Description of Historic Place

The Evans House is a Municipal Heritage Property located on the 1.3-ha Prairie West Historical Centre grounds in the Town of Eston. The designation applies to a two-storey wood-frame house that was built in 1910, with a major addition in 1916. The house was moved from its original site in a farmyard three miles north of Eston to the Historical Centre ca. 1980. The other structures that have been moved to the property, including a one-room schoolhouse, a homestead shack and a small barn, are non-contributing resources.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Evans House lies in its former place of prominence in the local rural community. Having arrived in 1907, the Evans family were among the first to homestead in the area north of Eston. By 1910, they had built this two-storey, wood-frame house, a substantial structure compared to most of homestead shacks in the area at the time. The house was considerably enlarged with the 1916 addition. The new section’s fireplace, wood finishes, and separate living and dining rooms divided by pocket doors added to the home’s prestige.

The Evans House played an important role in the community for several decades. It is remembered as a venue for numerous social events, and as a meeting place for a variety of community organizations. The house is also well known for serving as a resting place for people that travelled to and from the settlement of Brock, the area’s nearest railway point in the early days.

In the late 1970s, an Evans descendant donated the house to the Prairie West Historical Society. The house was relocated to the society’s Historical Centre in Eston, where it contributes to the interpretation of the district’s pioneer history.

Source:

Town of Eston Bylaw No. 175-81A, as amended by Bylaw No. 8 – 2006.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Evans House resides in the following character-defining elements:
-elements that contributed to the house’s prominence in the district, including its two storey-design and wood-frame construction; the gable roof with gable dormers; the front verandah; and prestigious elements such as the wood front entry door with oval glass, the stained glass window on the front façade, the tiled fireplace, the pocket doors, and wood flooring, mouldings and panelling in the ground floor rooms of the 1916 addition;
-elements that illustrate the structural evolution of the house, including its exterior form and interior layout, and the contrast between the richer interior finishes of the addition compared to the more austere original section.