson’s daughters, Mary Ann. When Samuel Dickson drowned in his own millpond in 1870, Thomas Hazlitt became general manager of the Dickson Lumber Company, a position he held until his own death in 1899.

The property has heritage value as an excellent example of late 1880s Victorian architecture with Italianate details. The two-storey yellow brick building features stylized classical elements and a projecting bay. An important Peterborough bricklayer, J. J. Hartley, built the structure in the late 1880s. Hartley built many of Peterborough’s finest homes during this era and lived in the neighbourhood of the house for many years. He also built 217 London Street on the adjoining lot, and it was originally connected to this property by a carriage house in the rear.

Built Circa 1890 on land originally bought by James Hall via a patent from the Crown, 187 London Street is of cultural heritage value and significance in its association with the Dickson Mills neighbourhood and the Dickson Mills Lumber Company. Its first owner and occupant, George Hilliard, was a former Peterborough MP with a strong involvement in the lumber business in Peterborough throughout its early history.

The house at 597-599 Water Street is a good example of a Georgian style duplex. Constructed circa 1870-75, the house was built on land owned by Dr. George Burnham Sr. who purchased the land in 1854 from William Bell, who owned it via a patent from the Crown in 1843. Some characteristic elements of the Georgian style include a symmetrical façade, muted details and very simple appearance. This style came to Canada with the British settlers and was a reflection of the simple dignity they wished to portray through their homes. The front porches, one ornate and one unadorned, and back portions to both sides of the duplex are all original features of the house which was always intended to be a duplex rental unit.

The house at 191-195 London Street has good architectural and historical value as an intact interpretation of the Italianate style in a semi-detached dwelling. The building was constructed to accommodate the families of prominent employees of the nearby lumber mills, John D. Baptie, owner of the J. D. Baptie Planing Mill, located at 165-169 Dublin Street and the family of his brother-in-law, Archibald Goodfellow. The planing mill was established in 1868 and was purchased by Mr. J. D. Baptie in 1881 and renamed J. D. Baptie Planing Mill. The mill produced large quantities of sash, doors, blinds, and other millwork used in area buildings during the construction boom that came with the rapid growth of the City from the 1880s to the early 1900s.

The property has excellent contextual value in its relationship to the community and provides insights into the economic and social impact of the lumber industry in Peterborough. At the time of its construction in the 1880s, Peterborough was a major exporter of lumber in Canada. Many citizens were employed by the lumber mills including the Dickson Mill and J. D. Baptie Planing Mill, both located within a few blocks of 191-195 London Street. The spacious semi-detached building was designed to house the families of prosperous businessmen. Significantly, it is located within walking distance of the mills, in an area of similarly scaled homes, but outside the immediate vicinity of the mills. That less desirable area was populated by workers in smaller, less affluent, typically wood frame structures.

583 Harvey Street has good cultural heritage and architectural value. Constructed in 1875 by William Thornton, a merchant and builder in Peterborough, it was the family home and remained in the Thornton family for over 100 years. The home is surrounded by two other houses built by William Thornton (581 & 585). 581 Harvey Street is said to have been the first home to be built on Harvey Street. 583 Harvey Street is a well-preserved example of a vernacular home from the late 19th century. The home features an intricately carved verandah at the front of the simple one-and-a-half storey house clad entirely in stucco, the earliest form of sheathing.

The property at 184 London Street is significant for its association with the Dickson Mills neighbourhood and its proximity to the sites of two of the major lumber mills in Peterborough at the time of its construction: the Baptie Planing Mill at Dublin Street, which produced large quantities of sash, doors, blinds and other millwork used in area buildings and The Dickson Lumber Company, situated on the Otonabee River. At its peak in the 1860s, The Dickson Lumber Company was producing five million feet of lumber per year for export to Britain. The neighbourhood would have been home to lumber workers of all types from lumbermen working the raceway to carpenters, millwrights and craftspeople. The original owner of the home, James Hope, was a carpenter and contractor. The Hope House is a typical one and a half storey brick home constructed during the 1860s and 1870s to house the labour force for the lumber businesses in the area. The building is also significant as an early masonry building in an area that was predominantly wood frame at the time. The home is also significant for having remained in the Hope family for almost 100 years.

Constructed on land originally granted to George Barker Hall in 1841, the lot containing 512 Dickson Street was purchased by Samuel Dickson in 1856. Alterations have been made to the house over the years but it remains a good example of the larger Italianate houses popular in Peterborough in the mid 1870s.

512 Dickson Street was one of three houses built for the daughters of Samuel Dickson. Dickson emigrated from Ireland to Peterborough in 1830 and was first employed as a distiller. By 1839, Dickson had leased his first mill from John Hall. He began purchasing property along the shores of the Otonabee and soon had mills on both sides of the river.

In 1891, Thomas Hazlitt and Richard Hall, trustees of the Dickson Estate, transferred the property to Ellen Walsh, one of Dickson’s daughters. Ellen and her husband William lived at 512 Dickson Street until 1897. The house was then occupied by various family members until it was rented in 1908 to George Gladman the first Vice President of the William Hamilton Company. 

The house was rented out during the 1920s to tenants that including George Lundy; James Wallace and Nobel Wootten, both managers at Central Ontario Sun Life Assurance. In 1935, the house was rented to Gordon H. Munro, Vice President of the Peterborough Lumber Company and Samuel Dickson’s great-grandson. In 1951, Munro bought the property and the family there until 1966, when it sold to Alfred Cole, registrar at Trent University. The Coles owned the property until the early 1980s.

678 Bethune Street has cultural heritage value or interest as an intact, early and representative example of the Ontario Gothic Cottage style in Peterborough. Constructed around 1853, the house retains many important attributes of this housing type including its central gable with rounded window, ornamentation through polychromatic brick work, a symmetrical plan with a kitchen addition and a verandah stretching across the front of the house. Its retention of these original features make it one of the best examples of this house type in Peterborough and its construction date makes it one of the earliest. It has historical value as a home constructed for lower middle class occupants during the middle of the nineteenth century and demonstrates how these individuals integrated popular design features and styles into modest, functional homes.

The property has important contextual value as part of the Smith Town Hill historic neighbourhood. As one of the oldest properties in the area, it is an important contributing feature to the historic character of the neighbourhood and is also a prominent local landmark due to its longstanding presence on a corner lot. The property also has important contextual value in its connection to the surrounding physical landscape where the orientation of the building was specifically intended to take advantage of its high elevation and commanding views towards the Otonabee River and downtown Peterborough.