Description of Historic Place

227 Richmond Street is a restored one and one half storey Maritime Vernacular cottage. The home was built in approximately 1846 for Thomas Davy. The designation encompasses the building’s exterior and parcel; it does not include the building’s interior.

Heritage Value

227 Richmond Street is valued for its well preserved Maritime Vernacular architecture and for its association with the shipbuilding industry in 19th Century Prince Edward Island.

Thomas Davy bought lot numbers 1 and 2 in Charlottetown, which were originally part of the subdivision that Charles Hensley carved out in 1846. Davy would build his one and one half storey cottage on the lots soon afterward. A lane, which was located to the east of his house, was named Davy’s Lane.

Thomas Davy was a local blacksmith. During the shipbuilding boom on Prince Edward Island, he was listed as a ship smith, which indicates the importance of the shipbuilding industry on Prince Edward Island in the mid 19th century. When Davy passed away, he left the property to his wife. Later the property would pass on to Davy’s son, Edward. He would rent out the home to various individuals including Peter Martin, Daniel Curry, and Philip Bambrick.

The home was built in the Maritime Vernacular Cottage style, a style that was common throughout Charlottetown from approximately 1830 until 1860. Many homes like this still exist in Charlottetown, but have been altered with trim to reflect various style periods. Characteristics of the style include a rectangular plan, a symmetrical facade and a large centrally placed dormer that juts out from the gable roof.

The home is a well preserved example of a Maritime Vernacular style building in the City and contributes to both Hensley and Richmond Streets, standing as a reminder of the seafaring history of the port City of Charlottetown.

Sources: Heritage Office, City of Charlottetown Planning Department, PO Box 98, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7K2
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Character-Defining Elements

The following Maritime Vernacular Cottage character-defining elements illustrate the heritage value of 227 Richmond Street:
- The overall massing of the building and its symmetrical facade
- The placement and style of the windows including the large two over two windows of the first floor and the paired windows of the centrally placed dormer
- The style and placement of the doors, particularly the centrally placed doorway of the facade with its two paned transom light above. Although the door is a replacement, it is a six panel door and in keeping with the Maritime Vernacular Cottage style.
- The centrally placed dormer of the facade
- The shingle siding
- The pitch of the gable roof
- The size and placement of the chimney
Other character-defining elements of 227 Richmond Street are:
- The location of the building on the corner of Richmond Street and Hensley Street
- Although a later addition, the large shed dormer on the north side of the building