Many of Peterborough’s buildings have historical significance and an illuminating past. The structures that make up our city have been shaped by their creators and the time periods in which they were constructed. The book Historical Sketches of Peterborough by Martha Ann Kidd explores a collection of historic structures throughout the city that has a rich history. Kidd has advocated to preserve and restore the architectural heritage of Peterborough and pays homage to its impact on the city in her book. The sketches of the buildings, done by Louis Taylor, a former Publications Officer for Trent University, give the viewer insight into how these buildings used to look and function.
Take a walking tour of our fine city and you can admire our buildings’ histories and their new roles in the community.
The first stop on our walking tour is the Old Stone Brewery on Stewart Street. Established in 1838, this venerable stone building is one of Peterborough's oldest structures. As the city's only intact brewery house, it is significant both architecturally and for the variety of uses to which it has been committed. The massive walls, made of stone from Jackson's Park Quarry, are a prime example of the coursed rubble technique that was popular in early Peterborough's architecture. A pair of steps descends the hill from the north end of the structure and leads to a small footbridge that spans the creek. The structure is set into a sloping hillside to the east, which is supported by a stone wall to prevent erosion. At the bottom of the embankment, both the railroad and Jackson's Creek flow past the house. While the structure is not a modest building, its small footprint and location make it unobtrusive from any viewpoint. The history of the building is long and has had many functions. It has operated as a brewery, a soap and candle factory, a Protestant home, and a slum tenement throughout its long history.
The brewery first appears in the 1838 Assessment Roll, located beside Jackson Creek for easy access to water. John W. Bedford purchased the property in 1844. The structure switched possession several times in the years after that. According to Kidd’s research, Hood & Olgivy ran a soap and candle factory in 1860 and 1861. Henry Calcutt, whose brewery and steamship line was afterwards located in Ashburnham, was the owner just before 1870. It became the Peterborough Protestant Home in 1870 after major interior improvements under the legal control of Sheriff James Hall. Until the construction of Anson House in 1912, the structure served as a shelter for women and children and later in its use, served to focus on the elderly and poor, in Peterborough.
Later, the structure was informally divided into four apartments, but the poor workmanship did not appeal to potential renters, and the property quickly fell into disrepair. After several ownership changes, it was purchased in the early 1970s by Professor VonGraves, who rebuilt the inside and cleaned up the outside with the help of student tenants. It has been restored and is now being used as townhouses for primarily student living.
Next on our walking tour is the Grover-Nicholls House on Rubidge Street. The Grover-Nicholls House is historically significant because it is an ideal example of Greek Revival architecture that has been modified in the Palladian style. This architectural style, which features porticos, pediments, and columns, is uncommon in Peterborough, making it a unique historic addition to the city.
The Masonic Order and two of Peterborough's most notable families, the Nicholls and the Hamiltons, are linked to the Grovers-Nicholls House. Constructed in the year 1846 by Peregrine Grover, a Member of Parliament and County Warden, the Grover-Nicholls House immediately became the meeting venue for Peterborough's first Masonic Lodge. Meetings were hosted in the house from 1849 to 1853, when Robert Nicholls, a wealthy merchant, and his wife Charlotte Jane moved in and added the two side wings and front porch.
After Robert’s death in 1883, Charlotte Jane Nicholls, now a wealthy widow, became Peterborough's most well-known benefactor at the time. Her financial position allowed her to devote much of her time and money to the welfare of the city. In 1885 she gave more funding to the city for a Protestant hospital in memory of her husband. It had between 15 and 20 beds, but its size was soon found to be inadequate. Consequently, in 1889, she paid for a 50-bed hospital on Argyle Street. The Nicholls Hospital was expanded twice after she died and was the forerunner of today's civic hospital. She contributed both during her life and through her will to the YMCA, the Presbyterian Church, many charities and numerous educational institutes. The name Nicholls will be long-remembered in Peterborough, both because the benefactions of Robert and Charlotte Jane exceeded all others, and because their home remains one of the principal architectural landmarks in the province. Charlotte Jane Nicholls lived in the house until her death in 1890 when it was purchased by William Hamilton, a local businessman and owner of the Hamilton Foundry. The building was then bought by the Peterborough Masonic Order in 1950. It is now known as the Peterborough Masonic Lodge, where Freemasons connect for monthly meetings. The City of Peterborough Bylaw 1977-78 recognizes the buildings as historically significant and, in 1971, the Archaeological and Historic Sites Board of Ontario designated it as a heritage place with historic value. Meaning that heritage designation places some restrictions on a property and can stop potential demolition.
Our third historic stop is the Malone, home of Charles and Eleanor Dunlop, née Stewart. Architect George Stewart constructed the home in 1852 and the street was subsequently named after the owners of the build. Malone was one of the first homes established in the little town of Auburn (now a part of northeastern Peterborough), which was mostly populated by the Stewarts and their associates. Eleanor Stewart's father, the Hon. Thomas A. Stewart gave her the land on which the home was built as a wedding present in 1847. The naming process of the home has a long familial history. It was named after "Malone Home," a manor house owned by the Legge family near Belfast, Ireland. Jean Legge was Sir William Stewart's wife, who was the great, great grandfather of The Hon. Thomas A. Stewart.
Malone is a remarkable example of the Regency style, and it employs a unique vertical log construction technology. Hewn timbers are stood up side by side and fastened together with lathes in stockade wall building, also known as stockade wall construction. The lathe is then plastered both inside and out, with the exterior having a 'roughcast' appearance and the interior having smooth plaster walls. At least five additional houses were built using George Stewart's plans, but Malone is thought to be the only one still standing. The structure was also notable at the time for having an interior restroom with flowing water that was pumped from the Otonabee River to a gravity tank above the nursery by a hydraulic pump.
The building today still functions as a residential home. A property listing for the home, in 2015 classifies it as a 3000-3500 square foot, 1.5 storeys, detached home. If you are curious about a virtual full access tour, go to Zolo.ca for more information.
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Many of the structures depicted in this book are still maintained in Peterborough today. Their functions may have changed over time, however, their meaning and reverence remain the same. The next time you find yourself wandering the historic streets in Peterborough, you can reflect on their value and why they still stand today.
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A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!
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