Description of Historic Place

430-432 St. George Street is a two-and-a-half home located on the main thorough fare in Annapolis Royal, NS. The wood framed house was built circa 1840 and features a central dormer and main floor portico. The Municipal Heritage Designation includes the property and building.

Heritage Value

The Peter Bonnett House is valued for its age, historical associations and architectural style.

The house was built circa. 1840 for Peter Bonnett. Bonnett purchased the land from famed writer and politician Thomas Chandler Haliburton and it is thought the house is built on the foundation of an Acadian homestead. Bonnett and family resided in the house until 1870, during a period of great expansion and commercial development for Annapolis Royal. As County Sheriff for nearly thirty years and Judge of the Probate Court, Bonnett was well known throughout the community.

The house is somewhat unique in Annapolis Royal due to the numerous changes Bonnett and other residents made to the home. The house began as a Gothic Revival home and today appears more as a simple Greek Revival style home. It complements the upper St. George Street streetscape where no two houses are exactly alike, reflecting various nineteenth century trends and influence of individual owners on the architectural appearance of the town.

Source: Heritage Property Files, MAP# 72 - 430-432 St. George Street, Town
Hall, Town of Annapolis Royal.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements of the Peter Bonnett House relate to its Greek Revival style and include:

- truncated gable bell cast roof;
- heavy overhang and return of cornice;
- large front dormer with decorative wood trim cutting through the main cornice;
- form and massing;
- decorative detail on dormer;
- open front porch with heavy overhang and columns;
- building set back on east side of street;
- wood clapboard.