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Hector House

20 Front Street, Gagetown, New Brunswick, E5M, Canada

Formally Recognized: 2007/04/16

This image shows the front façade of the residence; Village of Gagetown
Hector House - Front façade
This image shows the side view of the residence along with the 1922 extension at the rear of the building; Village of Gagetown
Hector House - Side view
This image shows the adjacent barn that dates back to 1922; Village of Gagetown
Hector House - Barn

Other Name(s)

n/a

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1922/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2010/03/03

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

The Hector House is a modest white one-and-a-half storey house with a rear ell. It sits with the gable end facing Front Street in Gagetown. It is situated on a knoll adjacent to a marsh and the banks of Gagetown Creek toward the southern end of the village. A sturdy, shingled barn built in 1922 sits beside it.

Heritage Value

The Hector House is designated a Local Historic Place for its association with the Hector family and for its architecture.

This kitchen part of the house at the back was built about 1880 by Andrew Hector, a descendent of some of the black Loyalists who settled in the Otnabog area just south of the village in the 1780’s. From his youth, Andrew worked for the Peters family who deeded him this piece of land in return for his services to them. His son, LeBaron “Barry” Hector, a legend in his own right, was born and lived here. Barry’s son, George Hector, a remarkable New Brunswick musician, was known far and wide as “The Whistling Banjo Man” on “The Maritime Farmers.”

Initially, an older house sat on the front part of the lot but, in 1922, Barry Hector engaged a village carpenter, Tom Sharpe, to renovate the early (kitchen) piece of the house and build the current structure. This house is a working man’s comfortable home, well-made and suited to its purpose. The house has white clapboard siding and traditional green trim. The door and windows are functional and aesthetically attractive. The exterior retains its initial 1922 appearance. The ceilings are eight feet high, the slant to the walls upstairs is moderate, and there is a lighted attic where a person can stand erect in the centre. The artesian well that used to supply water to the household still exists but is no longer functional. The nicely-shingled, well-kept barn remains a serviceable part of the estate.

Source: Queens County Heritage Archives – Gagetown Historic Places files

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Hector House include:

Exterior
- modest rectangular one-and-a-half storey massing;
- white clapboard siding with thin green corner boards and trim;
- front-facing gable roof with returned eaves;
- original door and window placement;

Interior
- original wood used where possible;
- upstairs spaces preserved.

Grounds
- attractive backdrop of the marsh and Gagetown Creek;
- attractive shingled barn with a gable roof.

Recognition

Jurisdiction

New Brunswick

Recognition Authority

Local Governments (NB)

Recognition Statute

Heritage Conservation Act

Recognition Type

Local Historic Place (municipal)

Recognition Date

2007/04/16

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
Architecture and Design
Peopling the Land
Settlement

Function - Category and Type

Current

Residence
Single Dwelling

Historic

Architect / Designer

n/a

Builder

Andrew Hector

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

Queens County Heritage Archives, 69 Front Street, Gagetown, NB

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

1938

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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