Description of Historic Place

The house at 27 Main Street in the Village of Victoria is a two storey wood framed dwelling constructed in the Plain style. The registration includes the building's exterior and parcel, it does not include the building's interior.

Heritage Value

27 Main Street is valued for its Plain architectural style, for its association with former residents of Victoria, and for its constribution to the streetscape.

Meacham's 1880 Atlas of PEI shows the current property as owned by Charles Wright. Wright had purchased it from Donald W. Palmer in 1875. Palmer owned a large amount of land in the area and had laid out the Village of Victoria in 1855. He also owned the lot directly behind this property.

It is unclear when the house was built. It is possible that Charles Wright had it moved to Victoria from Tryon where he also owned land. Saw blade marks on the beams suggest they were cut pre-1860s.

In 1893, the property was sold to Murdock Stewart, a tailor. He later sold it to Charles (Charlie) Miller, a lobster packer, in 1911. Charlie Miller (1867-1945) had come to the Village in 1887. During his lifetime, he had a variety of occupations including: an agent for the Singer Sewing Machine Company, a piano tuner, lobster fisher and canner, and harbour pilot. It is believed he was the first to can crabmeat on PEI. The property remained in the Miller family into the 1970s.

The Plain architectural style of the house is evident in the simple wood frame construction and shingle cladding, the small verandah entrance, and the lack of decorative eave bracketting. The architectural features of the house present a good example of the Plain architectural style in the village.

With its long history in the Village and its association with its earliest inhabitants, the home continues to contribute to its streetscape.

Source: Culture and Heritage Division, PEI Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8
File #: 4310-20/V17

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements illustrate the Plain style heritage value of 27 Main Street:

- The wood frame construction of two storeys
- The wood shingle cladding
- The small verandah
- The placement and style of the doors and windows especially the three larger 9-over-6 windows on street level and the two smaller 6-over-6 windows on the second floor
- The modest decorative lintels and hood mouldings over the windows and doors
- The distinct sloping of the gable roof
- The notch and peg construction

Other character-defining elements of 27 Main Street include:

- The building's prominent location on Main Street