Description of Historic Place

The William Paskins Residence is a square, two-and-a-half storey gabled roof house, with timber lap siding and a feature bay window and turret. It has been relocated, and occupies one city lot on a residential street in the McCauley neighbourhood, very near its original site, just north and east of Edmonton's downtown.

Heritage Value

Built at the turn of the twentieth century (circa 1902), the William Paskins Residence is noteworthy for its Queen Anne design influences and for its connection with McCauley, one of Edmonton's first neighbourhoods.

The Queen Anne style of the William Paskins Residence, a style that is unusual in Edmonton, is reflected in the bay window and turret, the detailing of the offset porch, and the gable ends.

The location of the William Paskins Residence in McCauley was typical of the mix of residential, commercial and industrial activity in the area during Edmonton's early years. It was one of the larger and more elaborate residences built in Edmonton's McCauley neighbourhood.

In addition to the Paskins, who resided in the home in 1909, it has been occupied by numerous residents who worked in both industrial and commercial enterprises. The most noteworthy of the building's owners is Thomas Henry Coutts, who founded Coutts Machinery Company in 1920. Coutts Machinery Company's main business was the manufacture and distribution of machinery for the lumber industry.

Source: City of Edmonton (Bylaw: 13542)

Character-Defining Elements

The character defining elements are expressed in the form, massing and materials of the building, such as:
- the circa 1902 front facade elements, such as: the main gable roof, the hipped roof front porch, and the bay window with turret roof;
-the front porch detailing with turned posts, decorative brackets, balustrades and decorative spindle work detailing;
-the shed dormer window;
-the front and side timber doors;
-the decorative eaves with mouldings and scrolled bracket detailing;
-the trim boards, corner and edging boards;
-the original sash window style and patterns of fenestration;
-gable end shingle detailing and returned eaves;
-the decorative detail of dentils and cornice moulding on the gable ends at the eave return level;
-the brick chimney.