Description of Historic Place

Connell House National Historic Site of Canada is an imposing two-and-a-half-storey wooden mansion distinguished by a double-height columned verandah running along the front and one side of the main block. This temple-fronted façade in the Greek Revival Style makes the house one of the most outstanding early buildings in the historic town of Woodstock, New Brunswick. The house is now a museum and archives operated by the Carleton County Historical Society. Official recognition refers to the legal limits of the property in 1975 at the time of designation.

Heritage Value

Connell House was designated a national historic site of Canada in 1975 because:
- its pedimented front and freestanding columns make it a fine example of the Greek Revival style.

Lumber merchant and politician, Charles Connell had this house constructed circa 1840. Houses inspired by classical temples, such as Connell House, are rare in Canada, although they were more common in the United States where Connell, who was of Loyalist descent, may have found his inspiration. The temple format of the original block has been obscured somewhat by several additions constructed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The house remained a Connell family home until 1975 when it was purchased by the Carleton County Historical Association for use as a museum and archives.

Source: Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Minutes, November 1975.

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements contributing to the heritage value of the site include:
- the siting of the house in the midst of lawns and setback from the street;
- the predominance of the main block with its pedimented entry façade set at right angles to Connell Road;
- the classical exterior detailing in wood, notably the freestanding fluted double-height columns supporting the extended eaves of the pitched roof with cornice decorated with triglyphs and metopes, and corner pilasters on the inset core of the house;
- the evenly spaced double-hung windows on each storey of the street-side elevations with side entry on the pedimented façade of the main block;
- the wood construction with simple clapboard finish;
- the surviving original Greek Revival-inspired interior details and finishs.