Description of Historic Place

883 Doon Village Road is situated on the southwest corner of Doon Village Road and Bechtel Drive, in the City of Kitchener. The two storey brick house was constructed in circa 1863.

The property was designated, by the City of Kitchener in 1984, for its heritage value, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, By-law 84-52.

Heritage Value

883 Doon Village Road is associated with Benjamin Burkholder, a well-known and respected teacher, who had the residence built in circa 1863, on land he had owned for 25 years. Burkholder received his teaching certificate in 1843, becoming one of the first four people to do so. He taught in a number of schools in the Region of Waterloo including: the little red schoolhouse at the east end of Kitchener, Waterloo's second schoolhouse, and the little schoolhouse in Doon.

883 Doon Village Road is a good representation of Georgian style in the Region of Waterloo. Typical of Georgian style, the building is two storeys high with a symmetrical three-bay facade. The facade also demonstrates Georgian architecture with its centrally located door with surrounding transom and sidelights, as well as its six over six windows with shutters. In addition to the windows on the facade, there are small square attic windows and two chimneys at either end of the gable roof.

Source: City of Kitchener By-law 84-52.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of 883 Doon Village Road include its:
- two storey brick exterior
- gable roof
- two brick chimneys
- symmetrical three-bay facade
- six over six paned windows
- square attic windows
- Georgian door with sidelights and transom
- veranda