Description of Historic Place

21-23 Prince Street is a two storey apartment building located on historic Prince Street. The building began its life as part of the Wesleyan Methodist chapel located further up Prince Street, beside the current Trinity United Church. The designation encompasses the building’s exterior and parcel; it does not include the building’s interior.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of 21-23 Prince Street lies in its association with the early history of the Wesleyan Methodist community in Charlottetown, its relationship with Trinity United Church and its importance to the Prince Street streetscape.

21-23 Prince Street is a portion of the former Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, which was moved to its current location in 1865. The Wesleyans, or Methodists, had established a presence on Prince Edward Island in the late 1700s. They met in private homes until 1813, when they built their first chapel on the North side of Richmond Street, between Queen and Pownal Streets. They ceased meeting in this chapel in approximately 1835, when they built a new chapel on the corner of Prince and Richmond Streets. Their first service in the new chapel was held on the 9 July 1835 with the resident minister, J.P. Heatherington, leading the service. The building was approximately 42 by 55 feet long however, due to a rapidly increasing membership, the chapel was enlarged twice. In 1840, 30 feet were added on to the length of the building on the Richmond Street side. Later, in 1847, a large wing was added to the chapel on the Prince Street side.

Due to various revivals over the next decades, the congregation continued to grow in size and it became apparent that a new church was required. In 1863-1864, the congregation built a new, larger brick structure along the south side of the chapel. This church was originally named the First Methodist Church, however after the Methodist Church became part of the United Church of Canada in 1925, the church was renamed Trinity United Church.

The wooden chapel was divided into sections and moved off the property. John Williams (1800-1878), postmaster and active member of the Charlottetown Methodist community, purchased the vestry and moved it off of the property in 1865. Williams moved the building further down Prince Street and turned it into a double tenement. According to the Birds Eye View of Charlottetown 1878 map, the tenement originally had five windows on the second floor of the facade and a row of three windows on the first floor with a doorway on the southern corner of the building. The building remains an apartment building to this day. Interestingly, another section of the chapel was purchased for use as a liquor store on Queen Street but “fell to pieces” as it was being moved!

Although renovated on a number of occasions, 21-23 Street is one of the oldest homes on Prince Street. It helps support the Prince Street streetscape.

Sources: Heritage Office, City of Charlottetown Planning Department, PO Box 98, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7K2
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Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements illustrate the heritage value of 21-23 Prince Street:
- The location of the building on Prince Street
- The use of the building as a multiple dwelling
- The rectangular shape of the building
- The simplicity of the exterior
- The shape and pitch of the gable roof
- The placement of the two chimneys