Description of Historic Place

The Jeffery House is a well preserved Island Ell or gable ell style home located in the rural community of Alma. It features the main square or parlour section of the house with an attached kitchen in the ell. It has several wall dormers and a verandah along the front elevation. Original decorative hood moulding survives above the windows. The registration includes the house and its lot.

Heritage Value

The Jeffery house is valued for its well maintained Island Ell architectural style; for its long association with the Jeffery family; and for its contribution to the streetscape of the community.

John "Spurgeon" Jeffery (1863-1938) constructed this house in 1912 for a cost of $1200. In 1928, he purchased a nearby farm and moved the house, two barns, outbuildings, and even a small orchard, about half a mile to the current location.

This astounding feat was not unusual for Jeffery since, in addition to his large farming operation, he had a successful building hauling business. One of his more amazing moves involved relocating the former Montrose Methodist church to Kildare Capes for use as an Anglican church. This was done in the winter, by sliding the building down a high bank to the ice covered Montrose River, and eventually to its new location. Tragically, he was killed in a moving accident at St. Louis in October of 1938 when he became trapped between a cable and the horse operated capstan mechanism.

In 1885, he married Dorcas Collicut (1854-1944). They had six children. Diaries by two of their daughters, Mary and Eva, reveal much about the day to day life of the family which tended to revolve around the seasonal agricultural labour of the farm, visiting family and friends, and church attendance. They were active members of Holy Trinity Anglican in Alma.

Today, the home remains in the Jeffery family and is an asset to its community.

Source: Culture and Heritage Division, PEI Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8
File #: 4310-20/A11

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements which reflect the Island Ell style of the house include:

- the two-storey massing of the house
- the square parlour side of the house
- the rectangular ell kitchen side of the house
- the verandah with turned posts and balustrade
- the wood shingle cladding
- the original fenestration of both rectangular and round arched windows
- the decorative hood moulding
- the wall dormers
- the wide cornice on the side elevations
- the gable rooflines