Description of Historic Place

46 Prince Street is one side of an attractive Second Empire style double tenement in a historic part of Prince Street. It was built as a double tenement by two cabinetmakers that is, furniture makers. Although not a common practice now, in the 19th century it was common for two landowners to build one large structure over two pieces of land. The designation encompasses the building’s exterior and parcel; it does not include the building’s interior.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of 46 Prince Street lies in its attractive Second Empire influenced architecture and its importance to the Prince Street streetscape.

In 1880, Archibald F. Pentz and Theophilus Hawkins Howe bought two parcels of land side by side and built the large, double tenement over the two parcels. Pentz and Howe both worked for John Newson and Son, a furniture making and importing business on Victoria Row. Although Pentz moved to Summerside shortly after the home was built, the pair retained ownership of the building into the twentieth century.

It is obvious that the builders of the home were cabinetmakers by trade. The details throughout the exterior, such as the frieze with pendant motif and the intricately scrolled brackets, exhibit Pentz and Howe’s expertise in their chosen field.

The home is a good example of the Second Empire style. The style, which is identified through its Mansard roof (named after François Mansart (1598-1666), and popularized by his son, Jules Hardoin Mansart, an architect who worked for Louis XIV around 1700). The Mansard roof is almost flat on the top section and has deeply sloping, often curved, lower sections that generally contain dormers. The Second Empire referred to in the style is that of Napoleon III (1852-1870). The style reached Canada through Britain and the United States and was used extensively throughout Charlottetown from approximately 1860 until about 1880.

A 1914 directory of Charlottetown lists the prominent merchant tailor, Sixtus McLellan (1861-1937) as residing at 46 Prince Street. He was still residing in the home until his death in 1937.

46 Prince Street is located on a street that contains many older homes. Part of an excellent example of a Second Empire style double tenement, it is very well preserved and contributes to the streetscape.

Sources: Heritage Office, City of Charlottetown Planning Department, PO Box 98, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7K2
Record # 1421

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of 46 Prince Street is exemplified in the following Second Empire influenced character-defining elements:
- The overall massing of the home
- The Mansard roof that has been added on to with a more modern addition
- The style and placement of the tall windows, particularly the bay windows of the first floor, the tall windows of the second floor and the dormer windows of the roof
- The style and placement of the double doors of the entrance
- The placement of the scrolled brackets and pendant detailing along the rooflines
- The small projecting roofs over the doorway
- The style and placement of the chimneys
Other character-defining elements include:
- The location of 46 Prince Street on Prince Street
- The position of 46 Prince Street as part of a double tenement