Description of Historic Place

286-288 Fitzroy Street is a wood framed, one and one half storey apartment with Maritime Vernacular Cottage style influences. It was once owned and used as a rental property by the prominent Peake Family. The designation encompasses the building’s exterior and parcel; it does not include the building’s interior.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of 286-288 Fitzroy Street lies in its association with the Peake family; its Maritime Vernacular Cottage style construction; and its importance to the Fitzroy Street streetscape.

The wealthy and prominent Peake Family owned and rented out small homes throughout Charlottetown in the mid 19th Century. This was one of their many business ventures that included shipbuilding, ship brokering, and banking. 286-288 Fitzroy Street appears to be one of their properties. Donald MacLeod purchased the home in 1865. MacLeod was a joiner, or what is now known as a carpenter for the PEI Railway. It is possible that MacLeod lived in the home as early as the 1850s because he paid part of the land tax on the property in this period.

The home was divided in two at some point and according to city directories, it has had a number of tenants throughout its history. The 286 section was home to a dressmaker named Minnie or Mary MacEachern from 1915 until the 1930s. The 288 Fitzroy Street portion was occupied by William Nelson, a teamster. By 1937, Peter J. Hopkins, a local butcher had moved in.

The architecture of the house has Maritime Vernacular Cottage style influences. The Maritime Vernacular Cottage style is common throughout Charlottetown and is distinguishable by its centre gable and symmetrical plan. Many examples of Maritime Vernacular Cottages still exist in Charlottetown, but have been modified to reflect various style periods.

As an early example of the Maritime Vernacular Cottage style in the City, 286-288 Fitzroy Street helps support the Fitzroy 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 Maritime Vernacular Cottage style influenced character-defining elements illustrate the heritage value of 286-288 Fitzroy Street:
- The massing of the building
- The symmetry of the facade
- The wooden shingle cladding
- The contrasting trim throughout the facade
- The size and placement of the windows
- The size and placement of the doors, including the eastern door’s small porch extension and the western section’s canopy
- The style and placement of the centrally placed gable dormer with its single window
- The gable roof
Other character-defining elements include:
- The extension that has been built onto the back of the building
- The location of the building on Fitzroy Street