Description of Historic Place

45 Church Street, Annapolis Royal, N.S., also known as the Lewis House, is a small one-and-one-half storey wood-frame structure. It is located near the former Annapolis Royal railway yard and close to the street. It was constructed at least in the mid 1860s, possibly much earlier. The municipal designation includes the building and surrounding property.

Heritage Value

Historic Value

The historic value of the 45 Church Street, as recognized in its municipal designation, is found in its early construction, association with the development of the town, and for its long association with the small Black community in the town.

The house is know to have been in its current location since the mid 1860s, however local tradition maintains that it is much old and was moved from another location. This section of Annapolis Royal was substantially reorganized in the 1860s with the coming of the Windsor and Annapolis Railway to Annapolis Royal. Near by lands owned by the Anglican Church were sold to the railway company to facilitate the construction of the terminus of the railroad in the centre of town. The land had previously been rented out in small plots on which houses were built by those unable to purchase land. All of these houses were either demolished or moved to other locations in town; the Lewis house is reputed to be one of these. If so, the building could date from first half of the eighteenth century.

The Lewis House has been the home to several Black families of Annapolis Royal. Several Black Loyalist families settled in Annapolis Royal to escape the American Revolution. Both the Lewis and Granada families have occupied the house for part of the nineteenth and most of the twentieth centuries.

Architectural Value

The architectural value of 45 Church Street is found in its simple Maritime vernacular style and as a small, working-family residence. It has undergone a number of changes, especially in the twentieth century, when the dustpan dormer was added to the front slope. Any remaining early architectural features have been covered by the addition of vinyl siding. Local tradition states that when it was moved, the house was positioned on the lot with the former rear of the house facing the street. The most prominent remaining architectural feature is the steeply-pitched roof, unusual on the nineteenth century buildings of the town, and suggestive of an eighteenth century construction. The building is positioned on a very small lot, and is sited very close to the street.

Source: Heritage Property Files, Map #165, 45 Church Street, Town Hall, Town of Annapolis Royal.

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements of 45 Church Street include:

- steeply-pitched roof;
- form and massing;
- wood frame;
- all original elements dating from the time of construction;
- positioning at the very edge of the street;
- prominent dustpan dormer;
- location near the site of the former rail yard.