Description of Historic Place

Hillsborough Fashions, also known as the Mansfield House, is a two-storey vernacular interpretation of Italianate residential architecture from the 19th century. It is located on Main Street in Hillsborough.

Heritage Value

Hillsborough Fashions is of historical significance because it illustrates the changing roles one building can play in the life of a community. The residence was constructed circa 1875 by W. D. (Cliff) Mansfield to provide upscale lodging for the increased business trade the new plaster mill had attracted to Hillsborough. He crowned his new building with a traditional widow’s walk while employing modern skylights to brighten the windowless attic area. Mr. Mansfield’s name is still used to identify this building despite his ownership lasting only through the building’s construction. Upon its completion, Mr. Mansfield sold the residence to Dr. Randall. Dr. Randall converted the first floor into an office and waiting room, while the second floor became the doctor’s living area. Upon his passing the building was inherited by his daughter. She married Dr. Dash and the building continued to be utilized as it had been since 1875. Dr. Dash is remembered as a warm and friendly man whose laugh and English accent was softened by the West Indies lilt he had acquired during his Barbados upbringing. He pursued his practice of medicine until his passing in 1944. In 1947 Mrs. Dash sold the building to Fred and Myrtle Estabrooks. They closed in the front section of the veranda and made two display windows thrusting toward the street. The widow’s walk was removed because of incessant leaking. On the ground floor the Estabrooks’ established an upscale clothing store and Freddie’s Fashions was born.

The post-war economic boom was not kind to merchants in Hillsborough. By 1947, shoppers using improved automobiles traveling on better roads bypassed the merchants of Hillsborough for the glitzy new stores and endless selection in Moncton located only 24 kilometers away. Despite a shift in commercial shopping trends in Hillsborough, the Estabrooks enjoyed thirty profitable years in business afterwhich they sold their store to the present owners, who have enjoyed continuing success for the past thirty-three years. Sixty-three years of personalized service and word of mouth advertising has propelled this store against the tide in a vessel that is now one hundred and thirty years old. Both the Estabrooks’ and the present owners have prospered on a willingness to go that extra mile for customers, who willingly come extra miles to shop in beautiful downtown Hillsborough.

Source: Heritage Hillsborough, William Henry Steeves House Museum, Local Historic places files

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements relating to Hillsborough Fashions include:
- two-storey rectangular massing;
- truncated hipped roof with a flat top that formerly served as a widow’s walk;
- wood clapboard sheathing;
- partially enclosed wrap-around veranda;
- veranda roof supported by square columns with carved bracketing at the capitals;
- treillage balustrade on the veranda;
- carved bracketing under eaves;
- cement steps;
- large bay storefront windows creating a commercial recessed entrance;
- wrought iron railing at the main entrance.