Description of Historic Place

The Reverend Thomas Henderson House, located at 22 Church Street, is situated on the north side of Church Street between King and Elgin Streets, in the former Town of Paris, now the County of Brant. The property consists of a two-storey cobblestone building, that was constructed between 1842 and 1845.

The property was designated, by the former Town of Paris, in 1984, for its architectural and/or historic value or interest, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 2569).

Heritage Value

The Reverend Thomas Henderson House was home to Baptist Minister and School Inspector, Thomas Peter Henderson. The Reverend was a close family friend of Alexander Graham Bell, and in 1870, the Bell family stayed at the Henderson house for several months, while their home at 94 Tutela Heights Road (now the Bell Homestead National Historic Site) was under construction. Henderson continued to be involved with the Bell family and later became the first General Agent for the telephone business in Canada.

The Reverend Thomas Henderson House is one of the finest examples of cobblestone construction, in the former Town of Paris. The façade and side elevations are constructed of cobblestone, while the rear elevation is of fieldstone construction. Typical of the Regency style, this building features a low hip roof with wide wood banding, under the eaves. The central entranceway is coved by an Eastlake style porch, which appears to be a latter addition. The 4 over 4 windows are accented by their original shutters.

The house is believed to have been built by Levi Boughton, a master mason. Boughton emigrated from Albany in upper New York State, bringing with him the cobblestone building technique, which was employed in the construction of this home. He is attributed with building the unique cluster of cobblestone buildings in and around the former Town of Paris.

Source: Town of Paris, By-Law 2569.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Reverend Thomas Henderson House include its:
- cobblestone construction, which in Paris indicates Levi Boughton was its builder
- cobblestone façade and side elevations, and fieldstone rear elevation
- 4 over 4 windows on the façade including original louvered shutters
- hip roof including wide wood banding under the eaves
- wide eave returns
- Eastlake style porch including turned posts, square wooden supports and ornate brackets
- rear dormer windows