Description of Historic Place

The Derry House is located at 875 Enola Avenue, on the east side of Enola Street, adjacent to the Adamson Estate in Adamson Estate Park, Mississauga. The property backs onto and accesses Lake Ontario. The one storey “U” shaped concrete, brick and wood residence was built in 1932.

The City of Mississauga designated the property, in 1993, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 569-93).

Heritage Value

The Derry House is associated with Anthony Adamson who was awarded the Order of Canada for his contribution to Canadian Architecture in 1974. He was invested as an officer the following year. He designed the house for his family but only lived there for a short period of time. Anthony Adamson was a Professor at the University of Toronto and known as one of the leaders in architectural conservation and architectural studies. He is the author of several books and was known nationally and internationally for his work.

The Derry House is a good representation of the Regency and Greek Revival styles, illustrating Ontario's architectural and historical past. The brick base of the house projects out beyond the wood siding in the form of a plinth for the main structure, a rare detail which adds to the Greek Revival character. The white colour of the house, in conjunction with pediments at the gable ends and triglyph details below the soffit, further reflect a Greek flavour. The “U” shape of the house wraps to the north, creating a small flagstone courtyard, off-set by the main door.

Sources: City of Mississauga By-law 569-93; City of Mississauga Corporate Report March 24, 1992; History of the Derry House.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Derry House include its:
- one storey brick, tar and wood siding exterior
- gable roof
- “U” shape structure plan
- exposed basement walls clad in brick and painted with black tar
- wood frame
- flagstone courtyard, flagstone trimmed window wells
- original trim, moulding detail and disguised gutter and downspout
- multi-paned windows with detailed wood mullions, trim, and shutters
- centre brick chimney