Description of Historic Place

Located at 145 Main Street West, within Port Colborne's downtown, this two-storey cross-gabled brick house is a variant of the Classical Revival style. Prominent features are the front and side covered porches, decorated with white railings and spindle work that stand out against the red brick.

Built by Elias Augustine around 1860, the property has been recognized for its heritage value by the City of Port Colborne, By-law 1764/29/86.

Heritage Value

Augustine House is prominently located on 145 Main Street, and serves as a reminder of the past to those that pass by the property. With some production for the business being carried out in a blacksmith shop that was once located behind the house, its central location is linked to the historic and economic development of Stonebridge, Humberstone, and later Port Colborne. Main Street remains a commercial area today, and the house stands as a symbol of the hard work of many of Port Colborne's early settlers and their contribution to the city's economic development.

Augustine was the senior partner of the firm Augustine and Kilmer, which operated an extensive carriage manufacturing business. Augustine's carriage business was well known, their carriages described as being of “the best quality and cannot be excelled by any establishment in Canada” and the owners were confident that “for beauty and durability combined they cannot be surpassed”.

The building, built by Elias Augustine in circa 1860, exhibits a variety of mid-nineteenth century detail. Generally categorized as a variation of Classical Revival, Augustine House is a two-storey red brick structure with a medium pitched roof and two stone chimneys, boasting a gable front arrangement. The symmetrical placement of doors and windows are drawn from the Greek Revival style. The semi-elliptical shape of the openings is reflective of the Italianate style. Of particular interest is the detailed woodwork of the veranda, with its small pediment framing the double-leaved front door. A fieldstone one-storey rear addition was constructed as a fruit cellar.

Source: Augustine House Designation Report, Planning and Development Services, City of Port Colborne.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that depict the heritage value include its:
- prominent location within the commercial core
- two-storey construction of red brick
- gable front arrangement
- medium pitched roof
- two stone chimneys
- symmetrical placement of doors and windows drawn from Greek Revival
- semi-elliptical shape of openings in Italianate style
- front and side covered porches
- detailed woodwork around the veranda and the veranda posts
- fieldstone fruit cellar