Description of Historic Place

Located on the east side of Monmouth Road, between Tuscarora and Cataraque Streets, in the former Town of Walkerville, 744 Monmouth Road is a two-storey semi-detached brick residence built circa 1900 for Hiram Walker distillery workers.

It is recognized for its heritage value by City of Windsor By-law 10592.

Heritage Value

744 Monmouth Road is an excellent example of middle-class housing built by the Walkerville Land and Building Company during the early part of the twentieth century. It is also important because it is an integral part of an historical architectural grouping in the former Town of Walkerville, now east Windsor.

The two-storey dwelling is the north half of a semi-detached building, built about 1900, by the Walkerville Land and Building Company. The Company built these homes for the Hiram Walker and Sons firm to provide rental housing for the distillery's employees. After 1919 all units were available to rent to non-Walker employees.

744 Monmouth Road is an integral component of the Monmouth Road streetscape, which stretches from the 700 block down to the 1200 block. These homes are turn-of-the-century semi-detached row houses built by the Walkerville Land and Building Company. Many of the original features of 744 Monmouth Road still remain, including the red brick laid in stretcher bond and the double-hung windows.

Hiram Walker, a distiller from Detroit, founded the Town of Walkerville in 1858. By the late 1880s the Walkers were developing rental properties for the distillery's employees at all levels. The building is located on the eastern edge of Walkerville adjacent to the industrial area along Walker Road, where the working-class employees traditionally resided. 744 Monmouth Road is representative of the former Town of Walkerville's original streetscape.

Sources: City of Windsor By-law 10592, March 4, 1991; Building Analysis Form, October 15, 1990.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of 744 Monmouth include its:
- two-storey structure
- red brick, laid in a stretcher bond
- recessed front door with wood timber lintel and squared column support
- double-hung, wood sash windows
- semi-hipped roof
- hipped roof dormer
- radiating brick voussoirs