Description of Historic Place

Located in a Greenbelt area of Ottawa, the Gothic Revival stone farmhouse at Silver Spring Farm is set behind an extensive tree canopy that shields it from the main road. The striking appearance of the grand building is created by steep, intersecting, shingled roofs and high-pitched gables. Decorative, white painted vergeboards, tall chimneys and finials outline the roofs and drip mouldings frame the generous windows. The farm is set in a landscape that consists of gardens, lawns, and an orchard protected by, an evergreen windbreak and open fields. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The House at Silver Spring Farm is a Classified Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value
The farmhouse, known as the Moffat House at Silver Springs Farm, is associated with the Bearman brothers for whom the farmhouse was built in 1867. The brothers were prosperous, second-generation Irish settlers active in politics and local affairs. In the 1960s, the property was modified to support a residential and work program, a usage which has continued into the 21st century.

Architectural Value
The Silver Spring Farm farmhouse is valued for its excellent aesthetic design executed in the Gothic Revival style. This style was prolifically employed from 1840 to 1870 in eastern North America. The farmhouse exemplifies the essence of this picturesque style. Its good function is evidenced in elements that are also decorative such as the recessed porch, set back for shelter and the drip moulding around the windows for proper water drainage. Very good craftsmanship is demonstrated in the beautifully crafted limestone, layed in broken courses that lend an elegant and polished appearance to the house and in the decorative wood elements such as the white painted vergeboard that accentuate the gables.

Environmental Value
The Farmhouse establishes the picturesque character of its rural, farm setting that is located in a Greenbelt area within a larger urban area of increasing density. The farmhouse is a familiar building within the community.

Sources:
Martha Phemister, Silver Spring Farm, 3501 Richmond Road, Nepean Township, Ontario, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office Report 88-183

Silver Spring Farm, 3502 Richmond Road, Nepean, Ontario Heritage Character Statement 88-183

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements of the Farmhouse at Silver Springs Farm should be respected:

Its excellent aesthetic design, good functional design and very good quality craftsmanship and materials, as evidenced in:

- the picturesque composition characteristic of the Gothic Revival style, achieved by irregular massing, steep roofs and high-pitched gables, and related decorative elements such as the vergeboards and finials;
- the decorative labelling, or drip mould, above the windows, which is also typically Gothic;
- the dressed limestone, which was quarried from the nearby Graham property, and the stonework, which is of consistently high quality and detail throughout.

The manner in which the Farmhouse at Silver Spring Farm establishes the picturesque character of its rural, farm setting and is a neighbourhood landmark, as evidenced by;

- Its grand scale Gothic Revival style, materials and decorative details, which dominate the landscaped grounds and harmonizes with the surrounding Greenbelt setting.
- Its familiarity as part of Silver Spring Farm and as one of a number of stately stone houses along Richmond Road.