Description of Historic Place

Located in the community of Auburn in Peterborough’s East City, this one and a half storey cottage with a Gothic Revival centre gable faces west towards the Otonabee River and the Rotary Greenway Trail. The Greenway Trail was initially a road, hence the westward orientation of the cottage and its two neighbouring properties.

The Auburn Mills Cottage has been recognized for its heritage value by the City of Peterborough By-Law #05-028.

Heritage Value

The Auburn Mills Cottage has a strong association with the Auburn Woolen Mills. Built by the company circa 1870, the cottage was home to numerous mill workers well into the mid 20th century. Through its connection to the textile mills, the cottage identifies with a significant historical period in Peterborough, when this area was dominated by industrial complexes from the mid to late 19th century.

The Auburn Mills Cottage is an excellent example of vernacular cottage architecture displaying details of the Gothic Revival style. The numerous wooden elements, such as the original wood siding (currently hidden underneath vinyl siding) and trim, took advantage of Peterborough’s surplus of lumber and new mechanized woodworking techniques. The simplicity of the structure and minimal ornamentation exemplify a typical worker’s cottage, built by the textile mills to provide inexpensive housing for their employees in close proximity to their workplace.

Source: City of Peterborough Auburn Mills Cottage Heritage Designation By-Law #05-028

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage values of the Auburn Mills cottage include the:
-rectangular massing of the building, with front facing gable wall
-original elements of trim and finial
-original gothic, twelve panel sash window
-original clapboard siding beneath vinyl siding
-original location in area once dominated by industrial complexes
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