Description of Historic Place
John Edmondson, an Irish immigrant, built the Edmondson-Weaver House in ca. 1880, in the “Canada Farmer” style, which is a vernacular version of the Italianate style. It is located at 1613 Concession 13, in the former City of Nanticoke, now Haldimand County.
It was designated, for its historical and architectural values, by Haldimand County By-law 42-92.
Heritage Value
The site on which the Edmondson-Weaver House was eventually built was originally part of the holdings of the Canada Company. The Canada Company was founded by Scottish novelist John Galt. He formed the company to help relocate the poor of Britain and Europe, after the Napoleonic War and in response to growing industrialism.
John Edmondson, from Ireland, bought the land in the 1830s (he had previously spent some time in Quebec). The house was built in ca. 1880 and his son, Andrew, farmed here after his father's death. In 1909 the property was sold to William Jeffrey and it remained in the Jeffrey family until 1946. In 1974, the land became part of the Townsend Town Site, but it was never developed as such.
The Edmonson-Weaver House, ca. 1880, is a vernacular version of the Italianate style known as the “Canada Farmer.” Its narrow frontispiece, with gable bargeboard and an elegant portico, gently pitched, hip roof, paired brackets and decorated gable are all elements of this style. The elegant portico was finely worked and the upper balcony had an unusual scalloped and diamond design. Paired brackets adorn the eaves. The windows have vertically arched bricks above them, a common design flourish. The window and door frames display corner blocks with an incised leaf, topped by a wooden crown.
Source: Haldimand County By-law 42-92.
Character-Defining Elements
Character defining elements that reflect the heritage value of the Edmondson-Weaver House include its:
- brickwork on the north, east, and west elevations
- portico of the north entry including the eave brackets and gable bargeboards
- window and door frames
- corner blocks with an incised leaf design
- narrow frontispiece
- size and massing
- location in the rural landscape
