Description of Historic Place

Erected in 1907, the Romanesque Revival style Thomas Euphronius Reeb House, is a two-storey red brick structure with a veranda and octagonal tower. The house dominates the residential space of its surroundings and is located at 380 King Street in Port Colborne.

The property was recognized, for its heritage value, by the City of Port Colborne, under By-law No. 2831/10/93.

Heritage Value

The Thomas Euphronius Reeb House is associated with one of the earliest families to settle in the area, the Reeb family. Before being under the ownership of the Reeb family, the property was part of a parcel of land that once belonged to William Hamilton Merritt, one of Upper Canada's most prominent and well-known citizens. Merritt was a successful merchant, fought as a captain in the War of 1812, and was a valuable promoter of the construction of the Welland Canal. In 1907 Thomas Euphronius Reeb, a lime-burner and son of John Reeb, purchased the land to erect the present building for residential purposes. The house is also associated with John Horne Jr., a well-known developer and councilman, who purchased the property in 1941 and converted the house into a series of apartments, to be occupied by teachers at the local school, and later by the Red Cross.

The Thomas Euphronius Reeb House is the only example, in Port Colborne, of Romanesque Revival styling, in shape and choice of materials. This influence is revealed by the dark red brick, heavy cut stone lintels and sills, and unglazed terra cotta tiles located below the eaves. Another significant architectural influence came from the Queen Anne period, most evident in the circular portion of the large "band shell" veranda surrounding the octagonal tower and the field stone wall. The wide round-arched first floor window, with etched leaded glass, displays the characteristics of the Queen Anne architecture and further adds to the heritage value of the house.

Sources: Corporation of the City of Port Colborne By-law No. 2831/16/93; Record of Designation, City of Port Colborne, 1993.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements of the Thomas Euphronius Reeb House that exhibit its heritage value include its:
- Romanesque Revival style elements as reflected in the shape of the building, exemplified by broken wall lines, bay windows and a tower
- dark red brick construction
- heavy cut stone lintels and sills
- unglazed terra cotta tiles set just below the eaves
- characteristic elements of the Queen Anne style including the large veranda, field stone wall, raised ribbon mortar joints and the octagonal tower with its windows in the roof
- simple rounded wooden pillars
- truncated hip roof
- several triangular dormers, covered with galvanized steel tiles, three dimensional sheet metal cresting and the ornament surmounting the tower roof
- rounded arch window on the first floor with its etched leaded glass
- triangular multi-paned window of the attic, with diagonal muntins
- ornate wood trim
- doors with egg and dart motif and inset leaded glass