Description of Historic Place

The Porter-Coate House, located in the former town of Walkerville, is a picturesque two and a half storey Queen Anne style dwelling with Tudor Revival elements. Located at 794 Devonshire Rd. and built in 1907, it is illustrative of the fine homes built for Walkerville’s most prominent citizens during the town’s second phase of residential development. City of Windsor Bylaw 309-2002 recognizes the property for its heritage value.

Heritage Value

Historically, the Porter-Coate House is illustrative of the fine homes built for Walkerville’s most prominent citizens during the town’s rapid growth in the early decades of the 20th century. Initial development in Walkerville, founded by Hiram Walker in 1858, involved a mix of residential and commercial in the Devonshire Road and Walker Road areas. The town’s second phase of development was modelled on Britain’s innovative Garden City Plan, with a clear separation of industry and commerce from the premier residential areas further south.

The Porter-Coate House is named for its association with the first two owners who were significant citizens of Walkerville. The first owner, George F. Porter, was chief draughtsman for the Canadian Bridge Co., a major Walkerville employer. James R. Coate purchased the property in 1910 and continued to reside there until 1933. Coate, a prominent Walkerville businessman, was president of the Walkerville Hardware Co. Ltd., which was located a few blocks away.

Largely unchanged since its construction in 1907, this two and a half storey home displays characteristics of both the Queen Anne and Tudor Revival styles. Common to both are the gabled roof and the rear hipped roof, the half-timbering of stucco around exposed beams, bay and box bay windows and asymmetrical massing. Typical of the Queen Anne style are the roofed porch with decorative supports, the variety of window styles, the mixture of roof forms and surface materials and the fine detailing of the bracketed cornices and carved bargeboard.

The Porter-Coate House is located on Devonshire Road in the premier residential area of old Walkerville, which was developed by the Walker family in the early decades of the 1900s near St. Mary’s Anglican Church (1904) and Willistead Manor (1906). Together, with many other significant heritage residences, it contributes to an exceptional streetscape reminiscent of a “model town” in the early 20th century.

Sources: Building Analysis Form, May 2002; City of Windsor Bylaw 309-2002; and City of Windsor Heritage Planner’s files.

Character-Defining Elements

Key character defining elements that express values of the Porter-Coate House include:
- Queen Anne and Tudor Revival design, materials and workmanship
- siting on Devonshire Road south of Wyandotte in the premier residential area of old Walkerville
- proximity to other significant heritage properties including St. Mary’s Church (1904), Willistead Manor (1906), and many municipally designated residences.
- asymmetrical massing (square and polygonal bays, gabled ells);
- mixture of roof forms (main gable, rear hipped ell);
- mixture of surface treatments (half-timbering, red brick, wood shingles, clapboard);
- variety of window treatments (double-hung-small pane over large, diamond motif, and stained glass)
- fine detailing, including bracketed cornices, a decorative wooden porch, carved bargeboard and half-timbered gable ends.