Description of Historic Place

This beautiful 15-room Queen Anne Revival home graces the corner of Summer and Winter Streets in Summerside, PEI. The designation includes the house and its large, treed lot.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the P.T. Fanning House is found in its association with one of Summerside's prominent 19th century businessmen. Patrick T. Fanning, owner of the P.T. Fanning Shoe Factory, was at the height of his career when he commissioned this large 15-room house in 1891. Fanning was also member of the Town Council for many years.

Heritage value also resides in the house's association with the Campbell family and two notable Premiers of Prince Edward Island. Thane Campbell was a Rhodes scholar and Premier from 1936-43. During his term, he oversaw the development of the provincial police force and the creation of Prince Edward Island National Park. Campbell became the Chief Justice of the Island Supreme Court in 1943 and served in that position for nearly 30 years. He also served on the National Historic Sites and Monuments Board and was named a companion of the Order of Canada in 1973. Campbell was also the only Island premier to see his son also obtain the premiership. Alexander B. Campbell, at the age of thirty-three, became one of the youngest premiers ever elected in Canada when he assumed the position in 1966. Both Premiers Campbell grew up in the PT Fanning residence.

The site of the PT Fanning home is also valued because of its connection to the Roman Catholic Church in Summerside. When the congregation outgrew its first home and began construction on a new one, it sold the original church building to PT Fanning. It was relocated to the property and used as a coach house and garage from 1877 to the 1950's, when it was dismantled.

Further heritage value lies in the PT Fanning house as an excellent example of Queen Anne Revival architecture in the city of Summerside.

Source: City of Summerside Heritage Property Profile

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the P.T. Fanning house are the features that make this an excellent example of the Queen Anne Revival architectural style, including:

- three Roman arch windows that ascend the east elevation of the house lighting the inner staircase, which are considered an architectural highlight of the house
- tower and stacked bay windows
- variety of gables and dormers including Scottish and triangular dormers
- details such as under-eave brackets, eared mouldings on the windows and bargeboard on the front gable
- side veranda with stick and ball trim
- clapboard siding, wooden trim and shingles in dormers