Description du lieu patrimonial

Peter Guyon House is located on the northeast corner of Charlotte Lane and Dock Street in Shelburne, Nova Scotia. This two-and-a-half storey Georgian style building was built circa 1785. The building and property are included in the designation.

Valeur patrimoniale

The Peter Guyon House is valued for its association with Peter Guyon, the Loyalist migration, and for its contribution to the streetscape along Shelburne’s historic Dock Street.

The Peter Guyon House was built circa 1785 when Shelburne was struggling to establish itself. Peter Guyon was a Huguenot descendent who was among one of two groups of Loyalist refugees from the American colonies who fled from New York to the safety of Shelburne in 1783 at the end of the American Revolution. Guyon, originally a farmer, was one of approximately 120 heads of families who met to organize a settlement in the "land of hope" - Nova Scotia – where they were promised land and some support to establish a settlement. Drawn from all walks of life and several states, they formed the Port Roseway Associates after the area in which they hoped to settle. Some of the Loyalists who arrived in Port Roseway – renamed Shelburne shortly following their arrival – had the means to build large, even two-storey homes, similar to those they were accustomed to in their former homes. Several of these remain, including the Petery Guyon House.

Circa 1895, the Peter Guyon House was bought by Arthur F. and Elmore Bower. They lived in this house and as well they operated a grocery store on the north side of the house facing Dock Street.

Typical of many Loyalist homes, the Peter Guyon House is a two-and-a-half storey Georgian style building. It has a hipped gable roof with central chimney on the south exposure and a gable roof on the north. There is very little overhang, but there are cornerboards with moulding at the top. The façade is asymmetrical with an enclosed porch supported by very small posts. The foundation is of stone, not cut granite like others in the area, with a high basement to offset the grade of Charlotte Lane.

The Peter Guyon House is an excellent example of earlier dwellings in Shelburne and is an important part of the Dock Street streetscape.

Source: Town of Shelburne, Heritage file, no. 14

Éléments caractéristiques

Character-defining elements of the Peter Guyon House relate to its Georgian architecture and include:

- prominent location backing onto Dock Street;
- two-and-a-half storey wood construction;
- hipped gable roof on the south exposure;
- gable roof on the north exposure;
- central chimney;
- cornerboards with moulding at the top;
- asymmetrical front façade;
- stone foundation;
- high basement to offset the grade of Charlotte Lane.