Description of Historic Place

650 Devonshire Road is the northern half of a semi-detached dwelling situated in the former Town of Walkerville, now part of central Windsor. The two-and-a-half-storey vernacular Arts and Crafts style structure was built by the Walkerville Land and Building Company in 1888 for Hiram Walker distillery employees. It is located on the east side of Devonshire Road, between Wyandotte and Tuscarora Streets.

It is recognized for its heritage value by City of Windsor Bylaw 11879.

Heritage Value

By the 1880s, the Walkers were developing rental housing for Hiram Walker employees (both managerial staff and labourers); most of this development was undertaken by the Walkerville Land and Building Company. 650 Devonshire Road is part of a group of five semi-detached residences all built at the same time. These buildings stand today as an important historical architectural grouping, and together they are representative of the former Town of Walkerville's original streetscape.

650 Devonshire Road exemplifies the type of middle-class housing built for Hiram Walker employees during the former Town of Walkerville's formative years. It was built in 1888 by the Walkerville Land and Building Company, the real estate arm of the Walker Enterprise, which constructed a number of residences that were used as rental properties for Walker employees at all levels.

Designed by the architectural firm Mason and Rice of Detroit, 650 Devonshire Road is the northern half of a two-and-a-half-storey semi-detached dwelling. Typical of vernacular Arts and Craft style homes are the many decorative elements featured on the exterior, including the diamond-shape pattern (basket weave) found in the brick on the south gable peak, the string course of projecting bricks under the eaves, and the soldier coursing found at the first and second storey window sill levels. The house displays many of these original features.

Sources: Building Analysis Form, March 2, 1994; City of Windsor Bylaw 11879, July 7, 1994.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that embody the heritage value of 650 Devonshire Road include its:
- two-and-a-half-storey structure of brick construction with gable roof
- decorative brick detailing, including common bond with soldier course at the first and second storey window sill level (one brick high)
- band of soldier coursing in common bond (two bricks high at the head of the first floor window)
- flat arches with brick voussoirs which crown all of the windows and doors
- decorative diamond-shape (basket weave) brick pattern in the south gable peak
- string course of projecting bricks (first course) under the eaves
- original wooden eave brackets under the street gable
- two rear simple brick chimneys and one shared brick chimney at the street front peak
- original front stoop flanked by brickwork with the original stone coping