Description of Historic Place

Lorne Terrace, a 2 1/2-storey brick-veneer structure, is the largest multiple-family dwelling in Brandon's downtown residential area and one of the oldest. Built in 1892, the row house is set on a corner lot in a neighbourhood filled with heritage homes. The structure originally was divided into four units, but now has 14 apartments. The site's municipal designation applies to the building's exterior.

Heritage Value

Lorne Terrace is a well-preserved and rare example of a late-nineteenth century terrace or row house, an early form of multiple-family housing soon supplanted by apartment blocks. The quality of workmanship and attention to detail in the brickwork and finishing touches, are noteworthy in rental housing from that era. Such features reflect the reputation of the contractor, the Bell Brothers Construction Co., and their expectation that Brandon's growth would generate a demand for this class of accommodation. The Bell Brothers, Brandon's largest contractors for 30 years, were responsible for many of the community's finest residential and commercial buildings. Lorne Terrace was originally a boarding residence for their workers, who were employed on a series of nearby projects during the building boom preceding World War I.

Source: City of Brandon By-law No. 6535, July 10, 2000

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the site's heritage character include:
- its prominent location on the northeast corner of Lorne Avenue and 11th Street in downtown Brandon, set back from the two streets by some green space

Key elements that define the external heritage character of Lorne Terrace include:
- the building's substantial rectangular form with a large hipped roof with front and rear cross gables and hipped dormers on all elevations
- the symmetrical double-gable front facade with twin entrances set in gabled porches
- multiple windows organized in singles, pairs and groups of three, including on the front elevation tall narrow square-headed openings in the gabled bays, paired rectangular windows with multi-paned arched transoms on the second storey and two Palladian-style openings on the main floor between the porches
- extensive brick detailing, including blind arches, decorative mouldings and patterned brickwork in the front gable ends, squared and arched hood-moulds, flat and arched window heads composed of alternating soldier and rowlock courses, nailhead mouldings and continuous sills and stringcourses that extend across the front and side walls
- a painted wooden bracket on the inside corner of each front gable

Key elements of the interior that contribute to the heritage character of Lorne Terrace include:
- oak doors on the two entrances, fir wood casings on some interior doors, hardwood flooring in some areas and radiators in the main-floor hallways