Description of Historic Place

Donaho House is located on Elm Street in Woodstock. It consists of a square, white clapboard clad Italianate house featuring bell shaped window hoods. The house and grounds are included in the local historic place designation.

Heritage Value

Donaho House, built for affluent Woodstock resident Thomas Donaho in 1877, is designated a Local Historic Place because it is one of only two Italianate homes in Woodstock.

Although early photographs show a belvedere, gazebo, intricate picket fence, decorated carriage house, and other Italianate elements that were later removed, the house still remains a rare example of Italianate residential architecture from this era in Woodstock. The house has retained the bell-shaped window hoods over the walk-in bays of the double parlour. This architectural element is not shown elsewhere in Woodstock.

The grounds are included in the historic place designation because the mature trees contribute to the overall aesthetic value of the property.

Source: Carleton County Historical Society Historic Places File # 25

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Italianate architecture of the house include:
- two-storey square massing;
- hipped roof;
- front bays with bell window hoods;
- surrounds of second storey windows;
- white clapboard siding;
- slight overhang of eaves with brackets;
- narrow band of diamond pattern trim below eaves.

The character-defining elements of the grounds include:
- elevated lot;
- mature trees.