Description of Historic Place

110 Lower Malpeque Road is a Second Empire style home that at one time was part of a milling operation. The mill no longer exists, but this 1870 former home of the mill operator still stands today. The designation includes the building’s exterior and parcel; it does not include the building’s interior.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of 110 Lower Malpeque Road lies in its Second Empire architecture and its association with a former mill operation.

A grist/flour mill was located in the area of 110 Lower Malpeque Road as early as 1863. This is a mill where grains are ground into flour by the power of a water wheel operating the mechanism. Normally, a 'run' of stones crushes the grain against a stationary stone and the chaff and grain are thereby separated. According to the Lake Map of 1863, J. McRae owned the home located next to the mill. Land records indicate that John H. Gates transferred Royalty lots 373, 396, 404 and 410 to John Gates in 1869. It is unclear whether the lots were passed from father to son, but it is likely.

The house on the property was built in approximately 1870 in the Second Empire style. The style, which is identified through its Mansard roof, was named after François Mansart (1598-1666), and popularized by his son, Jules Hardoin Mansart, an architect who worked for Louis XIV around 1700. The Mansard roof is almost flat on the top section and has deeply sloping, often curved, lower sections that generally contain dormers. The Second Empire referred to in the style is that of Napoleon III (1852-1870). The style reached Canada through Britain and the United States and was used extensively throughout Charlottetown from approximately 1860 until 1880. This house is a good example of the style in what was once a more rural setting on the outskirts of Charlottetown.

In 1883, a notice placed by John H. Gates in the Daily Examiner offered the property for sale. It did not sell at the time and appears to have remained in the family for a long period afterward. The 4 September 1906 edition of the Examiner made mention of the fact that Frank Gates had purchased a twenty-five barrel capacity mill known as the Monarch system, from Sprout Walden and Company of Muncy, Pennsylvania. It was reported to be the most up to date milling roller system in use.

For years, the mill was in operation but was torn down in the mid 20th century. For many years, the property was widely known as a good fishing and skating area. It was originally part of the community of West Royalty but was incorporated into the City of Charlottetown when the city amalgamated with surrounding areas, including West Royalty in 1995. Although the mill no longer exists, the miller’s residence still stands. It is a well-kept example of a miller’s residence and a reminder of the former mill that once stood in the area. Interestingly, a drive nearby has been named for the Gates family that had operated the mill so many years ago.

Sources: Heritage Office, City of Charlottetown Planning Department, PO Box 98, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7K2
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Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements illustrate the Second Empire influenced heritage value of 110 Lower Malpeque Road:

- The wooden construction of the home
- The symmetrical massing of the home
- The Mansard roof
- The style and placement of the windows, including the bay windows of the first floor and the windows of the second floor with inset dormers on the Mansard roof
- Although the door is a replacement entry system, the style and placement of the front door with its fanlight and sidelights are a nice addition to the home.
- The simple white trim running throughout the home
- The size and shape of the chimney
Other character-defining elements of 110 Lower Malpeque Road include:
- The location of the building on the Lower Malpeque Road
- The large lot and the home’s location set back from the street