Description of Historic Place

The Millar House is a two-storey Italianate residence, built circa 1876 and located at 43 Welland Street South, just two blocks from the Welland Canal. The building is L-shaped, with a veranda that runs the length of the front façade, appearing as a wrap-around due to the recessed front entrance. The veranda's columns and railings, the window frames and the dentil trimmed cornice, all of which are painted white, stand out in contrast to the red brick walls, while the low pitch of the hip roof adds an air of solid stability to this late Victorian home.

The property is designated by the City of Thorold under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, via By-law 72-2005.

Heritage Value

The Millar House is associated with the Millars, a prominent family in late Victorian Thorold. In 1866, James Millar began his business as a merchant and tailor in Thorold. He was very active in the community, serving in a number of positions of responsibility: member of the Thorold School Board; Beneficiary Secretary for 1897 for the Royal Templar's of Temperance; councillor of the Thorold Board of Trade; member of the Methodist Church (Trinity) and president of the Sunday School Convention. His son, David E. Millar, one of six children, followed his father's footsteps by working as a tailor in the family business and contributing to his civic duty by holding the mayor's office from 1906-1907. In 1901, David Millar bought the house at 43 Welland St. S. and it remained in the Millar family until 1992.

The Millar House is valued as a fine example of an Italianate-designed residential building and as one of the more architecturally interesting buildings in the immediate vicinity. It possesses many notable features, such as common bond brick pattern, cambered window head with limestone lintels, double hung round top doors, leaded glass at the front entrance, a Tuscan-influenced front porch, wide eaves lined with scrolled brackets, dentil trim along the fascia and a low pitched hip roof. The foundation is of limestone rubble construction, with mortar holding the stones together.

Sources: Heritage Property Files, City of Thorold; City of Thorold By-law 72-2005.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that embody the heritage value of the Millar House include the:
- double, hung round top doors, with transom light
- leaded glass at the front entrance
- Tuscan-influenced front porch, with Doric columns, spindles and side panels
- wide eaves lined with scrolled brackets and dentil trim along the fascia
- low-pitched hip roof
- limestone rubble foundation with mortar bonding
- original doors, woodwork, baseboards, trim, oak hardwood flooring on the main and upper floors
- maple staircase with curved newel post and banister
- gable-style roof truss