Description of Historic Place

The Hay-Smit House is located at 155 Hunter Street East, at the southeast corner of Hunter and Rogers Streets, nestled at the foot of Armour Hill in Peterborough’s East City. This two and a half storey red brick house is situated toward the northeast corner of the property, with the front elevation facing north.
The Hay-Smit House has been recognized for its cultural heritage value through the City of Peterborough By-Law 05-027.

Heritage Value

Almost a century old, the Hay-Smit House has substantial architectural value in the integrity of its interior features. Built by Gustuvius and Rose Hay in 1907 as a single family home, the interior of the house has survived intact, with striking features such as plaster ceiling medallions, tiled fireplace, and stained glass windows.

In addition to these visually outstanding elements, details that would have been common to early 20th century homes such as the original pine floors, wainscoting and trim, hardware, and bathroom fixtures have also survived. These basic elements create a picture of the interior of a middle class family home in the early twentieth century.

The building’s historical significance is also tied to the intact interior elements, which are made all the more exceptional considering the various uses of the house throughout its existence. The house was sold to the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1974 to be used as a boarding facility; it is highly unusual that no partition walls or changes to the interior layout of the building were made at this time. Now used as office space, the interior of the building remains largely the same today as it did in 1907.

Source: Hay-Smith Heritage Designation Brief, City of Peterborough By-Law 05-027.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that describe the value of the architectural integrity of the exterior of the Hay-Smit House include:
-red brick walls, with radiating voussoirs above the windows
-plain boxed cornice with return
-all transoms, sidelights and fanlights
-projecting frontispiece and elaborately carved cornice brackets
-original entrance vestibule, including both the exterior door and interior doors, and the exterior door surround with Neoclassical pilasters

Character defining elements that describe the value of the architectural integrity of the interior of the Hay-Smit House include:
-plaster ceiling medallions
-fireplace with wood trim and ornamental tiles
-all stained glass windows
-original pine wood floor
-wainscoting and semicircular doorways, and decorated architraves
-hardware and fixtures, including the metal claw-foot bathtub in upper bathroom
-newel post and wooden balustrade with pendel