Description of Historic Place

34 Ambrose Street is a wood framed Queen Anne Revival style home located on the corner of Ambrose Street and Villa Avenue. Prominent local architect, Charles Benjamin Chappell (1857-1931) designed the home for his own use. The home is reflective of his work and a number of other houses in the area. The designation encompasses the building's exterior and parcel; it does not include the building's interior.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of 34 Ambrose Street lies in its association with prominent local architect Charles Benjamin Chappell; its attractive Queen Anne Revival influenced architecture; and its role in supporting the streetscape.

Charles Benjamin Chappell was a prominent architect in Charlottetown during the latter part of the 19th Century and the early part of the 20th. Many buildings and fine homes which Chappell designed, either collaboratively or by himself, still stand in Charlottetown, including the landmark and National Historic Site, Charlottetown City Hall. Chappell designed a great number of buildings on his own, but also worked with architect John Lemuel Phillips for a time and formed a partnership later in his career with architect, John M. Hunter. Chappell is listed in Might's Provincial Directory of 1929-1930 as residing at 34 Ambrose Street. The architect died in 1931, but his descendants continued to live in the home for many years.

34 Ambrose Street is influenced by the Queen Anne Revival style, a style that was somewhat subdued in Charlottetown compared to other provinces. The Queen Anne Revival style was popular in Charlottetown from approximately 1880 until 1910. Richard N. Shaw (1831-1912), a British architect, created the style that incorporated some of the classical motifs popular during Queen Anne's reign (1702-1714). Features of the style include, large asymmetrical designs, a variety of rooflines and eclectic details, all of which have been incorporated into the design of the Chappell House.

A well preserved home, 34 Ambrose Street is an asset to the Ambrose Street and Villa Avenue streetscapes.

Sources: Heritage Office, City of Charlottetown Planning Department, PO Box 98, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7K2
#1725

Character-Defining Elements

The following Queen Anne Revival style influenced character-defining elements illustrate the heritage value of 34 Ambrose Street:
- The asymmetrical massing of the building
- The various sizes and placement of the windows, including the tall windows, the paired windows of the north side, the small grouped windows of the gable, and the large windows of the west side
- The style and placement of the doors, particularly the first floor doors of the south side with transom lights overhead
- The gable roofs
- The porch of the south east side
- The style and placement of the chimneys
- The arch with columns over the window of the south side
- The protruding belt course
- The simple contrasting white trim around the windows, doors and roofline
- The wooden cladding
Other character-defining elements of 34 Ambrose Street include:
- The location of the building on the corner of Ambrose Street and Villa Avenue