Description of Historic Place

The Doctor's House is located at 27 Mill Street and is situated, on the southeast corner of Mill and Main Streets, in the Village of New Dundee, now the Township of Wilmot. The one-and-a-half-storey board and batten house was constructed in 1850.

The property was designated, by the Township of Wilmot, in 1991, for its historical and architectural value or interest, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 91-21).

Heritage Value

The Doctor's House faces the Alder Creek Reservoir, and the house, together with the lake and the grounds create a picturesque view.

The Doctor's House was constructed as a mill house, in 1850, by Frederick Miller who, along with his brother John Miller, is credited with founding the Village of New Dundee. John purchased the property on which the village is now located from the Canada Land Company, in 1830. In 1846, he sold a portion of this land to Frederick, who laid out the plan for the village. Frederick constructed the mill house to accommodate his grist mill. The mill would eventually become Ontario's first full roller process mill, in 1880, after being sold to E.W.B Snider, the founder of Ontario Hydro.

Later, the mill house served as the headquarters for village doctors and became widely known as the Doctor's House. Some of the doctors including Dr. Neil Morrison, Dr. Lorne Stauffer, and Dr. L.E Ritz, were local citizens.

The Doctor's House is a rare local example of board and batten construction. The house, which features Gothic details, is one-and-a-half-storey in height and has a cruciform floor plan, with several gable projections. The bay windows on the façade are 2 over 5 and feature plain trim. Typical of the Gothic style the steep gable and shingled roof is finished with boxed cornices and plain friezes. The windows on the upper-storey are glazed in lancet arches. The entrance porch has plain posts and a bell-cast roof that completes the picturesque appearance of the well detailed Doctor's House.

Sources: Township of Wilmot, By-law 91-21; Township of Wilmot L.A.C.A.C – Detailed Survey Sheet, 27 Mill Street.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Doctor's House include its:
- situation on land originally owned by John and Frederick Miller
- frame construction on a stone foundation
- board and batten exterior
- cruciform floor plan
- steep cross gable with shingles
- boxed cornices and plain friezes
- glazed lancet upper-storey windows
- entrance porch with a bell-cast roof and plain posts
- attached shed with a segmented arched door
- 2 over 5 bay windows with plain trims and slip sills
- unique eyebrow window on the front façade
- siting on the southern edge of the Alder Creek Reservoir