Description of Historic Place

267 Fitzroy Street is a wood framed, one and a half story dwelling in the Maritime Vernacular Cottage style with two large additions on the north side. It is located in downtown Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of 267 Fitzroy Street lies in its association with local builders, the Harper family; its long-time connection with the railway through its residents, and its role in supporting the Fitzroy Street streetscape.

It is not clear when 267 Fitzroy Street was constructed, but a house with a similar footprint appears on the 1878 Panoramic View of Charlottetown. Maps drawn in 1805 and 1833 show a building on the same site - Lot 39 in the 4th Hundred. However, a structure does not appear on maps from the 1860s indicating that the house was either moved to the location in a later period, or it was not constructed yet. At least two additions were built on to the back of the house and modifications have been made to the facade which disguise its age. The house features log construction in parts of the structure and sawdust insulation. Before the additions, and changes to the façade in the form of a shed dormer and altered fenestration, the house appears to have been influenced by the Maritime Vernacular Cottage style.

The Maritime Vernacular Cottage was a common style in Charlottetown from the 1860s and earlier. It consists of a one storey rectangular plan, and a symmetrical façade with a center door and one window on either side. Interior investigations of 267 Fitzroy Street reveal a center dormer and cedar shingles that were covered by a shed dormer in a pre-1878 renovation.

It is believed that contractor William Harper (b.1832-1905) constructed and lived at the home. His family, particularly William Warren (WW) Harper, were talented contractors with connections to at least two of the most elegant residences in Charlottetown, including Birchwood (35 Longworth Avenue) and Dundas Terrace, National Historic Site (2-6 Water Street - failed bid).

A deed from the turn of the twentieth century indicates that Premier W.W. Sullivan owned the house for a time but sold it in 1913 to Eli MacLean, an engineer. Like many individuals that lived in the east side and the waterfront section of the city of Charlottetown, Mr. MacLean and family members were employed by the Railway. The Railway was one of the largest employers in the city for over a century. Sources also indicate that MacLean's Radio Repair operated from the building in the 1920-1937 period.
A valuable piece of our history, 267 Fitzroy Street is located among a number of historic houses and supports the streetscape.

Source: City of Charlottetown Planning Department, Heritage Office, File #CT2023-01, PO Box 98, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7K2

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the 267 Fitzroy Street is demonstrated by the following character-defining elements:

- The site of the house on the property, close to the street
- The symmetrical first floor façade
- The size and shape of the first floor window openings
- The rectangular plan of the original house that reflects its Maritime Vernacular roots
- The overall massing of the original building
- The original eave line visible on the east and west sides of the house