Description of Historic Place

Nicholson House is a one-and-a-half storey Gothic Revival residence with Italianate influences from the mid-19th century. The house is located on Hawthorne Street in St. Stephen.

Heritage Value

Nicholson House is designated a Local Historical Place for its architecture and for its association with some of its former occupants.

Nicholson House is recognized for its architecture. This one-and-a-half storey dwelling is an example of Gothic Style residential architecture with Italianate influences. The house has a symmetrical front façade, a steeply-pitched gable roof, two dormers that break the eave line and wide eaves with paired Italianate brackets.

Nicholson House is also recognized for its association with some of its former occupants. Sally Milliken purchased land from John McDiarmid in 1837 and the house was built in 1838. In 1858, the property was sold to Dr. Edward DeWolfe and his wife Maria Moore, daughter of John Warren Moore, a well-know cabinet maker. Dr. DeWolfe practiced his profession in the Maritime Provinces, returning to St. Stephen in 1857 where he continued to serve the community until his death in 1874. His widow, Maria, sold the home to her father, John Warren Moore, in 1882. The Moore family occupied the home for a number of years selling it in 1917.

Source: St. Stephen Town Hall - Historic Places File “Nicholson House”

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements that describe the Gothic Revival architecture of the Nicholson House include:
- rectangular one-and-a-half storey massing;
- steeply-pitched gable roof;
- moulded eaves with Italianate paired brackets;
- gable dormers that break the eave line;
- regular fenestration of rectangular single and paired windows with entablatures;
- closed veranda;
- central chimney;
- wide corner boards.