Charles E. Stanfield House
44 Dominion Street, Truro, Nova Scotia, B2N, Canada
Formally Recognized:
1991/08/05
Other Name(s)
Charles E. Stanfield House
44 Dominion Street
Links and documents
Construction Date(s)
1878/01/01
Listed on the Canadian Register:
2004/09/24
Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
The Charles E. Stanfield House is a one and one-half storey wood frame dwelling located at 44 Dominion Street, Truro, NS. Built in 1878 in the Gothic Revival style, the house features a steeply-pitched side-gabled roof with three cross gables. The house is situated in Truro’s Heritage Conservation District II, a neighborhood noted for its concentration of largely intact late Victorian residences. The designation includes the building and surrounding property.
Heritage Value
Historical Value
This house is valued for its association with Charles E. Stanfield and his family, whose members have included many prominent industrialists, businessmen, artists and politicians since the family’s arrival in Truro in the mid-nineteenth century. Stanfield founded several woolen knitting mills in the region, and developed new equipment and products in a workshop at the rear of this house. His sons John and Frank developed the famous shrink-proof manufacturing process, which allowed their mills to attain national prominence supplying “unshrinkable” underwear to miners in the Yukon’s Klondike District. Stanfield’s Ltd. has grown to become one of Canada’s foremost manufacturers of knitted underwear and other fabric products.
The Hon. John Stanfield represented Colchester County as a Member of Parliament (MP) for three terms, and served in the Canadian Senate from 1917 until his death in 1934. Frank Stanfield served Colchester County as a member of Nova Scotia’s Legislative Assembly (MLA) and MP. He also served as Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia. Frank’s son, The Rt. Hon. Robert L. Stanfield, was an MLA, a Premier of Nova Scotia, a four-term MP, and leader of the national Progressive Conservative Party from 1967 to 1976.
Architectural Value
Charles E. Stanfield House is also valued as a fine example of late Gothic Revival architecture. The additional cross gables added to the projecting centre gable add greatly to the mass of the house and its impact on the neighborhood, without altering in any way the simplicity of the basic design.
Source: Planning Department, Town of Truro, file 10MNS0006
Character-Defining Elements
External elements that define the heritage character of the Charles E. Stanfield House’s include:
- all building elements, including: basic Gothic Revival form and massing, with steeply-pitched gable roof, three front cross gables; rear end-gabled extension; symmetrically placed chimneys on the roof ridge and rear extension.
- all door and window elements, including: eight over one windows, with a pair of narrow six over one windows in the projecting centre cross gable; wide front entrance with elliptical fanlight and sidelights; moulded window and door surrounds, and drip moulding window crowns.
- all building materials, including: walls of wooden clapboard with trim elements in a contrasting dark colour; formal decorative elements of high quality workmanship; asphalt-shingled roof.
- all building elements compliant with the town’s Heritage Conservation By-Law.
Elements that define the site’s heritage character include:
- placement of the house relative to the street and its neighbours;
- all site elements compliant with the town’s Heritage Conservation District By-Law.
Recognition
Jurisdiction
Nova Scotia
Recognition Authority
Local Governments (NS)
Recognition Statute
Heritage Property Act
Recognition Type
Municipally Registered Property
Recognition Date
1991/08/05
Historical Information
Significant Date(s)
n/a
Theme - Category and Type
- Developing Economies
- Trade and Commerce
- Governing Canada
- Politics and Political Processes
Function - Category and Type
Current
Historic
- Residence
- Single Dwelling
Architect / Designer
n/a
Builder
n/a
Additional Information
Location of Supporting Documentation
Planning Department, Town of Truro, PO Box 427, Truro, NS B2N 5C5; file 10MNS0006
Cross-Reference to Collection
Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier
10MNS0006
Status
Published
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