Description du lieu patrimonial

113 Upper Prince Street is a wood framed centre gable style Gothic Revival influenced home located on the corner of Gerald Street and Upper Prince Street. The designation encompasses the building's exterior and parcel; it does not include the building's interior.

Valeur patrimoniale

The heritage value of 113 Upper Prince Street lies in its association with Professor Samuel Napier Robertson (1869-1937); its centre gable Gothic Revival influenced architecture; and its role in supporting the Upper Prince Street and Gerald Street streetscapes.

Dr. Samuel Napier Robertson and his wife Professor Anna McGrath lived in the home for a number of years. Robertson was a classical scholar and educator who began his career as a teacher in Alberton in western PEI. He became a professor at Prince of Wales College in Charlottetown in 1893. The College - with roots going back to 1804 - was the Island's only non-denominational school of higher learning until its amalgamation with the Island's Roman Catholic affiliated St. Dunstan's University in 1969 which created the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI).

Robertson later became Principal of the College in 1901 and served in this position until his death in 1937. His love of books was demonstrated when the Prince of Wales College Library was destroyed by fire in February of 1932. Robertson arrived on the scene just as his private collection was burning and he was so upset that he had to be physically prevented from entering the building to save his beloved books!

In 1975, the University of Prince Edward Island constructed a new library and named it in honour of Robertson. It continues to serve the UPEI community today.

113 Upper Prince Street is influenced by the centre gable Gothic Revival style. Although it is not known when the house was built, the style was popular from the 1840s until approximately 1870. Architects like A.J. Downing popularized the Gothic Revival movement through their pattern books. The style is seen most often in rural areas, but a few exist in Charlottetown. The Gothic Revival house is generally a wood framed, rectangular home with a large front centre gable. The homes are usually symmetrical with decorative bargeboard, although 113 Upper Prince Street is a cleaner design and does not have bargeboard decoration. It remains an attractive home that has been well maintained and is an asset to the Gerald and Upper Prince Street streetscapes.

Sources: Heritage Office, City of Charlottetown Planning Department, PO Box 98, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7K2
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Éléments caractéristiques

The following Gothic Revival influenced character-defining elements contribute to the heritage value of 113 Upper Prince Street:
- The overall massing of the building with its symmetrical facade
- The mouldings painted in a contrasting colour, particularly the door and window surrounds, as well as the shutters
- The gable roof and the centre gable facing the street
- The size and placement of the windows, particularly the large paired four over four windows of the main floor, the six over six windows of the square bay and the pair of four over four windows in the centre gable facing the street
- The style and centre placement of the door
- The large sweeping verandah with its decorative square columns
- The size and shape of the chimneys
Other character-defining elements of 113 Upper Prince Street include:
- The location of the home on a treed lot on Upper Prince Street