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154 Spring Street

154 Spring Street, Summerside, Prince Edward Island, C1N, Canada

Formally Recognized: 2008/03/31

Showing southeast elevation; Wyatt Heritage Properties, 2007
Showing southeast elevation
Showing northeast elevation; Wyatt Heritage Properties, 2007
Showing northeast elevation
Senator Creelman MacArthur (1874-1943); Library and Archives Canada, PA 047369
Senator Creelman MacArthur (1874-1943)

Other Name(s)

154 Spring Street
Creelman MacArthur House

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1907/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2008/09/05

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

This imposing two-and-one-half storey Colonial Revival style house sits on the west side of Spring Street on the southwest corner of the intersection with Pleasant Street. The front elevation of the hipped roof house is dominated by a full length enclosed porch, which is glazed at ground level and extends south to a rounded corner sunporch. It also features cantilevered and pedimented gables. The registration includes the building and its lot.

Heritage Value

The fine residence at 154 Spring Street has historical importance as the home of two of Summerside's prominent businessmen of the twentieth century. Further heritage value lies in it being a typical example of the Four Square hipped roof Colonial Revival style of architecture which was favoured by the new wealthy breeders of silver foxes on Prince Edward Island. These were known locally as "fox houses". In this house may be seen several of the elements that were emulated, except perhaps the rounded glazed porch. This example of the style has pedimented and cantilevered gables and wide eaves with modillion bracket decoration.

The building was constructed in 1907 for Summerside native Creelman MacArthur, who enjoyed a prominent position in the business and political circles of the area. Like so many of his contemporaries, he got his start with R.T. Holman Limited. He later joined the mercantile firm of Brace, McKay and Company, and rose to the level of president. He entered politics in 1919, serving two terms as the Liberal representative for 5th Prince. He resigned his seat in September 1925 when he accepted an appointment to the Senate.

He bought the corner lot at the southwest intersection of Spring and Pleasant Streets in 1900. The year before, he had married Hannah Lois Beattie and by 1909 the couple had four daughters. Shortly after his wife's death in 1932, Mr. MacArthur moved with his two younger daughters to 283 Green Street and remarried in 1937.

The new owner of the house in 1934 was Benjamin M. Muttart, also a well-known businessman in the town of Summerside. He was secretary-treasurer of Sinclair and Stewart Limited, a large mercantile firm and was active in the community, serving as president of the Board of Trade and for fourteen years as the town assessor. He and his wife, Margaret Weldon, raised their family in the house, residing there until 1977.

Although the exterior has been clad in vinyl siding, the home retains many well preserved elements and remains an asset to its streetscape.

Source: City of Summerside, Heritage Property Profile

Character-Defining Elements

This Four Square Colonial Revival style of the house is shown in the following character- defining elements:

- the two-and-one-half storey massing and form of the building, with steeply pitched hipped roof and asphalt shingles
- the two brick chimneys with pots
- the original placement of windows which appears intact on all elevations
- the elaborate central vestibule with its glazed round cornered sunporch extending south
- the balcony over the vestibule featuring doric medallion columns and gabled dormer over balcony
- the central protruding vestibule with flared roof and bargeboard trim and a palladian window surrounded by decorative shingle work in the pediment
- the wide eaves with modillion bracketing
- the pedimented and cantilevered gable dormer with medallion bargeboard trim on north elevation with semi-circular window in the pediment
- the gabled dormer on the west elevation
- the hipped roof extension of one storey off the west elevation
- the stacked bays on south elevation with gable dormers
- the continuing contribution of the house to the streetscape of Spring and Pleasant Streets

Recognition

Jurisdiction

Prince Edward Island

Recognition Authority

City of Summerside

Recognition Statute

Heritage Conservation Bylaw SS-20

Recognition Type

Registered Historic Place (Summerside)

Recognition Date

2008/03/31

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
Architecture and Design

Function - Category and Type

Current

Historic

Residence
Single Dwelling

Architect / Designer

n/a

Builder

n/a

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

City of Summerside, Heritage Property Profiles

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

SS-20-SR36

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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