Description of Historic Place

Peppercorn House is a two and a half storey wooden row house located at 025 Monkstown Road in St. John’s. This designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Peppercorn House has been designated a Municipal Heritage Building because it has aesthetic value.

Peppercorn House is aesthetically valuable as an example of the 19th century vernacular style that is typical of the Georgetown area of St. John’s. It is a physical symbol of a time when houses were built in rows and were sparsely decorated for the common person. The simplicity of design, the narrowness of the facade, the simple window fenestration and chimney placement attest to this common design. The only decoration on the house is on the main entrance which has a classical pediment, pilasters and a transom window. Most of the dwellings of this age were lost in the Great Fire of 1892. Peppercorn House was one of the few houses which was located outside the 1892 fire zone.

Source: City of St. John's property file, designated 07/02/2003

Character-Defining Elements

All those 19th century vernacular row house architectural characteristics, including:
-narrow wood clapboard;
-shape, size and placement of windows;
-original door opening with its enclosed porch, transom, plain pediment; and
-pilasters and straight front steps.