Description of Historic Place

The Haalboom Home, located at 1165 Doon Village Road, is situated on the south side of the road between Oregon and Wilfong Drives, in the City of Kitchener. The two-storey brick building was designed in the Italianate style and was constructed in 1884.

The property was designated by the City of Kitchener for its heritage value under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, By-law 83-207.

Heritage Value

The Haalboom home is associated with Moses Billing Perine. The home was designed and built for Moses, one of the three Perine brothers who founded the Doon Twine and Cordage Company in 1856. It was the first successful mill producing flax, twine, and cordage in Upper Canada. The mill employed hundreds of local residents and was referred to as, “the lifeblood of the Village of Doon”. The cordage industry was so dominant that this section of Doon became popularly known as Tow Town. The home has maintained an important place within the village as it is a lasting reminder of the presence of these once prosperous industrial leaders who helped to shape and develop the area.

The Haalboom Home is a classic example of the Italianate villa. This style of home became very popular among the local prosperous industrial leaders who emerged in the late 1800s and is reflected here. The structure features magnificent bay windows, arched brickwork, and decorative brackets under the eaves, with their fleur de lis ornamentation evoking the French Huguenot background of the Perine family. The fascia features wooden dentil work and the brick corners are quoined in an elevated pattern. The chimneys are characteristic of the Italianate style as reflected in the cross pattern worked into the brickwork.

Sources: Office of the Clerk, Heritage Designation Brief, City of Kitchener; City of Kitchener Bylaw 83-207.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Haalboom home include the:
- villa styling as seen in the layout and form of the home
- ornate carvings and brackets under the eaves depicting the fleur de lis motif
- asymmetrical design featuring bay windows, double doors, porches, and verandas
- tall windows surrounded with intricate brickwork
- tall chimneys with cross patterns worked into the brickwork
- flashed glass over the entrance door and in the transom from the dining room to the porch