Description of Historic Place

112-114 Prince Street is a wood framed Italianate influenced apartment building located among a number of heritage buildings. It features a flat roof, paired brackets in the cornice of the facade, and an array of round arch windows. 112-114 Prince Street currently houses an apartment building. The designation encompasses the building's exterior and parcel; it does not include the building's interior.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of 112-114 Prince Street lies in its Italianate influenced architectural details and its role in supporting the Prince Street streetscape.

It had originally been a two-storey home but a renovation in the 1870s added an extra storey as well as details fashionable to the period. Local carpenter and house joiner, Nathan Wright was one of the contractors of Smith Brothers & Wright, the firm that worked on two of the oldest and most historically significant public buildings in PEI - Province House and Government House. After Wright died in 1862, his sons, Richard and William purchased his Prince Street home and property from the other heirs and would go on to renovate 112-114 Prince Street in 1875. Work included adding an extra storey and the addition of interesting round arched windows in the square window surrounds.

112-114 Prince Street's symmetrical facade and round arched windows, roof brackets and the low, hipped roof indicate an Italianate influence- a style that was in vogue at the time. The Italianate style was more decorative, being reminiscent of the arcaded facades of the Venetian palaces of the Italian Renaissance style.

Although the building would eventually become residential again, a grocery store, operated by R. Wright, was located at 112-114 Prince Street, as was the Beehive Temperance Saloon. According to an 1878 newspaper advertisement, "Those looking for a nice dish of White Mountain ice-cream need look no farther than the Beehive Temperance Saloon." A year later, the building was being offered for sale. The ad described the building as "cheap and elegant'. Those interested could also purchase a property on Euston Street and a small cottage on Hensley Street. It is not clear who purchased the building at this point, however according to telephone directories, Mrs. J.M. Cameron and A.E. Simpson resided at 112 Prince Street in 1928 and 1935 respectively.

In February 1963, a fire struck 112-114 Prince Street, but the fire department's quick action saved the building. The building has been well maintained throughout the years and helps to support the 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 Italianate influenced character-defining elements contribute to the heritage value of 112-114 Prince Street:

- The overall massing of the building with its three storeys
- The symmetrical facade
- The wooden cladding with mouldings painted in a contrasting colour
- The style and placement of the windows, particularly the arched windows of the facade
- The size and central placement of the paired doors, with sidelights and a hipped roofed porch over each door
- The slightly hipped roof
- The cornice of the roofline and the paired bracketing supporting it

Other character-defining elements include:

- The location of the building on Prince Street and its physical and visual relationship to its streetscape