Description of Historic Place

The R.H. Cameron House is a large, 2 ½ story residence built in the Stick style, a variation of the Queen Anne Revival architectural style, located on a treed lot in Crapaud, Prince Edward Island.

Heritage Value

The R.H. Cameron House is valued as an excellent and rare example of its type of architecture, its fine craftsmanship, and for its contribution to the heritage character of its community.

The house was built in 1893 for Richard Hudson Cameron (1854-1916) by master carpenter Nathan MacFarlane (1852-1927). MacFarlane was responsible for many fine homes and public buildings in the province including St. Mary's Church in Indian River.

R.H. Cameron and his wife Amy (nee Rogerson, 1855-1926) married in nearby Tryon in 1876 and moved to Crapaud shortly after.

Cameron was employed at George Howatt's general store at Crapaud Corner. When Howatt retired, Cameron and Donald MacLean purchased the business and operated under the name of MacLean and Cameron until 1906. Cameron was one of the leading business men in Crapaud during his lifetime.

The R.H. Cameron House was influenced by the Queen Anne Revival architectural style and retains much of its original fabric and design. The verandah is unique in its use of latticed supports, rather than the usual turned posts, with rounded openings in the area between supports. A section of verandah was enclosed in 1950 for a porch entry. The home features a pair of two-storey projecting bays found in the front elevation with a non-functioning umbrage framed between them, at ground level. The house is built on a freestone foundation made from Wallace, Nova Scotia freestone. Other original features of the home are its multi-paned windows, wood clapboard siding, board and batten detailing, and various shingle patterns.

The home has for many years been occupied by the Howatt family who have maintained this impressive home, which holds significant architectural importance and continues to be an asset to the community of Crapaud and Prince Edward Island.

Source : Heritage Places files, Department of Education, Early Learning and Culture, Charlottetown, PE
File #: 4310-20/C13

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the R.H. Cameron House is evident in the following heritage character-defining elements:

- the two and a half storey massing and steeply pitched roofline with brick chimney
- the pair of two storey projecting bays on the front elevation, non-functional umbrage is framed between them at ground level
- the clipped dormer gables form hoods over the second storey windows and many of these windows have stained glass panes in the upper sashes
- the Nova Scotia freestone foundation
- the square body of house with back ell section with a lower roofline
- the regular rhythm of fenestration
- the wide eaves
- the wood clapboard siding on first storey
- the random cut shingle cladding on the second storey walls
- the original multi-paned windows
- the 2-over-2 paned attic window with shelf hood cover with bracketing detail
- the two matching second floor windows; multi-paned above, two panes below
- the three matching first floor original windows with multi-panes above, two panes below
- the small 4 paned window under eave of ell section
- the verandah with lattice supports

Other heritage character-defining elements:

- the location and setting of the house on a large treed lot