Description of Historic Place

The house at 144 Cambridge Street is located on the southeast corner where Cambridge meets Eustane Street. It is a rectangular one-and-one-half storey building with asphalt shingled gambrel roof which stands out from the others in this residential area. It is clad in light green vinyl siding with white trim.

Heritage Value

This large structure on the southeast corner of Cambridge and Eustane Streets has historical significance as one of the first buildings to be constructed after the Great Fire of 1906. It is also an example of a building that was moved from its original location and fitted up for an alternative purpose. It therefore contributes to the larger Summerside story as well as currently contributing to the historic residential streetscape of Cambridge and Eustane.

The building was built as a barn by local contractor Daniel R. Morrison and was constructed on his property at 66 Spring Street. He had acquired the lot in June 1907 after losing his home in the October 1906 fire and built the barn before erecting a new house for himself. In 1928, he sold the 28 by 47 foot outbuilding to Don Baker who moved it to its present location and converted it into a double-tenement residence.

The original tenants of the building are unknown, but by the Second World War, the building had been converted into the four units that still exist today. The occupants of the north end of the building around 1943 were Ivan and Eva Nicholson in the upstairs apartment and Fred Anderson in the lower apartment, both with addresses on Cambridge Street. On the south end with addresses on Eustane Street were Doug and Ruth Coffin upstairs and Heath Whelan downstairs.

Mr. Baker, the landlord, lived in the house on the adjacent lot to the south. A native of Freetown, he was hired in 1919 by the mercantile firm of R. T. Holman Ltd. where he worked for many years as manager of the produce department. He was well known in the community, being noted in the press in 1933 as "one of Summerside's most popular citizens." He served as president of the local Board of Trade from 1944 to 1946, was a member of the Hospital Board of Trustees and the Rotary Club, and was prominent in the Presbyterian Church and the Masonic Lodge. After his passing in 1953, his widow, the former Mattie Lewis, continued to rent out the apartments until she sold the building in 1959.

William Stordy, a local dairy operator, was the next proprietor of the apartment house. During his ownership, the size of the lot was reduced from 185 feet along Eustane Street to approximately 105 feet. He sold the rental property in 1972 and since then it has had various owners.

Source: City of Summerside, Heritage Property Profiles

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the building is shown in the following character-defining elements:

- the one-and-one-half storey massing
- the gambrel roof with shed dormers
- the brick chimney of the east elevation
- the sense of balance created by matching extensions with small recessed verandas on the north and south elevations combined with the window and shed elements on the east and west elevations
- the symmetrical arrangement of windows (usually paired) and gables on east and west elevations
- the round arch or romanesque windows in the gables of the north and south extensions