Description of Historic Place

The Gunn House is a two-storey Queen Anne Revival residence with a distinctive three-storey tower on the corner of the front façade. It is located on St. George Street in Sussex.

Heritage Value

The Gunn House is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture. It is recognized as a good example of Queen Anne Revival residential architecture from the early 20th century in Sussex. This style is evident in the asymmetrical massing of the house, as well as in the variety of shapes and sizes of certain elements. The house features a tower with a bellcast roof on the southeast corner of the front façade. The hipped roof is intersected by four gables, each one different. The irregular fenestration is accented by small windows, again, each different. The house was built by Andrew Cripps for Percy Gunn in 1907. Mr. Gunn originally painted the exterior of the residence black with white trim, giving rise to the name “Black Gunn House”, by which it was commonly known.

Source: Town of Sussex, Historic Places file #S-5-08

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements that relate to the Queen Anne Revival style of the Gunn House include:
- asymmetrical two-storey massing;
- three-storey tower with a bellcast roof;
- hipped roof;
- two two-storey bay windows topped with pediments;
- two pediment dormers;
- front porch that wraps around on the south and west sides;
- various window styles, including Palladian, eyebrow and Roman, some with stained glass;
- window entablatures and moulded sills;
- brick-covered foundation walls.