Tourism and Culture Minister Robert Vessey will present Heritage Registration Certificates to the owners of 13 Stratford properties this evening.
“I would like to congratulate the property owners who recognize and appreciate the historic value of these places and have worked to preserve them,” said Minister Vessey. “These buildings and places teach us about the history and the accomplishments of our ancestors, while reflecting the pride of their owners and communities today.”
Two Stratford properties were previously recognized under the Heritage Places Protection Act: the Bayfield-Jaynes Property, registered as a heritage place in 2002, and the Clifton United Church which was designated in 2007.
The properties being recognized for their heritage value resulted from a project to identify and research heritage properties in the Stratford area through the process of the provincial Heritage Places Protection Act, and through funding from the federal Historic Places Initiative.
Under the Heritage Places Protection Act, a property may be registered or designated as a heritage place. Designation is the higher level of recognition under the Heritage Places Protection Act and provides legal restrictions on any changes to the exterior historic architecture and character-defining elements of the place.
Nominations for the Register of Heritage Places are reviewed and evaluated by the Heritage Places Advisory Board for a number of criteria including age, architectural style and design, integrity, exterior condition, and historical associations. The properties recognized today have been added to the PEI Register of Heritage Places. Including recognized places in Charlottetown and Summerside, there are more than 750 PEI heritage property listings on the provincial (www.peihistoricplaces.ca) and national (www.historicplaces.ca) Historic Places websites.
Further information regarding Prince Edward Island heritage places and the recognition program can be found at www.peihistoricplaces.ca.
BACKGROUNDER
Stratford Heritage Properties
The following properties have been registered under the provincial Heritage Places Protection Act and have been presented with registration certificates.
Major T. B. Rogers House, 172 Stratford Road, Stratford. This 1 ½ storey Cape Cod home was built in 1920 for Major T. B. Rogers (1898-1953), son of W.K. Rogers (1868-1937). The Rogers family were very prominent in the fox industry and in commercial and business interests. Originally part of a 25-acre parcel, the home is nicely situated close to a pond and protected wetland. The home retains most original features and is in very good condition. Because of its historical significance, associations with Stratford’s fox farming history and its value to the community, 172 Stratford Road has been registered as a heritage place.
MacNeill House, 95 Georgetown Road, Stratford. This residence is built in the four-square architectural style, retains a number of original features, and is in very good condition. Former owner, Wellington MacNeill (1891-1970), built the house in 1937 encompassing a smaller 1890s dwelling on the site. MacNeill, a farmer, fox rancher, cattle buyer, importer/exporter, was a prominent resident of the community.
Burke House, 2 Glencove Drive, Stratford. Dating from 1840, this property was formerly known as Glen Stewart Farm. Robert May and family lived in the home until the 1870s. The home was later owned and occupied for many years by the Burke family who were market gardeners. In the 1940s, Dr. J.P. Lantz purchased the property. Besides having a medical practice, Lantz also farmed, at one time owning more than 500 acres of land in the Southport area.
Cross Roads Christian Church, 15 Georgetown Road, Stratford. Construction of this church began in 1836 and was completed in 1839 replacing an earlier log cabin meeting house dating from 1813. Ministering to early Scotch Baptists settled in the area, it was known as First Baptist Church. The church experienced a drop in membership in the early 1900s and, in 1925, the church underwent renovation and a re-dedication as the Cross Roads Christian Church. In 1972, due to dwindling numbers of church members, it closed for regular services. In 1987 and 1988, extensive work was undertaken to restore the building’s architectural elements and in, August 1988, the church was re-dedicated and re-opened for regular services.
Carlyle Cahill House, 8 Bayside Drive, Stratford. Built in 1843 for the Cahill Family, this house is of good architectural style and very good design. The exterior of the property is in excellent condition and some historic elements remain, including the Palladian windows. The residence was used as a Town Hall in the early days of Southport’s history. The building was also used for militia training and theatrical performances, as well as a number of commercial ventures and social gatherings.
Balahan House Farm, 66 Keppoch Road, Stratford. This Georgian style residence built of locally made bricks by John B. Stewart in 1852 was named Balahan House after the Scottish home of its owners who emigrated from Perthshire in 1808. The home of a prominent business family, the farm, at one time, comprised 450 acres including several brick kiln operations. Additions to the residence were made in 1940 and 1998. The building is of excellent architectural style and design and is in good condition.
Clifton Farm House, 75 Mason Road, Stratford. This property dates from 1821. Built in the Maritime Vernacular style by or for William Mason (1786-1864), it was the residence of a prominent farming family and early settlers in Bunbury. Always in the Mason family, the building occupies its original location, has retained most of its original architectural features, and is in very good condition.
John W. Stewart House, 85 Stratford Road, Stratford. The former John W. Stewart House was built in the 1850s in the Maritime Vernacular Cottage style. Stewart operated a successful tannery business which was also located on this property. Largely unaltered, the residence retains its architectural style, is located on its original site, and is in very good condition. Because of the building’s architecture and historical associations, the former John W. Stewart House has been registered as a heritage place.
The Brick House / William Mutch House, 29 Stratford Road, Stratford. Built in 1828 in the Maritime Vernacular Cottage style of locally made brick, this residence was part of a 200-acre farm owned by William Mutch. The property remained in the Mutch family for 130 years. The house retains most of its original architectural features and is in good condition.
Former Keppoch Farm House / Duncan House / Keppoch Beach Hotel, 22 Duncan Avenue, Stratford. The Keppoch Farm House was built in 1840 by the Duncan shipbuilding family. From the 1920s until 1965, the property was operated as a summer resort. The house was vacant until 1973 when it was relocated and restoration work began. In excellent condition, the house retains many of its original architectural features. The current owners continue to value the heritage character of this property.
Mill Brook Farm, 40 Keppoch Road, Stratford. Built in 1860 and known as Mill Brook Farm, a 200-acre estate, this was the home of retired English military officer, Major John Picton Beete, one of the original settlers of Southport. Upon Major Beete’s return to England in 1880, the property was transferred to Edward Kelly. Because of the building’s good architectural style, very good design, its historical associations and importance to the community, the former Mill Brook Farm residence has been registered as a heritage place.
Dewar House, 27 Hopeton Road, Stratford. This Queen Anne Revival style home was built for Dr. George Forbes Dewar in 1903. Dr. Dewar had established his medical practice in Southport in 1891. Dewar House served as both as his residence and medical office. Dewar represented 3rd Queens in the provincial legislature from 1911-1915. The building retains most of its original architectural fabric without alteration and is in excellent condition.
Farquharson House, 156 Bunbury Road, Stratford. Built in the Maritime Vernacular Cottage design in 1830, this house was built by or for William Farquharson, an early settler in the area. The property has always remained in the Farquharson family. This property has been registered because of its age, architectural design and style, historical associations and its importance to the community.