Description of Historic Place

185 Euston Street is a large, wood framed former residence located on a treed lot on the corner of Euston Street and Walthen Drive. It was built for prominent merchant, Henry Haszard in 1864 and throughout its history other occupants have included shipbuilders and merchants. The designation encompasses the building’s exterior and parcel; it does not include the building’s interior.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of 185 Euston Street lies in its association with various prominent Charlottetown residents and its role in supporting the Euston Street streetscape.

The land, on which 185 Euston Street stands, was once a part of a large piece of property that belonged to Thomas Heath Haviland. Henry Haszard purchased a portion of the land from Haviland in 1864 and began work on the large home. Haszard was a local merchant and among his business ventures, he owned the London House, a store on Great George Street that sold everything from feather boas to nails.

Haszard did not live in the home for very long. He sold it to shipbuilder, George Peake two years later and moved to the southern part of the St. Peters Road. George Peake was the son of successful shipbuilder, merchant and politician, James Ellis Peake. Although George Peake was born on Prince Edward Island, the family moved back to Britain when patriarch, James Ellis Peake became ill. George and two of his brothers, James and Ralph, returned to the Island in 1864 and entered the family business. George Peake became quite successful and purchased 185 Euston Street, which would be christened Edgecombe. He lived in the home with his wife, Alice DeBlois, and their family until his death in 1896.

A later owner of 185 Euston Street was R.E. Mutch, of the wholesaler firm, R.E. Mutch and Company. He and his wife, Fanny J. Wise, lived in the home for many years. Interestingly, Fanny was a lifelong friend of author, L.M. Montgomery and appears number of times throughout Montgomery’s journal.

185 Euston Street has changed in its appearance over the years. A photo of the home from the 1930s shows it with a large verandah across the facade and trim on the windows. At this point, it did not have the large piece projecting from the centre of the facade but was flat. By the 1970s, the home had been converted into an apartment building and looked much as it does today. A very old home that is associated with many prominent Charlottetown residents, it helps support the streetscape of Euston Street and Walthen Drive.

Sources: Heritage Office, City of Charlottetown Planning Department, PO Box 98, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7K2
#0000n

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements illustrate the heritage value of 185 Fitzroy Street:
- The overall square massing of the 3 storey wood framed building
- The central placement of the front door
- The size and placement of the windows, including the very tall windows of the first and second floor, the slightly shorter windows of the top floor and the bay window
- The curved canopy porch over the front door with its interesting detail and columns
- The flat roofline
- The style and shape of the chimney
- The location of the building on a treed lot with mature trees lining the perimeter