Description of Historic Place

496 Waterloo Street is on the east side of Waterloo Street, south of Princess Avenue in the City of London. The property consists of a two-and-a-half-storey red-brick residence that was constructed in 1893, with a one-storey office extension added in the 1920s.

The property was designated in 2006 by the City of London for its heritage value under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law L.S.P. 3379-50).

Heritage Value

496 Waterloo Street is associated with a succession of physicians who lived in the home and kept their medical office there. One of the most notable is, Dr. John A. MacGregor who built the office extension on the house in the 1920s. Dr. MacGregor is known for teaching medicine at the University of Western Ontario.

Originally constructed in 1893, 496 Waterloo is a good representation of Queen Anne residential architecture. Typical of this style is the steeply pitched gable roof and three-storey tower with conical roof and finial. A large wrap-around veranda and two-storey bay window on the front facade and detailed treatments of the brickwork and exterior woodwork on the house also reflect the Queen Anne style.

Equally outstanding is the original condition of much of the home's interior. Consistent with interiors of the Queen Anne style is the ornate woodwork, cabinetry, flooring, hardware and electrical fittings. The residence also boasts four fireplaces.

At the time of its construction 496 Waterloo was located in the most prestigious neighbourhood in London. It contributes, along with many other properties of a similar age and style, to the historic character of this neighbourhood. It is of particular significance as one of the few larger houses in the area that remains a single-dwelling residence.

Source: City of London By-law LSP 3379-50.

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements to the heritage value of 496 Waterloo Street include:
- two-and-a-half-storey construction
- red-brick exterior
- roofline, gables and three-storey tower with conical roof and finial
- two-storey bay window, palladian window and oriel windows
- wrap-around veranda with pediment, balcony frame, columns and capitals
- stone lintels and column bases
- red pressed brick, decorative brick panels and brick brackets
- interior hardware, woodwork, lighting fixtures, fireplaces