Description of Historic Place

The Delap-Savary house, 446 St. George Street, Annapolis Royal, N.S., was built circa 1875 in the Second Empire style by Laurence Delap, a local merchant and ship builder. The house is set very close to the road in an area of designated heritage properties. It is located across the street from the main entry to the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens. The designation includes the building and surrounding property.

Heritage Value

Historic Value:

The Delap-Savary house, as recognized by its municipal designation, is valued for its association with prominent residents of Annapolis Royal. In 1732, this lot was part of an eight acre lot that was granted to Paul Mascarene, who would later become Lieutenant Colonel of the 40th Regiment and Lieutenant Governor of the Town and Fort of Annapolis Royal. Elizabeth Johnstone who owned the property from 1815 to 1848 was the mother of the Honourable J.W. Johnstone, Attorney General and Premier of Nova Scotia. There is evidence that a substantial house, owned by Elizabeth Johnstone, was on the site as early as 1815.

The current house was built circa 1875 by Laurence Delap. Delap, one of Annapolis Royal's premiere industrialists, owned shipyards in Delap's Cove, Granville Ferry and Annapolis Royal as well as being a partner in the Acadia Steamship Company. Thanks to shipbuilding, Annapolis Royal was in an economic boom at the time the house was built and the building reflects the affluence of its builder and his social standing within the community. Alfred Savary, a prominent legal figure and judge, purchased the property in 1889. Savary was an amateur historian who edited W.A. Calnek’s “History of the County of Annapolis”. He also produced his own supplement to this history as it had been left incomplete at Calnek's death. During the 1920s, this was the residence of Dr. Laurence Braine, the town's physician. By the 1940s the building had been turned into apartments and it remains a multiple family dwelling to this day.

Architectural Value:

446 St. George Street is valued as being a fine example of Second Empire style as expressed in Annapolis Royal. The main house is almost square with three full storeys and a brick and stone foundation and basement. There is a bell cast asphalt shingle roof with intersecting shed dormers which are centered on the windows below. The roof sits on a heavy wooden boxed cornice with single brackets. The main façade has an offset main door set in a projecting rectangular single storey porch. To the east is a two storey segmental bay window capped by a flat roof at the main cornice. A similar bay is located on the northwest corner. The windows are generally two over two wooden windows with heavy wooden surrounds. The second storey windows have semi elliptical heads. The house is a fine intact example of its style with the majority of its original exterior features. The current house may contain elements of Elizabeth Johnstone's 1815 structure which was located on the property.

Source: Town of Annapolis Royal Heritage Designation Files, Annapolis Heritage Society, 136 St George Street, Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia

Character-Defining Elements

The character defining elements of the Delap-Savary house include:

-the building's intact size, massing, windows and openings;
-original painted wood clapboard and corner boards and trim;
-bell cast asphalt shingle roof;
-projecting shed dormers;
-an original boxed wood cornice with brackets and frieze;
-double hung wooden sash windows and trim;
-second storey windows have semi elliptical heads;
-an offset main door;
-a projecting single storey porch with paired wood panel doors, transom and sidelights;
-an exposed brick foundation;
-two storey segmental bay windows capped by flat roof;
-location of the property in proximity to the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens.