Description of Historic Place

171 King Street is a wood framed, gable roofed cottage located in the southeastern part of Charlottetown. This area was settled early in the City's history and contains a number of heritage homes. The designation encompasses the building's exterior and parcel; it does not include the building's interior.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of 171 King Street lies in its association with various prominent Charlottetown residents and its role in supporting the King Street streetscape.

Built by Benjamin Chappell Junior shortly after 1855, 171 King Street was sold to his tenant, Catherine McNab MacLennan (1804-1890) after his death in 1861. She was the wife of Rev. John MacLennan (1797-1852), the first Pastor of the Belfast Presbyterian Church. Reverend MacLennan worked tirelessly ministering to his parishioners throughout the Island and in his native Scotland. The Reverend returned to Scotland in 1849, for what he thought would be a temporary absence, however he died in 1852 after he contracted diphtheria from a parishioner. Some time after his death, Mrs. MacLennan returned to Prince Edward Island. She would live in 171 King Street until 1886, when she built a magnificent Queen Anne Revival style home at 237 Prince Street.

171 King Street would remain in the MacLennan family, however, as Maria Louise MacLennan Robins, Catherine McNab MacLennan's granddaughter, owned the home for a time. According to the Ballingall's 1914 Prince Edward Island Directory, Milton MacLeod, a grocer, was a resident of 171 King Street. Later residents of the home were the Wilson family.

An attractive home, in an area with a number of heritage homes, 171 King Street helps support the streetscape.

Sources: Heritage Office, City of Charlottetown Planning Department, PO Box 98, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7K2
#1410

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements contribute to the heritage value of 171 King Street:

- The overall massing of the building
- The shingled exterior with mouldings painted in a contrasting colour
- The size and placement of the windows, particularly the symmetrically placed windows of the first floor and the six over six sash windows of the shed dormer
- The size and central placement of the door with transom light above
- The size and centrally placed porch with its hipped roof, square columns with striped detail at the top and balustrade
- The gable roofline with shed dormer
- The large addition on the back of the home

Other character-defining elements include:

- The location of the home on King Street