Description of Historic Place

Built in 1919-20, the William T. Wesgate House is a stately two and a half storey, red brick Colonial Revival style home located along the “Victoria Avenue corridor” at 225 Giles Boulevard West in central Windsor. Recognized for its heritage value by City of Windsor Bylaw 142-2002, it typifies the quality of residential development in this upscale neighbourhood.

Heritage Value

The William T. Wesgate House is an excellent example of the fine homes built in this central Windsor neighbourhood from 1890 to 1930 for some of the city’s most influential and prominent families. Merchant James Dougall, who developed the area, imposed stiff restrictions on buyers of the original lots. These restrictions included minimum setbacks and house values, as well as a promise that no building would be used for commercial purposes.

The building’s association with William Thomas Wesgate, for whom it was constructed in 1919-20, adds to its historical value. Best known as a maker of fine ice cream, Wesgate owned the Wesgate Ice Cream Manufacturing Plant from 1911 to 1938. He was active in municipal politics, business and fraternal societies, and lived in the house until 1966.

The house is an excellent and well-preserved example of a fine Colonial Revival style home. Representative features include its two and a half storey symmetrical design with gable roof, double-hung wooden sash windows, and prominent arched entrance porch boasting paired Doric columns and pilasters. Other architectural elements of note include the dentil moulding on the cornice and gable ends, the three attic dormers with arched roofs, the two single-storey side wings with balustraded decks, and the original red tile roofs on both the house and the matching hip-roofed garage.

Located at the corner of Giles Street and Victoria Avenue, in what is known as the “Victoria Avenue corridor,” the William T. Wesgate House contributes to a heritage streetscape of exceptionally fine homes of distinctive and diverse designs.

Sources: Building Analysis Form, July 2001; City of Windsor Bylaw 142-2002; and Heritage Planner’s files.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the aesthetic and architectural value include:
- its symmetrical, two and a half storey design with gable roof
- prominent front doorway with arched entrance porch
- detailed cornices and gable ends
- three attic dormers with arched roofs and 6/1 double hung windows
- two, single-storey wings with balustraded decks
- window groupings
- wooden shutters
- stone sills,
- brick voussoirs with cast-stone keystones
- Palladian style windows on the gable ends
- small decorative shallow wooden ell on the west facade
- original red tile roof on the house and matching hip-roofed garage
- diamond-shaped panels in some windows, including the bay on the north facade
- half-timbering on the gable ends.

Character defining elements that express the building’s historical and contextual values include its:
- prominent setting along the Victoria Avenue corridor of central Windsor
- 1919-20 outstanding design, materials and workmanship
- its visual contributing to the heritage streetscape.