Intention to Designate - Heritage Properties

Description of Property:

490 Centre Street, otherwise known as St. John’s the Evangelist Anglican Church is an institutional property constructed in 1860. It is located on the east side of Centre Street, at the intersection of Centre and James.

This property was one designed by a prominent architect, T.S. Scott of Montreal, the same architect who designed the Parliamentary Library in Ottawa in 1875/76. The church was constructed by Henry Sims, the son-in-law to Alpheus Jones, an early setter of Prescott. The congregation dates back to 1821 with many of the Town’s founding families connected to the church.

It is speculated that the size of the church may indicate a large number of English immigrants during that time period. This speculation, if accurate, contributes to our understanding of the community.

Statement of Culture Heritage Value or Interest:

Criteria #1

The property has design value or physical value because it is a rare, unique, representative or early example of a style, type, expression, material or construction method.

Supporting Details

• The church is an excellent example of Gothic architecture which was popular in ecclesiastical and civic buildings of the 19^th

 Criteria #2

The property has design value or physical value because it displays a high degree of craftsmanship or artistic merit.

Supporting Details

• There are numerous stained-glass windows.

Criteria #6

The property has historical value or associative value because it demonstrates or reflects the work or ideas of an architect, artist, builder, designer or theorist who is significant to a community.

Supporting Details

• S. Scott was the architect of the church as well as of the Parliamentary Library in Ottawa
• Nesfield Ward was the stonemason for the church. Mr. Ward is credited with the construction of many buildings in Prescott

Criteria #9

The property has contextual value because it is a landmark.

 Supporting Details

• The top of the tower is listed as a navigational point on navigation charts for the St. Lawrence River

Summary of Heritage Attributes to Protect:

• Style, Massing, scale or composition – exterior combination of rubble and limestone; the tower.

Description of Property:

425 Centre Street is an institutional property constructed in 1893 following a fire that led to the previous church’s destruction in 1892. It is located on the west side of Centre Street, at the intersection of Centre and Dibble.

This property was built by a prominent architect from Ogdensburg, J.P. Johnson, who was hired to design the church that J.P. Wiser, Prescott’s most successful industrialist, was associated with.

Statement of Culture Heritage Value or Interest:

 Criteria #1

The property has a rare, unique or is representative of an early style, type, expression, material, or construction method

Supporting Details

The property’s architecture is of a Richardsonian Romanesque style, which was popular for churches and public buildings in North America at the time. This style was used for the Queen’s Park Legislature building of the 1880’s and Toronto’s old City Hall. It was new to Prescott and remains the only example of an Italianate architecture church in town. 

  Criteria #2

The property has design value or physical value because it displays a high degree of craftsmanship or artistic merit.

Supporting Details

• The stained-glass windows were crafted and installed by Harry Horwood, a famous stained glass artisan who also had installations in the original Canadian Parliament building that burned in 1916. The Horwood windows in St. Andrew’s Church are unique for the number of them in a single building, their size, and their quality.

 Criteria #3

The property has design value or physical value because it demonstrates a high degree of technical or scientific achievement.

Supporting Details

Both the pipe organ and the ceiling light were donated by J.P. Wiser. The light has been changed to electric but is still valuable to protect for its style. The organ can be rebuilt if ever necessary.

 Summary of Heritage Attributes to Protect:

• Style, Massing, scale or composition – exterior stonework and bell tower
• Pipe Organ
• Ceiling light

Description of Property:

305 Centre Street is a residential property constructed in the 1800’s and is located on the west side of Centre Street, at the intersection of Centre Street and Henry Street.

The property known as the “Surgery” was built out of cut limestone and coursed rubble stone. The upper storey has two pairs of over-sized casement windows in an unusual 60/40 split. This property was originally a tailor and clothier, owned by William Dunn and later used as a surgery by Doctor Charles McPherson and Doctor William Taugher.

Statement of Culture Heritage Value or Interest:

Criteria #1
The property has design value or physical value because it is a rare, unique, representative or early example of a style, type, expression, material or construction method.

Supporting Heritage Attributes

• The top storey features large 60/40 split windows.
• The top storey had a suicide door located on the north side of the building that has been replaced with French windows according to previous owner, John Harding *
• Only architectural design of its kind in Prescott ( Architectural Conservancy of Ontario when it awarded the Peter Stokes Award for Restoration, 1912)

* Note: Previous owner John Harding has speculated that the suicide door may have opened on to an outdoor staircase used when the building belonged to the tailor. None of the town’s elderly residents who attended the medical offices have any memory of such a staircase. Mr. Harding further suggested that the large 60/40 split windows served the purpose of allowing maximum light into the tailor’s workroom, an essential requirement in the days before electrical light.

Criteria #4

The property has historical value or associative value because it has direct associations with a theme, event, belief, person, activity, organization or institution that is significant to the community.

Supporting Details

• Location for prominent tailor and clothier
• Established family physician’s office in 1918, providing health care services for generations in the community, demonstrating a direct association with early forms of medical practices in Town
• Both the tailor, William Dunn, and Dr. Taugher served as Mayor of Prescott
• McPherson is credited with banning certain water sources and implementing a purifying system to eliminate the threat of typhoid.

Summary of Heritage Attributes to Protect:

Key attributes that contribute to the cultural heritage value of 305 Centre Street as a good example of unique style and direct associations with an institution significant with the community include its:

• 60/40 split windows on the top storey
• Suicide door opening located on the north side of the building on the top storey
• Mass and composition of the external shell as only architectural design of its kind in Prescott

Description of Property:

388 Centre Street is a residential property constructed sometime after 1833 and is located on the east side of Centre Street, at the intersection of Centre Street and Dibble Street.

The property is a 2 ½ storey course stone with a long, narrow 1 ½ storey addition on the back and was built by Robert Glasgow, a prominent shipbuilder in the early days of Prescott. This property was rented by the Merchants Bank in 1868 and operated as a bank until 1875. Following its use as a bank, the property was owned by two doctors, Dr. William Justus Jones and Dr. Charles F. McPherson.

Statement of Culture Heritage Value or Interest:

Criteria #4

The property has historical value or associative value because it has direct associations with a theme, event, belief, person, activity, organization or institution that is significant to the community.

Supporting Details

• Built by prominent shipbuilder, Robert Glasgow
• Association with the Merchants Bank, the first bank in Prescott, as a significant institution featuring the walk-in vault located within the property

Criteria #7

The property has contextual value because it is important in defining, maintaining or supporting the character of an area.

Supporting Details

• Georgian Style visible in its symmetry, as seen in the number and spacing of windows
• Exterior shell is one of the four properties on the four corners of this intersection, connecting the property with its surroundings

Summary of Heritage Attributes to Protect:

Key attributes that contribute to the cultural heritage value of 388 Centre Street as a good example of unique style and direct associations with an institution significant with the community include its:

• Exterior Georgian style popular during this period. Note: The damaged east end of the building is not included in our recommendation. There is no expectation of repair.
• Walk-in vault, directly associated with the significant institution (first bank in Prescott) within town

Additional Notes:

Due to the condition of the north and east addition wall, this portion of the structure is not included as part of the exterior shell and is not included in preservation should the condition worsen.

Description of Property:

408 East Street is a three-storey stone house built sometime in the 1850’s and is located on the east side of East Street, at the intersection of East Street and Dibble Street West.

This property was one of the first houses to be built on the east side of East Street. In 1908 the house was purchased by a wealthy businessman who added to the size and impressiveness of the property with the addition of a dining room, kitchen, porches, and a carriage house. This property is a mixture of the architectural styles of the late Victorian and Edwardian period.

Statement of Culture Heritage Value or Interest:

Criteria #9
The property has contextual value because it is a landmark.

Supporting Details
• One of the first houses on the east side of East Street
• Considered a landmark due to its sheer mass and design

Summary of Heritage Attributes to Protect:

Key attributes that contribute to the cultural heritage value of 408 Centre Street as a good example of contextual value as a landmark:

• Mass and design of the house and carriage house