57-59 King Street – Charles Clemes Duplex – c. 1876 – This semi-detached brick house is in the Second Empire style. Its colossal three-story scale is more impressive because of the semi-detached arrangement, symmetrically divided. Both halves of the composition contain a complex array of detail. The distinguishing elements are the steeply pitched mansard roof in cedar-shingles, and the gabled dormers with eaves returns and molded pilasters framed around segmentally-arched windows. A third facade dormer, centrally placed, boasts slender lights and is topped with a bracketed pediment. The facade has two-story bay windows trimmed with band courses and decorative panels in brick; dentilled cornice and paired brackets; slender windows with original glazing intact, some flat arched, some with segmental arches, some round headed; twin entrances with prominent arched transoms and paneled double doors.8 King Street – Robert Mitchell House – c. 1850 – This one-and-a-half story Gothic cottage has three bays to the ground floor, and is constructed of brick laid in Flemish bond with a coarse rubble foundation. The steep pitch of the gable roof, and the three steeply pointed gables containing pointed windows are distinguishing Gothic characteristics. The French doors on the ground floor and the front door with sidelights and ogre transom are typical of the Regency style. On the gable ends of the house are returned eaves. The porch in front of the main entrance, with its carved detail is a later addition. Robert Mitchell (1799-1865) was a carpenter. Originally from Ireland, he arrived in Port Hope in the early 1830s. As an active member of the early Methodist congregation, he along with builder Phillip Fox constructed the first frame Methodist Church located on Brown Street in 1833 (on a lot across the street from the present church.) His brother, William Mitchell (1799-1871), who was also a carpenter, resided in a dwelling a few doors to the south of Robert’s house. Robert’s children established businesses in Port Hope and were prominent merchants.20 King Street – John Read House – c. 1870 – This two-story house is clad in brick laid in an unusual pattern exhibiting paired headers between the normal stretcher pattern. This is similar to a type known as garden wall bond. The house has a low-pitched hipped roof with projecting eaves. Under the eaves lie pairs of tooled “S” brackets on a molded frieze. The window openings are flat and are headed by a brick radiating voussoir. The front facade top-story windows have brick sills, which have replaced the wooden lugsills that sit below all of the home’s other windows. The front facade has a one story bay window with a hipped roof and eaves jutting out. A molded corona decorates the plain cornice. Beneath this are medalioned block brackets set on a molded frieze panel which has been intricately decorated with carved swirling medallions. The main entrance is framed by a flat-topped portico which is highly decorated in the same fashion as the bay and is supported further by carved brackets and beveled posts. A molded panel encloses the bottom portion of the portico. The main entrance is a paneled door flanked by sidelights and headed by a flush, light transom panel. A one-story side addition has pilasters, which run to the eave line of the balcony above. A molded and paneled balustrade capped by round urns encloses the balcony. Underneath the eaves one can see decorative stepped brickwork.53 King Street – St. Mark’s Rectory – c. 1878 – It is a good example of the late Victorian villa with Italianate details in red brick complete with its essential exterior details of two story bay window, paired brackets to eaves, and gables, elaborate front verandah, Victorian sashing and entrance door case. In 1956, St. Mark’s Church sold the Ambrose House (50 King Street) in order to purchase this house located directly beside the Church for use as a rectory.55 King Street – Charles Wickett House – c. 1909 – This house was built for Charles Hearn Wickett, a prominent dry goods merchant. About1920 the first floor was extended to the south and the back verandah added. It is side gabled, three storys, triple brick, stretcher bond on a cement foundation. It has an irregular cedar shake roof, gables half timbered on stucco, hooded windows and dormers. The fenestration is the most impressive feature with a total of 47 multi-faceted windows in a variety of groupings. Except for the neoclassical front entrance and back verandah this house is an interesting Canadian vernacular version of the Arts and Crafts style of architecture. The house has a symmetrical plan with a large hall, three reception rooms, a large kitchen and butler’s pantry on the main floor, four bedrooms plus a sewing room and bathroom on the second, and another three bedrooms and bathroom on the third. In 1912, the living room was enlarged by extending the main floor at the front to the south. In the space created behind the extension a two-sided verandah was added.61 King Street – R. Charles Smith House – c. 1858 – The house is basically a hip roof Regency Villa with a central hall plan. The main west facade is relieved by a central projection with a pedimental gable, and pilasters, articulating the south wall and each corner, enhance the mass and solidity of the structure. Decorative projecting header bricks under the wide eaves resemble dentils. The two tall brick chimneys on each side of the house are ornamented with brick dentils and with recessed panels. A verandah spans the south side of the house and has eight-sided posts resting on paneled square bases, and carved details below the roof line. There is a bay window in the frontispiece consisting of one six over six, and two two-over-two double hung sash. Robert Charles Smith (1817-1886) built this impressive brick house for himself and his wife Sara. The house is across the street from his father’s house (John David Smith), the Bluestone (21 Dorset Street East). In 1851, R. Charles Smith contributed to the building boom that occurred during the early 1850s by building a commercial block at 48-60 Walton Street. He established himself as a lumber dealer.117 King Street – Elias Peter Smith House (The Little Bluestone) – c. 1834 – The little Bluestone is a small Upper Canadian house, little more than a cottage. Certain elements are related to the Bluestone, but here the local stone also stuccoed is supplemented by limestone of better quality for sills, lintels and string course instead of the red sandstone used in the larger house. The principal external feature which gives such distinction to the facade is the door case, but its dominance over the adjoining windows is relieved by the judiciously placed semi-circular attic light in the gable. In 1834, John David Smith married his second wife Augusta and built the Bluestone (21 Dorset Street East). In that same year, J.D. Smith’s eldest son, Elias Peter Smith (1807-1860) married Sophia Soper (1803-1885) and the Little Bluestone was built on the same estate. Elias Peter Smith was named after his grandfather, Elias Smith, one of the founding fathers of Port Hope. He was the Manager of the local branch of the Bank of Upper Canada located in the 1840’s on Walton Street (118-120 Walton Street).15 Baldwin Street – William Hewson House – c. 1850 – This is a one-story cottage from the north facade, while a view of the south facade shows two storys. It is a classic example of the Ontario Cottage with three bays and a center gable in its hipped roof. The house is done in narrow clapboard. The building has well-proportioned exterior features and a center-hall plan. At the gable peak in the center of the main facade sits a finial; directly below this, tucked into the gable, is a semi-circular fanlight divided into five parts by narrow radiating muntins. Between the main facade’s windows and directly below the fanlight is a small, enclosed porch. Small double windows of three panes each are located on the front face of the porch which has a truncated hipped roof. The sashed windows are six-over-six and have slightly protruding lugsills that are decorated with end drops resembling acorns. The windows are treated with eared label surrounds. The horizontally louvred shutters on the main facade are for decoration. 15 and 11 Baldwin Street were built by William and Henry Hewson. The Hewson brothers were born in England and arrived in Port Hope in the early 1840s.35 Baldwin Street – Second Empire style – mansard roof, cornice brackets, attractive porches, arched voussoirs108 Bruton Street – Nathaniel Gillespie Cottage – c. 1854 – This is an Ontario Cottage, single story frame house with a hipped roof and a semi-circular window in the central gable. the sun porch now masking the front is a more recent addition and may replace an earlier verandah, a feature to be expected on the south face. Nathaniel Gillespie (1821-1899) was originally from County Armagh Ireland. He and his wife Cecelia emigrated to Canada in 1847. He established himself as a painter, during the building boom of the 1850s and it is an occupation he would have his entire life. The house remained in the Gillespie family, transferring to son Robert Tobias in 1899 after the death of both Nathaniel and Cecelia, which occurred within two days of each other.159 Bruton Street – William Skitch Cottage – c. 1861 – This is a diminutive example of the Ontario cottage with a hip roof, front gable with fanlight and end chimneys; the house is set over a high basement so that the rear allows more light to the cellar. The facade has a center door with transom above flanked by French windows. The building has a rear wing. The exterior is rendered in roughcast, but there is evidence of the original stucco finish scored to look like ashlar. William Skitch (1823-1894) was born in Stratton, Cornwall, England in 1823, emigrating to Canada in 1850. His wife, Anne Burney and five children arrived later that year. William established a tailoring business. Unfortunately, his shop was located in the Quinlan Block (78-92 Walton Street), which was destroyed by a fire in 1866. He was left with only his tailor irons as a result of not having any insurance. He was able to re-establish his business and by 1871, son Henry (1849-1924) was also a tailor. He took over the family business when William died in 1894.254 Ridout Street – Richard Trick House – c. 1851 – This house is one of the finest examples of a brick Ontario Cottage in Port Hope. It is a raised cottage with the front entrance elevated from street level and approached by double stairs. The heavy lintels of the basement windows form a continuous line with the entrance platform. Capping the house is a low-pitch hipped roof with projecting eaves and a center gable. The cornice is boxed and has fine crown molding. Each corner and the ends of the gable have small acorn drops. A turned finial and drop pierce the front gable apex. Beneath the eaves is an interesting brick frieze which consists of protruding brick courses enclosing brick dentiling. An open circle of brickwork decorates the front gable. All of the front facade windows have timber lintels, which appear to be twice the height of the lugsills below. The main-story openings hold paired, double-sash windows with doubled, mullioned transoms above. At each window corner, just under the lintels, protruding blocks have been placed. This is a small but classic example of imagination and care on the part of the planner. The main entrance in its molded housing consists of a paneled door, flanked by sidelights. Topping the door is an unusual ogee transom with well-arranged muntins. The corners of the house exhibit brick quoins. The entire house is a showcase for the talents of Richard Trick, the original owner of this house, and a prominent local bricklayer. Richard Trick (1822-1890), originally from Hartland, Devon, England, came to Canada with his brother William about 1836. He established himself as a local mason and was responsible for building many of Port Hope’s important brick structures.267 Ridout Street – c. 1851 – corner quoins, transom above entrance, multi-paned windows, shutters284 Ridout Street – Thomas Spry Cottage (Forge Cottage) – c. 1850 – The house is a good example of local Georgian styling of the one and a half story cottage design with a center hall plan, constructed of two course local brick. Some of the features are the brick pilasters, the entrance sidelights and transom. The window above the main door is known as an eyebrow window, which was to provide light to the upstairs hallway. The large twelve-paned windows provide excellent lighting and ventilation most of which is still the original glass. Rectangular multi-paned sidelights and a transom of the same style and dimension flank the Palladian proportioned front entrance. A unique fanlight window that provides light to the upper story appears to rest on the door lintel. Forge Cottage was built by Thomas Spry; the name of the cottage is a reference to his trade.
