Description of Historic Place

Hay House, completed in 1904 and soon expanded to the rear, is a two-storey brick residence in Killarney. The municipal designation applies to the building and its grounds.

Heritage Value

Hay House, an exceptional example of a substantial dwelling in the Queen Anne Revival style, sits gracefully on a corner location in a central residential area in Killarney. An elaborately detailed wooden verandah, incorporating a two-storey front porch and pavilion, distinguishes the handsome brick home. Built for lawyer A.G. Hay and later occupied by several physicians, the house remains an attractive and readily recognizable local landmark.

Source: Town of Killarney By-law No. 13-92, January 11, 1993

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the landmark quality of the Hay House site include:
- its location on a double corner lot in a central residential area of Killarney
- the building's placement on a grassed lawn, removed from the street and shaded by mature trees

Key elements that define the dwelling's well-appointed exterior character and Queen Anne Revival style include:
- the tall two-storey massing based on a square main volume enhanced by a two-storey west bay, prominent single-storey east bay and two-storey north addition
- the truncated hip roof on the main volume with a hipped extension over the west bay and gable roofs over the front porch and rear addition
- the large wraparound verandah with a conical-roofed corner pavilion, single and paired Tuscan columns on tall pedestals, and wealth of wood details
- the two-storey front porch with lower walls of vertical wood siding, windows featuring centred diamond-shaped panes and an open balcony above with various delicate wood features and details
- the variety of fenestration, composed mainly of tall rectangular openings with wood sills, segmental-arched brick heads and drip moulding
- the fine materials and finishes, including the brick cladding, thick stone foundation, tall brick chimney, contrasting light and dark colours of the painted wood details, etc.

Key elements that define the dwelling's interior heritage character include:
- the side-hall plan with an grand staircase and bright well-lit rooms with high ceilings
- materials such as the solid wood doors, wide baseboards and trim throughout, wood flooring on the second level, exposed stone basement walls, etc.
- features such as the large stained-glass piano window, single and double French doors, etc.