Description of Historic Place

704 Monmouth Road is the north half of a two-storey semi-detached residence. The red brick structure was built circa 1893-94 by the Walkerville Land and Building Company for Hiram Walker distillery workers. It is located on the southeast corner of Tuscarora Street and Monmouth Road in the former Town of Walkerville.

It is recognized for its heritage value by City of Windsor By-law 10590.

Heritage Value

Hiram Walker, a distiller from Detroit, founded the Town of Walkerville in 1858. By the late 1880s the Walkers were developing rental properties for the distillery's employees at all levels. 704 Monmouth Road is located on the eastern edge of Walkerville adjacent to the industrial area along Walker Road where the working-class employees traditionally resided. Situated amongst a series of semi-detached and row houses, also of heritage value, 704 Monmouth Road remains a true representation of the former Town of Walkerville's original streetscape.

704 Monmouth Road is another example of the type of worker housing built by the Walkerville Land and Building Company during Walkerville's formative years. It is an integral part of an historical architectural grouping in the former Town of Walkerville, now east Windsor.

The two storey dwelling was built circa 1893-94 by the Walkerville Land and Building Company for the Hiram Walker and Sons firm to provide rental housing for the distillery's employees. After 1919, all units were available for rent to non-Walker employees.

704 Monmouth Road is part of the first block in a series of turn-of-the-20th-century semi-detached and row houses that stretches from the 700 block down to the 1200 block. The house displays many original features, including the red brick laid in stretcher bond and the double-hung wooden sash windows with a segmented arch at the head.

Sources: Building Analysis Form, November 1997; City of Windsor By-law 10590, March 4, 1991.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of 704 Monmouth Road include its:
- two-storey structure of red brick laid in stretcher bond
- recessed front entranceway with timber lintel and corner post
- wooden sash windows with segmented arches
- radiating brick voussoirs
- jerkin-head gable roof with hipped roof dormer
- location among six blocks of turn-of-the-century semi-detached and row houses