Description of Historic Place

73 Chestnut Street is a wood framed, Georgian influenced, former home that was moved to its current location from 95 Fitzroy Street in the early 21st century. Originally built as a single dwelling home in 1855, it now serves as an apartment building. The designation encompasses the building’s exterior and parcel; it does not include the building’s interior.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of 73 Chestnut Street lies in its attractive Georgian influenced architecture; its association with blacksmith and carriage manufacturer, Peter Halloran; and its importance to the Chestnut Street streetscape.

Peter Halloran built his home on land that he purchased in 1855, from his next door neighbour and father in law, Henry Charlton. Halloran was a blacksmith and carriage builder whose factory was on the property. His son later joined him in building carriages at their factory called Halloran & Son. Peter Halloran was not only a carriage builder but according to his advertisements, he built wagons, buggies and sleighs, all of which were common methods of transportation before the advent of the automobile.

The block, on which the home was built, contained other carriage builders such as the Scotts' and the Larges'. Carriage building was a busy trade in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Families of wealth and prestige were the only ones who could afford such a grand mode of transportation. A carriage was a status symbol and many aimed at having the most fine-looking one.

73 Chestnut Street is an example of an early Georgian style home. Irene Rogers in her book, Charlottetown: The Life In its Buildings, wrote that it was the “ best proportioned house on the block”. The Georgian style followed a British tradition that began in the late 1700s and the early 1800s. The style was popular for its formal symmetry, multi-paned windows, central entrances with a panelled door, and a sloping gable roof.

In the early part of the 21st century, 73 Chestnut Street was moved from Fitzroy Street over two blocks to Chestnut Street in order to accommodate a new government building being built on the corner of Fitzroy Street and University Avenue. At this point, the home was renovated and now serves as an apartment building. Although only situated on Chestnut Street for a short period in its history, it is located on a street with a number of older homes, and its fine Georgian architecture compliments the streetscape.

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

The following Georgian influenced character-defining elements illustrate the heritage value of 73 Chestnut Street:

- The overall massing of the building
- The symmetry of the facade
- The style and placement of the windows, including the nine over six windows of the first floor and the six over six windows of the second floor
- The style and centrally placed door with its three paned transom lights and two paned sidelights
- The pitch of the gable roof
- The simple cornice, with eave returns at the gable ends
- The size and shape of the chimney
- The simple corner boards and trim
Other character-defining elements include:
- The location of the house on Chestnut Street