Description of Historic Place

293 Richmond Street is a Queen Anne Revival influenced wood framed residence. It was built in 1913 for railwayman, Ross MacEwen. The designation encompasses the building's exterior and parcel; it does not include the building's interior.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of 293 Richmond Street lies in its association with various Charlottetown residents; its Queen Anne Revival architectural influences; and its importance to the streetscape.

The home was built for Ross MacEwen in 1913. According to local directories, MacEwen worked as a telegraph operator and later became a train dispatcher with the local railway. His name appears in the telephone directories as J.E.R. McEwen. The 1928 telephone directory reveals that he had a summer home across town to the west, on the Brighton Shore. By 1935, it appears that MacEwen had moved to another home on 86 Upper Prince Street. Later tenants of 293 Richmond Street include Ernest Cameron and his wife, Helen.

293 Richmond Street was 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, very large asymmetrical designs, a variety of rooflines, towers and eclectic siding, all of which have been incorporated into the design of 293 Richmond Street. The home is a good example of the Queen Anne Revival style in the City.

293 Richmond is located near several well-kept heritage homes of various ages on Richmond Street. A beautiful home, it contributes to its 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 Queen Anne Revival influenced character-defining elements contribute to the heritage value of 293 Richmond Street:
- The overall massing of the building
- The mouldings highlighted with contrasting colours
- The protruding beltcourses
- The diamond shaped details of the tower
- The cornices, columns, as well as the window and door surrounds
- The wooden cladding, particularly the diamond shaped shingles of the tower, some of which form a diamond shaped pattern in the upper storey
- The hipped roof
- The size and placement of the windows, particularly the tower's stacked bay windows, the grouped windows and the windows of the front porch that have four lights in the upper section and one light below
- The size and placement of the doors, particularly the panel front door with its six light transom light
- The small hipped roof balconet on the third floor
- The size and shape of the tower on the western section of the building with its decorative shingles, hexagonal roof, and finial at the top
- The style and placement of the chimneys
Other character-defining elements of 293 Richmond Street include:
- The location of the home on a relatively large lot
- The deck on the west side of the home that has been shingled like the rest of the home and has the same diamond pattern that graces the tower