Description of Historic Place

The Willis Farmhouse, a large two-storey vernacular farmhouse dating from the 1910’s, is built in the Classic Revival architectural style on a vast rural property. It is located on Youghall Drive in Bathurst.

Heritage Value

The Willis Farmhouse is designated a Local Historic Place for its architecture, for its former role as a hotel, and for its association with the Willis family.

The Willis Farmhouse is a good example of an economical and spacious Classic Revival vernacular residence. The original two-storey rectangular plan, the moderately pitched gable roof, the presence of corner boards, the returned cornices, and the lack of ornamentation are all elements that add to the classicism of this style of farm property. The quality of the restoration work that respects the original architecture greatly enhances the heritage value of this site.

The Willis Farmhouse is recognized as well for its uses over the years. This farmhouse located in a residential/rural/resort sector was used in the 1920’s and 1930’s as an inn.

The Willis Farmhouse is further recognized for its association with the Willis family. The Willis’s arrived from Youghall, County Cork, Ireland, in the first half of the 19th century. This house, owned by Robert Willis, was one of the Willis family’s properties, and it was handed down through several generations of Willis’s. The home remained in the hands of the Willis family until 2003, providing a modern link to early settlement in the Bathurst area.

Source: Bathurst Heritage Trust Commission Inc., "Willis Farmhouse" file

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements that describe the Willis Farmhouse include:
- location in a residential and resort sector of Bathurst;
- rectangular two-storey massing of the main section;
- moderately pitched gable roof;
- gable dormers;
- returned eaves;
- corner boards;
- balanced arrangement of the openings on the main façade;
- veranda on the main façade;
- all of the restoration work respecting the original architecture.