Description du lieu patrimonial

60 Dufferin Street is a two storey, wooden home located on Dufferin Street, built in 1887-1888 in the New Town area of Lunenburg, NS. It has an extensive rear yard, and a modest yard surrounding the front and sides of the house. It has a gambrel roof with a shallow curve to the lower roof, dormers on the sides, and the entrance is in the gable end, facing the street, with matching first storey bays and a central second storey bay. Municipal designation covers both the building and surrounding property.

Valeur patrimoniale

The property at 60 Dufferin Street is valued for its unusual architecture and its association with Billy King, a well known acrobat. The lot was purchased in 1887 by William Hunt, a carpenter, and he built this home within the first few years of ownership. The house was sold to Henry King, a hotel clerk in 1901, and father of famous high wire artist Billy King, who was raised in this house.

While this house is similar in size and proximity to the street to its neighbours, it stands out because of its gambrel roof, with the gable end oriented to the street. The roof line is brought out by the bell cast curve, moulded fascia, and small open brackets trimming the eaves. The other striking feature of the exterior is the arrangement of two symmetrical bays on the ground floor with a porch between them, with a central second storey bay above, connected by the roof of the porch. Fine bracketting detail centres the eye on the porch area, presenting a welcoming façade. Bay windows and dormers are also located on the other façades, providing an interesting view for the passersby.

Source: Notice of Recommendation to Register as a Town Heritage Property, Heritage Designation File 66400-40-51, Town of Lunenburg.

Éléments caractéristiques

Characteristics that define 60 Dufferin Street consist of elements of nineteenth century architecture, including:

- the location of the house slightly set back from the streetline, with an original slate front walkway, a large back yard that was once common grazing land, in the socially prominent New Town area of Lunenburg, and its congruence in size and form with the other houses on the streetscape;
- all elements relating to the form of the house, including the bell cast gambrel roof, with the gable end facing the street, clapboard cladding, matching first storey bays and a central second storey, bell cast bay on the front façade and the central porch and its roof on the front facade;
- all Victorian elements of decoration, including the moulded fascia, heavy cornerboards with bracketting, panel decoration on the first storey bays and above the porch, decorative bracketting detail on the front porch, four-over-four windows, trim on the pointed dormers, and bracketting on the cornerboards at the eaves.