Description of Historic Place

Built in 1884, the Wallace Farm is a vernacular two-storey farmhouse with Greek Revival and Italianate influences. It is located on Main Street in Hillsborough.

Heritage Value

The Wallace Farm is designated a Local Historic Place for its association with John Wallace and for its architecture.

This farm has historical significance because it was the home of John Wallace (1812-1896). From his youth he was public spirited and a rousing orator. He became Justice of the Peace of Albert County and the president of the county’s first agricultural society. His neighbour across the road, Mr. John Lewis, was an equally gifted public speaker. In 1864 an election was held principally to debate the question of New Brunswick joining in a union with Upper and Lower Canada and Nova Scotia. Mr. Lewis favoured confederation, while Mr. Wallace strongly opposed the union. Although living only a stone’s throw from each other, their bombardments were of a verbal nature only. Albert County chose to back Confederation, the only county in the province to do so, and sent Mr. Lewis to the provincial legislature. A year later in 1865, a provincial referendum was held on the question. By then a majority of New Brunswicker had come around to Albert County’s way of thinking and voted to join Confederation. Mr. Wallace was not content to let his public life end in a defeat. He ran, successfully, in the first Canadian federal election, which was held in September, 1867. His federal parliamentary career spanned fifteen years, ending with his retirement in 1887. Since 1792, six generations of the Wallace Family have worked and lived on this farm. The present house was to replace the original homestead, which was destroyed by fire. Hay is still harvested and cattle still graze the land.

The Wallace Farm is a good example of a rural vernacular farmhouse from the late 19th century. The present dwelling was built in 1884 by John Wallace. The simple design of the house is enhanced by Greek Revival elements like the broad cross-gables and the returned eaves, as well as by such Italianate features as the single-storey bay windows and the paired brackets along the eaves. The interior features four-metre-high ceilings on both levels, two marble fireplaces imported from Italy and a circular stair case. Family tradition claims several pieces of furnishings in the home arrived with their forbearer, James Wallace, who landed at Halifax in 1771. The Wallace family of Hillsborough has always made light of their relationship to Sir John Wallace, King of Scotland from 1298-1305.

Source: Heritage Hillsborough, William Henry Steeves House Museum, Local Historic Places file

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements relating to the exterior elements of the Wallace Farm include:
- irregular two-storey massing;
- steeply-pitched gable roof with off-centre cross-gables;
- moulded returned eaves with evenly spaced paired brackets;
- regularly-placed rectangular windows with bracketed entablatures;
- inset red brick chimneys;
- single-storey bay windows;
- dormer that breaks the plane of the eave and topped with a pediment ;
- second-storey balcony;
- open veranda;
- oval storm door;
- clapboard sheathing;
- corner board pilasters with capitals.

The character-defining elements that relate to the interior include:
- four-metre-high ceilings;
- two Italian marble fireplaces;
- circular staircase;
- furnishings purported to have arrived with James Wallace in 1771.