Description of Historic Place

The Kirtley/Hayter Homestead is tri-gabled, Greek revival styled house sitting near the bottom of a steep hill on a large landscaped lot at 171 Woolastook Drive.

Heritage Value

Kirtley-Hayter Homestead is designated a local historic place for its association with the Kirtley and the Hayter families, who number among the early setters of Grand Bay-Westfield.

Captain John Hayter, Loyalist, (1749-1811) born in Devonshire, England and previous resident of Philadelphia, settled on a land grant of 400 acres in the area known as Epworth Park, and gradually acquired more land, including 171 Woolastook Drive. Captain Hayter married Mary Monk (1763-1826) of Woolrich, England, a descendant of Sir George Monk, Duke of Albemarle. They had nine children, including Thomas (1796- 1865) who married Mary Ann Gallagher (1803-1878) Together they had 10 children. Their son Charles Thomas (1844-1925) continued to live on the original Hayter grant. Charles Thomas’s daughter, Helen Eliza (1883-1964), married John G. Kirtley (1880-1959) in 1923. Kirtley arrived with his father in New Brunswick from England in 1902; the family lived “next door” to the Hayters. The couple inherited 171 Woolastook Drive upon the death of Helen’s parents. The property is locally known as the “Kirtley Estate”.

The historic significance of the homestead also resides in its original architectural elements. The high tri-gabled roof is saltbox shaped and broken by a pedimented dormer on the extension. The large front gable and side gables feature projected eaves and returns, typical of early farmhouses in the residential Greek revival style.

Character-Defining Elements

The character defining elements of Kirtley-Hayter Homestead include:
- location on land that belonged to the Hayter and Kirtley families;
- proximity to Epworth Park Road, which further associates the property with Epworth Park, significant in the history of the Hayter family and the development of Grand Bay-Westfield;
- architectural elements associated with residential Greek revival style, including the high tri-gabled roof with projecting eaves and returns, pediments of dormers.