Description of Historic Place

169-171 Dorchester Street is a wood framed, Second Empire style apartment building set close to the street. The building is one of a number of heritage homes in the area and contributes to the streetscape. The designation encompasses the building's exterior and parcel; it does not include the building's interior.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of 169-171 Dorchester Street lies in its attractive Second Empire style architecture and its role in supporting the Dorchester Street streetscape.

Although it is not clear when 169-171 Dorchester Street was built, it appears to have been on the site as early as 1880. The building was influenced by the Second Empire style. The style is readily identified through its Mansard roof, which was named after François Mansart (1598-1666), and popularized by his son, Jules Hardoin Mansart, an architect who worked for Louis XIV around 1700. The Mansard roof is almost flat on the top section and has deeply sloping, often curved, lower sections that generally contain dormers. The Second Empire referred to in the style is that of Napoleon III (1852-1870). The style reached Canada through Britain and the United States and can be found in examples throughout Charlottetown from approximately 1860 until 1880. 169-171 Dorchester Street is a good example of the Second Empire style in Charlottetown.

According to local directories, from 1922 until 1935, Mrs. J.B. MacDonald lived at 171 Dorchester Street. The 28 April 1948 edition of the local newspaper, the Guardian carried a for sale notice for 169-171 Dorchester Street. The contact person was listed as D.J. Bonnell. A later owner of the building was Mrs. James Pendergast.

169-171 Dorchester Street is an attractive building on a street with a number of well-kept heritage buildings and its architecture makes it an important part of the Dorchester Street streetscape.

Sources: Heritage Office, City of Charlottetown Planning Department, PO Box 98, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7K2
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Character-Defining Elements

The following Second Empire influenced character-defining elements contribute to the heritage value of 169-171 Dorchester Street:
- The overall massing of the building with its wooden frame and clapboard cladding
- The decorative mouldings painted in a contrasting colour, particularly the door and window frames and the scrolled brackets under the window caps
- The paired brackets under the eaves at the roofline
- The pedimented dormer windows projecting from the Mansard roof
- The indented oval design along the cornice under the eave at the roofline
- The Mansard roof
- The size and placement of the windows, particularly the tall windows of the first and second floors, the dormer windows and the large windows of the porch
- The size and placement of the doors, particularly the paneled door
- The size and shape of the chimney
- The Ell shaped wing projecting from the west side of the building

Other character-defining elements of 169-171 Dorchester Street include:
- The location of the building, set close to Dorchester Street